rk, but it seemed to me that I was a little heavy on all that exciting exegetical stuff I learned in Seminary and was eager to show my preaching skills off in such a way that the folks would be glad they called me to serve as their pastor.I bring this up in the context of my blog because I am remembering Jesus' first sermon which was much more powerful, succinct, and compelling. Jesus boldly proclaims to his home congregation this portion of scripture from the prophet Isaiah. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19) And Jesus went on to say, even more powerfully and courageously, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:21b) Jesus makes it very clear why he has come and in this sermon Jesus effectively signed his own death certificate. It would be from this point on that he would be considered an enemy of the state and a heretic in the context of the Jewish community. For Jesus this was not an intent to be a martyr, but instead to cast a new vision for God's people; It is an attempt to model God's love and to be set free from the trappings and expectations of his religious community.
Clearly Jesus presents to us a challenge that the volunteers at Open Door Community take seriously. On the third Saturday of every month, volunteers from Open Door Community and area churches provide a wonderful ministry for families living in great
er Atlanta to board vans closer to home and take the two hour trip to Hardwick prison so that the families can visit their husbands, brothers, fathers, uncles, sons, or grandfathers. Along the way, we eat together and community forms as we live out the content of Jesus' very first sermon, "...proclaim release to the captives and set the oppressed free." In this act of kindness and compassion, the families of inmates are free to love as fully as they can within the limited rights and privileges of our justice system.The Open Door Community seeks to "release the captives and set the oppressed free" by providing transportation to Hardwick prison and they are also present with the men and women who are on "death row" in the State of Georgia. In particular, I am inspired by the story of Jack Alderman who was executed by the State of Georgia on September 10, 2008. What was particularly inspiring to me about Jack's execution is that he was always free and he showed this time and time again in the way he mentored others, how he talked to people, and how in his passion and deep faith, he knew
he would be all right. While the guards, the Warden, the Governor, the Parole Board, and those who were invited to witness Jack's state sanctioned murder believed he received justice, Jack turned our justice system upside side.It is customary in our warped justice system to offer the condemned inmate a final meal of his or her choice. On the day he was to be executed, Jack was offered this choice and he turned it down. He wrote next to "last meal request" nothing. Even after he had been taunted by the guards, "You're from Savannah, don't you want a pile of fried shrimp?" His answer was still no. Later he said, "Of course I would love a pile of fried shrimp, but not here, not from the people who are going to murder me. If I wasn't about to be murdered here in this prison, I would want a spoonful of every kind of ice cream that has been invented in the last 30 years that I've not tasted. But not here. I will not allow the ones who are killing me to pretend that they can both be kind to me and kill me at the same time. And I will not give those who love death the satisfaction of reading about my meal in the papers." [Cogswell, Lauren. Waiting for Death, Choosing Life. February 2010] All through his ordeal, Jack was already free.
As I reflect on Jack's situation, I cannot help but think of Jesus' experience before Pilate and a community that had already decided his guilt. Like Jack, the system played nice for Jesus. "They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him." (Matthew 27:28-29) All through his trial, condemnation, torture, and crucifixion, Jesus modeled freedom. "...Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus answered, you say that I am." (Luke 23:3) Like his first sermon in his home synagogue, Jesus freed himself from the structures of a system that protected people of power and privilege. Standing before Pilate and his religious community he mocks the powers that be by denying them the privilege to humiliate him and to take his dignity away. This is power. This is freedom.
And so it is with radical discipleship and so I babble on about freedom, freedom that is given when volunteers drive families to see their loved ones in prison, freedom to share a meal with one another in the spirit of solidarity and radical discipleship, freedom to turn down a meal to show an unjust system that they only think they have power over us. This is proclaiming the the year of the Lord's favor. This is God's grace.
Ofcourse I agree with everything that you have written. If you were to put this into a sermon sometime, and even now, when some of the people are reading your blogs - how will you respond to their hardhearted comments that these prisoners are only being given justice since they murdered someone else?
ReplyDeleteWere you able to talk to the families much? How do they look at the whole picture?
The loved ones of the families we brought to Hardwick were not on death row, but rather in for something else. These families will have their loved ones back home eventually. As far as I know, we won't be getting to "death row" while I am at Open Door.
ReplyDeleteAs for the families, they maintain the innocence of their loved one and often blame the justice system for not being fair. In many cases, I suspect this is true, but not for all. The families I was able to talk to were by in large supportive of their loved one in prison and look forward to the trip each month. They are good people and very respectful. Not a single person left the van I was in without saying thank you to the driver and when we ate at the Presbyterian Church in the community where the prison is located, they made an extra point to say thank you to the good people who fixed a meal for them.
I think that the point I was trying to make in my blog is that for better or for worse, incarceration and State Executions are a part of the way our country has chosen to manage society. I am familiar with the arguments for and against the system and do not necessarily disagree with them, but I believe that in all circumstances, if we have a deep and abiding faith, no matter our situation in life, no matter the circumstances around our death, our guilt or our innocence, we shall always be free and believe that no matter what, God will be my judge in life and in death.
In addition, I do believe that people can turn around and their lives can be transformed and sometimes that can't happen unless they spend a whole lot of thinking time in a prison cell. Consequently, I do believe that when time is served, their record should be wiped clean -- this is what reconciliation and compensation is about. Unfortunately, society thinks differently on this than I do.
Well said, Dan. I am not going to have a lot of opposition to any of your blogs (I don't think!) - so anything I have to say will probably be milktoast!!. Have your read the reactions to the UCC request for $50,000 to work against the AZ immigration? Lot's of feelings there to be sure.
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