There were times in the past when someone would ask me “Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?” or “Have you been saved?” I would always answer “Depends on what you mean by that?”

For many, redemption is a word with religious overtones. But for some of us, it is a word of great power that reflects a major turn in our lives from destruction to –redemption.

Any of us who are on a path of recovery from addiction know first hand what it means to be redeemed. I would love to take credit for my recovery from addiction. Yes, I had to be open to healing and yes there is work to be done on a path of redemption. But I can’t take credit for getting on to that path. On the morning of June 2, 1983 I woke up and something had changed. I felt strongly that it was time for me to confront my alcoholism. I experienced what I understand to be grace and was put on a path of redemption.

Is religion required for redemption? I don’t think so. A religious path may indeed help but some have been redeemed without going anywhere near a church. Some I know who are being redeemed might not even voice a believe in a traditional God.

Redemption is also not something passive. For me, it was not a one-shot deal but rather was and is a process. As a person in recovery, I am still in the process of being redeemed. Each day that I am able to not pick up a drink I am redeemed. But I must also actively participate in that process of redemption, perhaps through prayer and meditation but sometimes also by undertaking a new path or activity that helps me heal.

I have also been privileged to meet men and women on a path of redemption as they heal from the trauma of war. Some find redemption climbing mountains, others through fly fishing, still others taking to the open road on motorcycles. One man fashioned copies of the famous Viet Nam statue and giving them away. I have one on my desk.

I was reading a story this morning of a boy asking a fisherman “What is the wind?” The fisherman answered “I don’t know. I don’t know what it is. But I do know how to hoist a sail.” A beautiful image for redemption. We may not know who or what is saving us but we are learning how to hoist a sail so that we may be saved.

There are many books telling stories of redemption. From Les Miserables to the lesser known but personal favorite Ordinary Grace as well as inspiring non-fiction stories. There are books about real redemption ranging from St. Augustine’s confessions to the story of Bill W. to All Is Grace, a biography of Dorothy Day.

And, of course, there are movies. I cannot write about redemption without citing Shawshank Redemption, a wonderful film about the redemptive power of hope:

There is Return of the Jedi which played a role in my own redemption. Something began to shift in me when I saw Darth Vader redeemed:

Finally here is a scene from the film My Name is Bill W. where we meet two men on a path of redemption:

To redeem something is to buy it back. To pay off a debt. So it is for many of us. We have been offered the opportunity to buy back our souls from the pit of despair.

I leave you then with a joyous celebration of redemption:

REFLECTION: Can your share a redemptive experience you have had, religious or otherwise?