[The content of the video clip used today contains a short sermon
delivered by a Catholic priest who visits President Bartlet at the time
that a federal prisoner, found guilty of a double murder, is being executed,
and for whom the President is the only possible source of clemency. Consequently,
the extract was allowed to speak for itself and was simply followed by
a short meditation.]
Lord, It's a matter of life and death.
We turn to your word for the answer but alongside "Thou shalt not murder" we find laws that prescribe capital answers.
But you remind us that vengeance is yours not ours.
We hold life as being sacred, but is that only until our lust for revenge gets the better of us?
This is an issue that challenges us so much - a capital solution may sound right when we think of terrorism or the loss of children,
But how can we say that one person's life is more important than another's?Do we operate on a double standard of expecting mercy but not wanting to grant it?
Is this type of justice something that we should leave in the past, consigned to history along with slavery and sexism, or is this a timeless value that we should never lose sight of?
Are we choosing between right and wrong - or between the lesser of two evils?The untimely ending of a life by another is a trauma no one should have to face, but in a world where every day people's lives are cut short by crime, help us to heal the wounds of this broken world;To comfort the bereaved; to look out for our neighbours who may be in danger; and to speak out against regimes that use unjust execution as a means of state control.Help us to reach out to victims of violence so that our enduring love may help them heal.
Holy Spirit of God, You strengthen us in the struggle for justice, but challenge us also when we think of what it truly means to 'love our enemies'.We pray to the Lord,For our social order, that it may show love, mercy, justice and peace;For all prisons, that they may be places of restoration and healing;
For all prison employees, that they may respect prisoners as fellow human beings;For all prisoners, that they may have the courage not to become embittered or hopeless;For the souls of all on death row and their families;For all elected officials, that they may govern with compassion.
(Dan Joseph)
This sermon was first preached in the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester. Click here for further information.