Thursday, October 05, 2017
The Executioner's Redemption
by Rev. Timothy R. Carter
One nice thing about being middle aged is that I've figured out a lot of the questions about life. Like the lyric goes, "fewer things puzzle me than when I was young". Of course, there's still things I haven't made up my mind about. One of the things I still waffle on is the death penalty. Is it a necessary evil? Sometimes I'm ready to say no, but then the doubts creep back in. Anyway, that's what lead me to pick up a copy of The Executioner's Redemption. To me, the question of capital punishment is merely academic. I don't really know anyone convicted of murder nor have any of my loved ones been murdered. Rev. Carter, on the other hand, spent the first part of his adult life as a prison guard on death row. I figured that I might learn a thing or two from reading his story.
In The Executioner's Redemption, Rev. Carter tells of his years within the prison system and how that intertwined with his reconnection with Christ and growth in faith. I found it to be a fascinating look into another world. More important, it was a reminder that the issues of the day, and in our lives, have a spiritual dimension. Rev. Carter makes no pronouncement on the death penalty, but rather demonstrates from the stories he shares that life and death is of secondary importance to one's relationship with God. And that relationship is formed through the process of living life and confrontations with death.
Keeping it on my shelf.
LibraryThing link
One nice thing about being middle aged is that I've figured out a lot of the questions about life. Like the lyric goes, "fewer things puzzle me than when I was young". Of course, there's still things I haven't made up my mind about. One of the things I still waffle on is the death penalty. Is it a necessary evil? Sometimes I'm ready to say no, but then the doubts creep back in. Anyway, that's what lead me to pick up a copy of The Executioner's Redemption. To me, the question of capital punishment is merely academic. I don't really know anyone convicted of murder nor have any of my loved ones been murdered. Rev. Carter, on the other hand, spent the first part of his adult life as a prison guard on death row. I figured that I might learn a thing or two from reading his story.
In The Executioner's Redemption, Rev. Carter tells of his years within the prison system and how that intertwined with his reconnection with Christ and growth in faith. I found it to be a fascinating look into another world. More important, it was a reminder that the issues of the day, and in our lives, have a spiritual dimension. Rev. Carter makes no pronouncement on the death penalty, but rather demonstrates from the stories he shares that life and death is of secondary importance to one's relationship with God. And that relationship is formed through the process of living life and confrontations with death.
Keeping it on my shelf.
LibraryThing link
Labels: OnMyShelf
// posted by John @ 3:55 PM 
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