Isaiah 3:5 People will oppress each other-- man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the base against the honorable.
I am deeply troubled this morning and I cannot shake off a feeling of gloom. It started about a fortnight ago when I became aware of Troy Davis. Up until then, I didn’t know who he was, what crime he had committed, or that he was even on Death Row. I received an email from another pastor about Troy Davis and so I began to read about his plight.
My mind wasn’t fully made up until I read about witnesses recanting, evidence being questioned, and judges belittling the appeals. It made me feel as though something was deeply wrong with the Justice system; not necessarily corrupt, but definitely failing to do what it should in questionable cases like this one. I signed an online petition for clemency (something that I have never done before in my life) and waited to hear the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling. I was saddened by the rejection and ultimately the execution of Troy Davis. It honestly made me wonder if justice had been truly served or if this was a tragic case of judicial oppression.
This morning, when I read of Troy Davis’ last words before his execution, I felt terrible. Based upon what he stated and how he said it, I have now reached the personal conclusion that an innocent man has been executed. I even find myself totally agreeing with what ex-President Jimmy Carter has now said: "if one of our fellow citizens can be executed with so much doubt surrounding his guilt, then the death penalty system in our country is unjust and outdated."
I feel deeply sorry for the painful losses of everyone involved; for the slain police officer Mark MacPhail and his family, and for Troy Davis and his family. My prayer is that the truth will be truly known and that justice will right its wrongs. The system has failed and we need to review all of the past procedures to ensure that this kind of tragedy never takes place again.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You see and know all things. You know the complete truth of what happened in August of 1989. We pray that all will be revealed so that any doubt may be fully put to rest and that our community will progress on the path to real justice for all. If any have grievously sinned, if any have deceived intentionally, if any have unjustly ignored the truth, then let them be fully exposed to our community. Let justice roll down like waters and freedom truly ring. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s devotional, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
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