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Today is Easter Sunday, a day rooted in the promise of resurrection, renewal, and redemption. For many, it’s a celebration of faith and the ultimate sacrifice made for us. But for those of us who have faced the weight of a conviction, Easter carries a deeper, more personal meaning. It mirrors our own journey from death to life, not always physical, but spiritual, emotional, and social resurrection.

When you’ve worn the label of “formerly incarcerated,” you understand what it means to be dismissed, judged, and defined by your worst moment. You’ve felt the sting of doors that won’t open, relationships that never recover, and eyes that see your past before they ever recognize your humanity. But today, on Easter, we’re reminded that God doesn’t see us that way. He doesn’t consult our past to determine our future. He sees who we are becoming, not what we’ve done.

Redemption is the heart of Easter. It’s the power of grace meeting guilt, of purpose rising from pain. It’s being accepted, truly accepted, after everything that should have disqualified us. For those of us who have been incarcerated, redemption looks like the second chance someone was brave enough to give us. It’s the employer who looked past our record and saw our potential. It’s the child who forgave the absence. It’s the friend or family member who stayed, even when it was hard. It’s the moment we finally forgave ourselves.

It’s also a call.

Redemption doesn’t just restore, it commissions. We aren’t saved to sit still. We’re saved to serve. Easter reminds us that resurrection comes with responsibility. To reach back and help the next person fighting for their second chance. To speak up for those who are still being silenced by their records. To live in a way that reflects the grace we’ve received.

To be justice impacted and redeemed is to live in the tension of knowing what it means to be cast out and what it feels like to be welcomed home.

So today, as we celebrate the empty tomb, we also celebrate the full hearts of those of us who’ve been given the chance to live again. Our lives are living proof that no one is too far gone, no past too messy, no mistake too final. There is redemption. There is restoration. And there is resurrection for all of us.

Happy Easter. He is Risen, and so are we.