All my life, growing up as a child in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, I thought that if someone was accused of something that they were  indeed “innocent until proven guilty.”

In fact, I can remember as children we often used this phrase in jest when someone was giving us a hard time over something.

However, in my adult years, after experiencing a few life situations with family and friends, I came to realize that, according to our justice system, the opposite is in fact true.   We are almost always considered guilty until we can prove our innocence.

In Georgia, for example, and perhaps in other states as well, they have what is called the “he who calls first” law, or something stupid like that.

And so, if you get yourself into a situation whereby there may be some question as to who is in the right, you had best just grab your phone and dial 911 right fast.  Because otherwise, even if you are completely innocent of any wrongdoing, you WILL be considered the guilty party until you can prove yourself innocent.  And oftentimes that is much harder than one might think!

I remember reading about one young woman, pregnant in fact; which stood on her own front porch while the ex-wife of her husband beat her up and almost caused her to lose the baby.  The attacking woman then called the police, and the pregnant woman who had done nothing wrong was taken into custody.  Over a period of many months, at great expense to herself and her husband, she had to prove in a court of law that she was innocent of wrongdoing!

Lost innocence is a terrible thing.  I wish some days that I could go back to those childhood days when I believed that adults were always right, that Kool-Aid was safe to drink, that if I got into a bit of trouble that someone would believe in me – and perhaps even “believe me” when I told them I had done no wrong.

But, alas, in this hard old world we live in, sometimes the innocent go to jail, the wicked roam the streets day and night, and we all must fight for our right to a fair trial.

It kind of reminds me of when Christ was put on trial and had to appear before the powers that be.  He was found guilty ~ for our sins.  He was then beaten for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and deemed guilty before the highest court in the land.

And He died on the cross; a terrible way to die in anybody’s estimation.  His family and friends, even His precious mother stood or knelt at the foot of the cross.  They agonized with Him as He took the blame for the sins of the whole world . . . .  for my sins and yours.

A few of the people, whom He thought He could rely on the most, literally turned their backs on Him.  Perhaps that hurt Him the worst of all.  It is in those times of great need that we truly know who are the ones we can rely on; who are the ones who will “have our back” so to speak.

And so, as I think about the ones today who may be facing difficult situations, I wonder if they are remembering the One who died for them?  Are they trusting Him for their safety and for their salvation?  Or are they trying to figure it all out on their own, muddling their way through as many of us have tried to do in life?  Are they perhaps innocent, but needing a way to prove their innocence?  Or, maybe they have done something wrong but are sorry.  My heart aches for them all.

There is only one way to be cleansed from our sin, to be truly free from guilt, and that is through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It is only in Him that we are found not guilty, that we have a hope of redemption, and of eternal life.

John 14:6    ⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.