In a recent New York Times article, John Thompson tells his story of being wrongly accused of murder, ending up on death row, and being acquitted moments before his execution. As it turns out, the prosecutors had withheld evidence that could have exonerated him. They have done so to at least five death-row inmates. They cannot be charged with a crime and most of them are still practicing law.The article doesn't mention race and it doesn't mention religion, but both are extremely salient here. Read the article keeping mind the stories of the adulterous woman, the anger vented when the status quo is challenged, and how the crowd eventually turns on Jesus himself.
How do our collective biases and group momentum affect the lives (and deaths) of those that find themselves on the wrong side of public opinion? What is our responsibility as Christians in situations like these and do our own prejudices hind our owning up to that responsibility? Do our hearts model that of Jesus, or of the vengeful mob?
The racial sins of the prison system will be discussed in full in a later post, but for now check out John Thompson's testimony.
See Also:
Troy Davis: Georgia's 'Strange Fruit'
Break In
No comments:
Post a Comment