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| Medieval depiction of Charon ferrying souls to Hell, from Dante's Divine Comedy. |
I watched the clock on Thursday morning, waiting for 11:11 am, when I knew a man was going to die. Richard Bible, 49, of Flagstaff, was executed by the State of Arizona by lethal injection and I was unsure about how I felt about it.
I spent the morning reading articles, trying to form an opinion. Bible had been on Death Row for more than 20 years, after being convicted of the molestation and murder of a 9-year-old girl in 1988. People were saying that justice was finally being served.
People like Bible make me sick. I can't imagine what could possess someone to commit such horrific crimes. I don't know if it there really is such a thing as evil, but if it exists, it must take the form of rapists and murderers. A little girl had been tortured and brutally killed. I can understand why people were calling for blood, for revenge, for justice.
And yet, at 11:11 am, I took a moment to say a short prayer. I wasn't asking for God to forgive this man or excuse his crimes. I prayed for his family and for the family of his victim, who had suffered for 23 years. And I asked God if this was right. Should we govern the world we are here to take care of on a system of "an eye for an eye?"
In Exodus 21:12, the law given to Moses explicitly states "Whoever strikes a person mortally shall be put to death." In Exodus 21:23-24, it is decreed that "If any harm follows, you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." The law is clear and the punishment is severe, as it is today.
Yet, Jesus appears to contradict this, saying in his Sermon on the Mount, "You have heard that it was said, 'And eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also" (Matthew 5:38-39). Does Jesus really want us to be passive and do nothing when we're harmed? Wouldn't that just lead to a world where those who follow Jesus' teachings are oppressed and those who practice evil are free to do as they please?
Like so much of what Jesus says, this just feels wrong. Our judicial system operates on the basis of punishment. If you kill someone, the system kills you. A life for a life. People like Bible shouldn't be allowed to go free. It makes sense to punish them, but it won't return Jennifer Wilson. It won't replace her and it won't free her family of the anguish I'm sure they still feel over her loss.
I feel a sense of relief when men like Bible are punished. It feels like balance has been restored and yet, I can't revel in the death of a human being. I feel spiritually dirty when I catch myself thirsting for vengeance — like I'm cheering at the Coliseum, hoping to see a man's blood spilled.
I'm beyond confused. On the one hand, I think Bible got exactly what he deserved. On the other, I know that Jesus' way is one of love and grace for people who don't deserve it. Was the state justified in sentencing Bible to death? Am I right to feel good about it? Is this a fair exchange for the life of a 9-year-old that was cut short?
What am I supposed to believe, as a Christian-in-progress? How am I supposed to feel?
A good 80% of us at the CA's office don't believe in the death penalty. At Bible's final clemency hearing on Monday, he did not make an appearance but his mom spoke. She couldn't understand how "we" can cut short and waste away her son's life. When asked about how her son had wasted the life of a 9-year-old she had no response.
ReplyDeleteSince Bible has been executed if you want to talk about the case I can talk about it now. I don't have pictures and I can't show you any of our documents but I can tell you what I know, and what the office felt on Monday and Thursday at 11am. I can even share with you how those who had been in the office to work on his case the first time felt on that day.
The last three weeks have been very hard at work. You ask all the same questions I do. It's nice to see that I am not the only one without answers, maybe we can figure it out together.
I agree with you. If there is evil it does take the form of rapists. That song by Casting Crowns "Slow Fade" says people never crumble in a day. Rapists can make people crumble in only a few hours and destroy a soul in only minutes. If there is evil in the world, they are it and I will never understand.