It Must Stand for “Saint”

There is a story about two young brothers who were caught stealing sheep. In that day and age, the punishment was to brand the thief’s forehead with the letters ST, which stood for “Sheep Thief.” As a result, one brother ran from the village and spent his remaining years wandering from place to place always marked by disgrace. The other brother, however, remained in the village. He made restitution for the stolen sheep, and over the years became a caring friend and neighbor to the townspeople. He lived out his life in the village, eventually, an old man loved by all.

One day a stranger came to town and inquired about the ST on the old man’s forehead. “I’m not sure what it means,” another told him. “It happened so long ago, but I think the letters must stand for ‘Saint.’”

This story just reminds me that no matter how bad the past; no matter how grievous the sin, no matter what we have done, there is hope. People can change. We can change. And as we do, our situations will change.

Saint Augustine once said, “There is no saint without a past. And there is no sinner without a future.”

Let us pray: Loving and Gracious God, we thank you that you love us – unconditionally. From this moment forward, help us to live not out of a sense of despair about the past, but out of the possibility of a future based in your grace. We trust that with you there is great power to redeem. And for that, we give you thanks and praise. Amen.