my savior is for everyone.
for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
He walked in nonchalantly and took a seat near the front of the pews. The tall cathedral like ceilings were bare save for a couple quotes and paintings of Bible stories on the walls. The frosted glass windows were cracked open letting the cool spring air ripple through the open space. As he took his seat, the others around him jostled for spots. But he took his place without making a ruckus but instead quietly, almost solemnly, taking his seat. I sat with others of my kindred in the front of the room facing them. We were dressed in our normal “church” clothes and we had brought songbooks and bibles. But they brought a completely different set of clothing. White t shirts,(some wore baby blue shirts with maintenance or similar printed on them) blue pants, and white shoes along with a big logo that read “CDCR Inmate” emblazoned across their backs. They looked at us as curiously as we looked at them. And it was only when I got home that I realized I had met him. John Travis sat in the second row at that meeting. His name only means something to me because of his sentence as his name resides with 588 other names on California’s condemned list. A.K.A. Death row. Thanks to Gavin Newsoms actions disbanding the death row at California’s infamous San Quintin Prison, the inmates got dispersed and that is how I got to shake this man’s hand. (Don’t worry, he is still under lock and key.)
There’s thoughts that have been rolling around in my head and I’ve thought about it a lot. I am not impacted in any way by the actions of this man. Neither am I making my voice for him to be taken off of the condemned list. My faith lets the powers that be decide whether or not this man is a threat to humanity and I am so glad I am not forced to judge this. But what caused him to stab another human 32 times? What caused him in a final act of hatred, to cut the throat of another one of Gods creation? There are so many things I don’t understand, but one thing I do. Is mercy. The drive home was quiet, and my mind was full of thoughts. Jesus told the thief on the cross in Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, '“Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
What did the thief do to deserve such a fate? Did he also take the life of an innocent person? But it made it real to me. God asks so much more than for us to be good people. But to be more like Jesus means to show the mercy of him. As as I looked into the eyes of a human being that is condemned, my heart reached out. I felt unworthy to be there. I felt like I had nothing to give. Nothing to say. Except the biggest treasure in my heart,
My Savior.
I saw no hatred in his eyes. Just a hearty ‘thank you’ for coming, as then we were gone; Thankful to be out of the bars, barbed wire, and dimly lit corridors. But I have since prayed for the man. Prayed for all those in our state and country’s penitentiaries. Because I have acquired a new perspective. A viewpoint that I am hesitant to share because I feel like it is debated. But this I know; My God is not only the God of the perfect person. He stoops to the lowly, the sinful, and the needy among us. His mercy and grace reaches the hearts of men in prisons, in metros, in skyscrapers, in every room and place around the world. My God is a powerful God. And I believe those who reach out in faith to him, can get the lasting peace that he has to offer. I am impressed with that. Jesus offered salvation to a condemned man in his final moments. Am I to withhold Jesus from anyone?
https://www.svvoice.com/das-death-penalty-resentencing-chafes-former-santa-clara-cop/amp/
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ca-supreme-court/2081273.html
