Jeanne Bishop - Change of Heart: Justice, Mercy, and Making Peace with My Sisters Killer

Advance Praise for Change of Heart

Change of Heart is a tragic story of senseless violence, horrific loss, and, in the end, forgiveness that is astonishing. I kept asking myself, As a Christian, could I be as strong and merciful as Jeanne Bishop? I have my doubts.

Best-selling author John Grisham

Change of Heart is a powerful story of faith, forgiveness, and reconciliation. This is a painfully honest account of a remarkable and courageous journey from the tragedy and pain of the murder of family members to a place of freedom and grace.

Maurice Possley, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author

A person is more than the worst thing he or she has ever done. God loves all human beings and endows them with dignity and worth. Juvenile life without parole sentences tell people who committed their crimes as juveniles that they are human garbage, to be thrown away into the maw of prison until the day they die. The criminal justice system in the United States, which deems some people unworthy of redemptioneven children who commit serious crimesurgently needs to hear voices that speak for mercy and restoration. Jeanne Bishops is such a voice.

Sister Helen Prejean, activist and author of Dead Man Walking

There is a lot of grace in Jeanne Bishops elegant, elegiac book Change of Heart, but it is not a wimpy hearts-and-flowers kind of grace. Instead, it is a heartfelt, gut-wrenching kind of grace. Powerful grace. Transformative grace. This is an utterly surprising story of redemption. It is an unflinching look at the very real cost of blessingtruly blessingsomeone else. Jeannes story of restorative justice haunts me. The stunning letter she wrote to her sisters murderer still lingers. And the story of the grace of the gift of two quarters is one I will retell and retell again. Change of heart is what happens when someone, in the depths of despair, cries, This is too much for me. God, take it and redeem it, and believes... no matter the cost. Please read this book.

Robert Darden, Associate Professor of Journalism, Public Relations and New Media at Baylor University and author of Nothing but Love in Gods Water: Black Sacred Music from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, Volume I

Jeanne Bishops words have the power to heal the hearts of the grieving, convict the hearts of the judgmental, and liberate the hearts of a nation hardened by fear, vengeance, and excessive punishment. Change of Heart is a must-read for pastors, social workers, caregivers, and all who seek to build community with people relegated to the margins.

Greg Ellison, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Emory University, and author of Cut Dead but Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men

When I commuted the death sentences of everyone on Illinoiss death row, I expressed the hope that we could open our hearts and provide something for victims families other than the hope of revenge. I quoted Abraham Lincoln: I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. Jeanne Bishops compelling book tells the story of how devotion to her faith took her face-to-face with her sisters killer and changed her mind about the sentence he is servinglife in prison without the possibility of parole. She reminds us of a core truth: that our criminal justice system cannot be just without mercy.

Gov. George H. Ryan Sr., Governor of Illinois 1999-2003

Every murder involves two people: the murderer and the victim. Most of us want to remain as far as we can from either one. The chasm between the two is immense, with darkness in between. But occasionally someone comes along who attempts to bridge this divide at tremendous personal risk, putting the victims life into the killers stare, in the hope that some light might emerge. Such a person is Jeanne Bishop, whose sister was brutally killed. She has written a mesmerizing book, Change of Heart, describing her difficult journey through loss to confronting evil. Reading this book takes you to places youd rather avoid, but you may come away treasuring life even more.

Richard C. Dieter, Executive Director, Death Penalty Information Center

This book is an extraordinary witness for survivors of crime and all of us who seek a more compassionate, thoughtful, and responsible way to manage the tragic ways we hurt each other. Courageous and honest, Ms. Bishops compelling story is a gift for anyone seeking a way to think about punishment and reconciliation in a society where families are too often burdened by violence and the avenging politics of fear and anger.

Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Director of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

As a reporter in Arkansas covering Governor Bill Clinton in the 1980s and 90s, I watched the state murder three men, including a cop killer named Ricky Ray Rector, whose execution helped elevate Clinton to the presidency. I heard Rector moan for twenty minutes before witnessing his death. As the son of a Detroit cop, I was tangled in emotions after that experienceuntil I read Jeanne Bishops extraordinary book, Change of Heart, and, through her painfully personal storytelling, I felt the soft power of mercy, forgiveness, and grace. Bishops sister Nancy now lives in me, alongside the killers I watched die.

Ron Fournier, Senior Political Columnist and Editorial Director, National Journal

2015 Jeanne Bishop

First edition
Published by Westminster John Knox Press
Louisville, Kentucky

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Westminster John Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396. Or contact us online at www.wjkbooks.com .

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.

Book design by Erika Lundbom
Cover design by Lisa Buckley

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bishop, Jeanne.
Change of heart : justice, mercy, and making peace with my sisters killer / Jeanne Bishop. First edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978-0-664-25997-6 (alk. paper)
1. ForgivenessReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. ReconciliationReligious aspectsChristianity. 3. Restorative justiceReligious aspectsChristianity. 4. Biro, David. 5. Langert, Nancy Bishop, 1964-1990. 6. Langert, Richard A., 1959-1990. 7. MurderIllinoisWinnetka. I. Title.
BV4647.F55B57 2015
241.4dc23

2014031554

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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Westminster John Knox Press advocates the responsible use of our natural resources. The text paper of this book is made from 30 percent post-consumer waste.