Last night I enjoyed fellowship and conversation with several good friends at a local establishment. At one point I brought up my experience in the Cross and State class and my blog. All of the friends present are followers of my blog and know some about the feelings this class and its readings have brought to the surface for me. Before this class I never thought I would be passionate about the caceral system in the United States or even capital punishment. I always heard of people who advocated for the rights of those imprisoned, but I never thought I would be one of those people. I was always rather indifferent on these issues, however, I realize now that I am one of those people. Will and I talk about this class, our readings, and our blogs almost everyday. Our experiences thus far have greatly affected our hearts, souls, and minds. I shared with my friends last night that I hope my sharing about my experiences never becomes overwhelming or annoying to them. In all actuality, I know it probably will. I am they type of person who shares my feelings about most things I experience in life, so why would I be any different with my experience with the Cross and State class? When I become involved with something (the church, local volunteer opportunities, sports teams, causes) I become extremely passionate about it. I don't just get involved with something on the periphery, I dive all the way in and I can sense that is what I am doing now. I now read Scripture, Reformed Confessions, news stories, and even literature in a new light.
The one problem with my newly aroused passion and awareness of the caceral system in the U.S. is that I find myself only focusing on those who were convicted of commiting crimes, not those who are the victims of these crimes.
The state of Georgia currently has a little over 100 people on death row. My home state of South Carolina currently has 56 people on death row, one of whom was sentenced to death in my home county (Anderson) on Thursday. Here is the link to this story:
http://www.andersonindependent.com/news/2010/feb/19/rivera-now-one-56-death-row-sc/
This story changes things a bit for me and challenges me and my faith in Jesus Christ. This man, Raymondeze Rivera, killed two young mothers in my home county. Before the jury went in to deliberate for 4 1/2 hours at the Anderson County Courthouse on Thursday, Mr. Rivera asked for the death penalty. If I was on that jury, what would I have done? I still don't agree with state-sponsored execution, but this man deserved to be punished and he asked for the death penalty. While I feel a kinship with the two women who he murdered, what would I feel if the women he killed were my close friends or family members?
In state of Georgia, one can be sentenced to death for three crimes: murder, rape, kidnapping. The thought of these crimes makes my stomach churn, particularly if they involve children. What I am struggling with today is...where do I go from here? My heart aches for the life of Melbert Ray Ford who is scheduled to be executed by the state of Georgia on Tuesday (2/23/10), but my heart burns with anger and compassion for the victims of Mr. Ford and Mr. Rivera. As a follower of Christ, what do I do? Do I live in this tension or choose a side?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Always, always, if we are going to "err," it should be on the side of life and love. Would Jesus have us execute this man? Or anyone, for that matter?
ReplyDeleteI think most people take the easy way out of the problem..."they deserve it." This is what we hear over and over again. My response is, "what do you ,what do we deserve?" Doesn't Jesus say that if we've ever been angry at someone that we've committed murder in our heart. The truth of the matter is that God weeps at our unadulterated hubris in deciding who should live and die.
ReplyDeleteI find myself trapped in the same tension. How do we show compassion to both victims (life or memory) and also to those who commit the crime? I believe that our use of capital punishment is founded deeply in anger and a human desire for vengeance. Closure does not come with a vengeful act of state execution. I agree with Ross, God indeed weeps for our sinful actions, especially those sinful actions that we undertake as a sort of righteous action of judgment.
ReplyDelete