Marcellus and Micah

Marcellus Williams was executed in Missouri yesterday. For those unfamiliar with the story, Williams was convicted in 2001 for a murder for which he said he was innocent.  The current St Louis prosecuting attorney sought to have Williams death sentence vacated on grounds of potential "ineffective assistance of counsel", apparent bias in jury selection, and potential weakness of the police investigation. He asked the Court for a hearing to consider the new evidence and other aspects of the investigation and trial." The victim's family also thought Williams should not be executed, given doubts about Williams' guilt. Yet, multiple courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States denied to stay the execution, and the governor of Missouri refused clemency.

I don't know of the religious leanings of the various judges who denied the stay of execution; but the person with the final earthly authority over Williams' life, the Governor of Missouri, Mike Parsons is a professing Christian. 

As I was thinking about Marellus this morning, the verse Micah 6:8 came to mind:

He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justice, to love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?

In fact, some of the themes of the book of Micah are ones of judgement and forgiveness, and the accountability of leaders for their injustice.

This post is not meant to provoke a discussion on opposition or support of the death penalty in general. This addresses one case, one person - Marcellus Williams, and how his treatment by leaders was not in accordance with this Scripture.

It seems the judges and justices who opposed the stay of execution, and Governor Mike Parson in particular did not heed God's instruction "He has told you, O man, what is good...". Micah made a pretty direct statement! Everyone had the same information - the questionable evidence, the prosecutor's concerns regarding the original case, Felicia Gayle's family's doubts; yet, they still proceeded with the execution. They did not do what was required of them. Their decison was not merciful, and while I cannot peer in to their hearts, I do not think they demonstrated humility. There did not seem to be any question in their minds that the original verdict could be wrong.

More importantly, justice was not served for Marcellus; and definietely not for Felicia Gayle or her family who have to live with the thought Felicia's killer is still free. 

Judges and jurors have a huge burden, especially in death penalty cases. They literally hold life and death in their hands drafting opinions or completing juror ballots. It is not something I would ever want to face; these people deserve our prayers for wisdom. But beyond wisdom, they need humility.  The jurors in the original case did their jobs based on the evidence they were presented. But in subsequent appeals, judges had many opportunites and much time to reevaluate the original case and review new evidence but it seems humility never entered the picture. They seemed to just rubber stamp the prior conviction. Certainly it is a serious matter to overturn a conviction, but when the prosecutor and the victim's family support commutation of the sentence, that should be strongly considered.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson had more time than anyone else to consider the details of the case. And as a professing Chrisitan he had the Holy Spirit to advise him. He still came to a concusion that lacked humilty, mercy, and justice. 

Micah had stern warning for the leaders of Israel that they risked God ignoring them if they ignored justice and mercy. While Governor Parson is not a leader of Israel, he is a Christian leader, and I believe Christians are held to a higher moral standard. Micah says God requires justice, mercy, and humility of Believers. Certainly, there is grace for our failures, but grace also enables us to do the right thing. 

Despite the grace of God, the legal system and the State of Missouri failed Marcellus Williams and Felicia Gayle. May God have mercy on their souls that they may realize their error and seek His forgiveness.  

 Right now, Black Cake is my favorite book of the year.  Considering its only mid-March, that’s not saying much; except I’ve read 8 book so far this year so #1 of 8 carries some weight. Black Cake is also the best novel I’ve read in the last six months (#1 of 13) and the second-best book of all books from the last six months (#2 of 17).

Without revealing any spoilers, Black Cake is the story of a young woman, estranged from her family, reunited with her brother at her mother’s funeral and at the hearing of their mother’s oral will. In her statements, mom reveals a lot of her family history, with many surprises for her children. A story like many others; yet there are some things that set it apart from the standard fare.

The plot was good, the characters interesting, the dialogue well-written.  Overall, I enjoyed the book. But it was after I’d finished the book and thought a bit about it that I came to appreciate its excellence and it quickly rose to the top of my Favorites list.

Black cake is essentially a Caribbean fruit cake. Its ingredients include some Caribbean staples like sugar from sugar cane, allspice, nutmeg, and rum. However, it also includes items with European origin, like currants and port wine, and cinnamon from Asia. Some of these ingredients found their way to the Caribbean through immigration, slavery, and colonization.

Wilkerson’s story covers multiple continents and countries; multiple cultures, races, and generations; multiple timelines. Upon reflection, I realized the author had concocted her own Black Cake with her novel. And that is very skillful writing! Combining all these elements could have easily resulted in an unpalatable mush. But in Wilkerson’s hands, all these elements blended into an extraordinary dessert.

I’m not a fan of fruit cake, so it’s doubtful I would like to eat Black Cake, but I devoured the novel and recommend you taste it, as well.

BOOK REVIEW: Where the Crawdads Sing

 

Photo by Mikołaj on Unsplash

I had heard much about Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens since it was first published in 2018, and even more so recently, as the movie was released. Many people whose opinions I respect highly recommended this book, so I moved it to the top of my “To Read” list and invested an Audible credit.

Set in the North Carolina tidal marshes, Owens’ description of the area and its flora and fauna are beautifully written. I was transported to the region, my senses engaged by her lush descriptions. From her Wikipedia biography I learned Owens is originally from Georgia and North Carolina, and has a degree in zoology, so she was obviously in her element when describing the setting.

The rest of the story, however, left me wanting. The characters had potential, but never fully developed past flat “teen romance” stereotypes. The story shifts between time periods, from when the principal characters are young children to their young adulthood. However, their dialogue does not really change. It is formal, stilted, and not consistent with the age and education of the characters.

I found the plot nothing more than average, with certain aspects not believable. Authors more skilled in plot development might have been able to advance the story better, but Owens was never able to suspend my disbelief or develop any interest or concern for the characters.

Sense of Direction

                                                                                Photo by David Marcu on Unsplash

If I followed my heart, I would be hopelessly lost. I would be adrift on a sea of emotion; impossibly off course in a dense forest of overthinking; stranded on a mountaintop of daydreams and unfinished projects.

Much has been written in Christian publishing and the blogosphere about the dangers of following your heart. I suspect this was in response to the common advice from best-selling authors, Instagram influencers, and trite memes to do just that - follow your heart. But this advice swung the pendulum far to the opposite side instead of encouraging the equilibrium position, the balance of thought and feeling.

Though operating purely on emotion is dangerous, the heart itself is not all bad. Mine has led me to some beautiful vistas – treasured friendships, a job I enjoy, and some mighty fine dogs. On the other hand, my heart has also led me to some not so wise decisions - a broken heart, poor financial and health choices, and more than a few bad haircuts!

The heart is a good travelling companion, but a lousy compass.

Still, our hearts and emotions are God-given. They are a part of His image which He breathed into us at Creation. Throughout His Word, there are instances of how God governs with mind and His heart.

Examples of His anger and wrath come quickly to mind, such as Jesus upsetting tables and driving the moneychangers from the temple in John 2:15-16, or God's wrath turned upon Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19.

There are also a number of images of God's tender care for His people:

"As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you..." (Isaiah 66:13) 

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" (Isaiah 29:15)

Jesus said "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" (Matthew 23:37) 

Song of Solomon is filled with passion as example of the love Christ has for his church!

And let us not forget "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). And of course, "Jesus wept" (Johns 11:35).

We have the same emotions as God. They are not a part of our humanity separate from God, but a part of Him that He has given to us! The difference is when He follows His heart, it is always wise, judicious, and with perfect control. One need only follow news reports and social media to see that is not the case with man.

So, how can a person follow their heart within godly parameters? 

Following are a few suggestions:

1.     Pray for wisdom

This might seem obvious, but it is often overlooked. We tend to pray for God to get us out of a tough situation after we have made a poor decision. But we might avoid the unwise decision entirely if we pray first.

 James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

2.     Look to God’s Word for direction

If your heart is leading you somewhere that does not line up with the Bible, do not follow it! Your decisions should not contradict Scripture. Martin Luther said, “You should not believe your conscience and your feelings more than the word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you.”

3.     Seek advice of friends and family

Proverbs advises “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”  (Prov 15:22) Seeking advice from others draws on their knowledge, wisdom, and experience, so we do not have to go it alone. These are also people who know you and can encourage you or help you avoid some pitfalls. We were created to live in community, and this includes seeking help.

Following our hearts based solely on our own desires and “gut feelings” is like following a GPS that has not had its maps updated in a few years. It can lead us to unknown and unseen dangers and heartaches. Using the resources God has given us – His wisdom, His Word, His people – we can travel life with confidence He is leading us in the right direction.

 

 

 

Sam the Supermutt - a Memorial

When Sam first came to live with me, no one had a clue as to what breed he was. He looked poodle-ish. Maybe a Maltese? I’d never had a small dog before, so they’re all Maltese or Yorkies to me, because those are the few small breeds I can name; though I’d have trouble recognizing one if it bit me. 

Curious as to his lineage, I had Sam’s DNA analyzed through Embark.  The initial results provided were a bit confusing to me: 

·        50% Alaskan-type Husky

·        14.4% English Setter

·        12.5% Beauceron

·        11% English Toy Spaniel

·        5.1% Greenland Dog

·        4% Basenji

·        3% Gray Wolf 

With a couple of exceptions, these are all large dogs. Sam weighed 15 pounds.  A questioning email to Embark resulted in an immediate response that something had been transposed in the reporting, not the lab analysis, and a new report was sent in a few days. This report was much more in keeping with the dog I knew: 

55.8% Cocker Spaniel

12.5% Jindo

11.3% English Cocker Spaniel

20.4% Supermutt 

Embark says “Some dogs descend from other dogs that were themselves mixed breeds. These dogs can give small contributions to the ancestry of your dog, so small that they are no longer recognizable as any one particular breed”. They refer to this conglomeration as Supermutt. In Sam, they found some Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, German Shepherd, and Pug. 

Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese! My generalized guess had some lucky basis to it! No poodle, though. The Jindo breed originated in Korea and so did Sam, so that seemed accurate, as well. In the Embark report, they provided pictures of dogs in their database that were related to Sam to some degree. One of them, a Cocker Spaniel named Moon Li, who was adopted from the meat trade industry in Korea, shared 21% DNA with Sam. 

The Korean connection is interesting, because that is where Sam’s life began. He lived in two countries, five cities, and at least five homes, that I know of. 

He came to live with me a roundabout way. He was born in Korea where his previous owners found him. Korean nationals who relocated to Pittsburgh years ago, they’d gone back to Korea about eight years before to visit family where they found this dog being abused, so they took him! They brought Sam (whom they had named Simba) back to their home in Gibsonia, a township outside of Pittsburgh. He lived there, doted on by his family. But about two years ago, he got out of the house and was missing for four months. His owners searched for him and posted around one thousand posters all around Gibsonia looking for him, but without success. Four months later he was found by a construction crew, collapsed from exhaustion and hunger, on the side of a road. Gibsonia is an upper middle-class area, with wooded areas giving it a rural feel, but with many busy highways leading into Pittsburgh. It’s a miracle Sam lived through the experience. If the wildlife didn’t kill him, cars and trucks should have. But somehow, he survived. 

My dad was keeping Sam for his neighbor, Laura, who was watching him for her former boss, who was having some health problems and unable to care for Sam. However, when Laura brought Sam home, her cat took one look at Sam and bit Laura! So, my dad took him in for what was supposed to be a short time but wound up being extended, as Sam’s owners were not recovered enough to take him back. 

At my dad’s home, Sam was safe, and well fed, but since he was a small dog, my 91-year-old father wasn’t able to bend down to interact with him, and Sam was too little to be able to jump up on the couch to be petted. So, Sam, still traumatized from his “walkabout” in the Pittsburgh Outback, spent his days laying on his bed in a corner of the living room. 

Eventually, Sam’s owners realized they would not be able to take him back, so I volunteered to adopt him.  He joined Lucy and my home on May 16, 2021. When first introduced, and Sam showed no interest in playing, Lucy pretty much ignored him. Sam. 

When he first entered the house, Sam was nervous and afraid. I placed his bed in a corner of the living room, opposite the couch, so he could be alone and not threatened by my presence, and he laid there quietly. But in a few hours, he got up and laid on the floor next to the couch, where I was sitting. I took this as a good sign that he trusted me, he felt safe with me. I moved his bed there, where it became his permanent space – downstairs, at least. As days went on, I noticed he no longer slept curled up in a tight ball but spread out a bit, feeling comfortable and relaxed. 

Upstairs, Sam had another bed, on the floor next to my bed; well, my and Lucy’s bed, to be accurate. He showed no interest in joining us on the Queen size pillow top mattress, preferring his inconspicuous, unobtrusive corner on the far side of the bedroom. After a few weeks, though, one evening he placed his paws on my side of the mattress, indicating he wanted to come up. He was too small to jump up himself, so I lifted him up and he settled in the bottom corner of the bed opposite my side; Lucy owned the top, next to my head. At first, he couldn’t jump down from the bed, either; but within a couple of weeks, Sam conquered his fear and figured out how to safely get from bed to floor by using the bed rail as a step. 

He didn’t especially enjoy walks and avoided grass and trees as much as possible. Which made sense when I think about it. During his homeless period grass and trees contained dangerous wildlife. There were squirrels bigger than him! He stayed on sidewalks and concrete as much as possible. 

Walks also presented another challenge. Sam’s little legs could not match the longer strides of Lucy and me. He took three steps to our one, so he wore out more quickly. He was carried home on a number of occasions, and I finally broke down and bought a dog front-pack carrier, and I even bought a baby stroller at a garage sale. He never got comfortable with the stroller, but he became more relaxed with carrier. I think he enjoyed experiencing the world from that vantage. 

Sam didn’t respond to commands at all. At first, I thought it was because he didn’t understand English, so I tried to learn a few Korean words like “sit” and “come”. He didn’t respond to those, either. I didn’t know if it was because I was pronouncing them badly or if he was just obstinate. I suspect it was more the latter than the former than the latter, though Korean is really hard to speak! 

A few months after he joined our home, Sam had some fainting episodes and was diagnosed with advanced Congestive Heart Failure. Even with medication, the veterinarians gently informed me the expected life after diagnosis was usually about six to nine months. He responded well to his medicines and because of his limited time I wanted to make sure his last months were pleasant; where he was comfortable and had fun. I took him camping (he didn’t think it was pleasant, comfortable, or fun). I took him for walks to the local Dairy Queen (I discovered he didn’t like ice cream). I got him a Halloween Costume and a Christmas sweater. I took him to a Valentines Party at the local Pet Supplies Plus store. I gave him lots of treats. Sam loved food. A very quiet dog by nature, he only barked when it was mealtime.  He practically did backflips!  A refined, continental dog, Sam was quite fond of apples and feta cheese. 

On a Saturday in March 2022, eight months after his diagnosis and within the expected timeline the vet had warned, Sam had an episode of some sort, and I knew his time with Lucy and me was quickly coming to an end. I called the veterinarians’ office and after talking it over, decided to have Sam euthanized. Having had times where his life was not so peaceful, I made sure his death was.  I held him, petted him, spoke to him, throughout the whole process. My brother was with me, and together we made sure Sam knew he was loved. 

Embark identified him as a Supermutt and they were right. But he was not a Supermutt because of his DNA. Sam was a Supermutt because of his heart. Despite abuse and homelessness, Sam was able to trust people. His trauma did not scar him with fear but gifted him with wisdom. He survived hunger and thirst, wildlife and vehicles, weather, and abuse. Still, he was able to give and receive affection. 

Biblical theology holds that animals do not have a soul. Only man was created in the image of God and man was instructed to have dominion over the earth and all that was in it (Genesis 1:26). I believe this and I hope demonstrated this well with Sam and all my pets.  But there is something about some animals that transcends mere survival instinct. It might not be a God-given soul, but it is a God-given something. Sam showed a heart and courage that is not common in beast or man. 

I was blessed to be given dominion over Sam. Dominion isn’t about domination or power. Dominion is the authority to be responsible for and care for another. And if you do it right, you can learn something from your charges as much as they learn from you. From Sam, and Lucy and all the other dogs that went before them, I’ve learned to walk in all sorts of weather. I’ve learned to gain control over my gag reflex while cleaning up from accidents and illness. I’ve learned to share my pizza. But most importantly I’ve learned that patience and love are investments with a high rate of return. Even though he was only with me for less than a year, I reaped great riches from having Sam in my life. 

Rest in peace, Sam the Supermutt. My Supermutt.

Homeless

My neighbor

Discovered evidence

Of some critter

Living behind his shed.

He blocked off

The space between

The house and the shed

With a piece of scrap lumber.

Tonight,

When I let Lucy out

We noticed a possum standing there

Where the space used to be.

She (I imagine it as a “she”)

Looked confused, puzzled

Wondering what had happened

To what had once been her home.

She was blocked,

No longer welcome.

And my heart ached for her.

I understood what she was feeling.

Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash

Jesus, Trials, and the Art of S'mores

iStock Photo

A friend once told me about about a difficult few weeks she'd been having and how she'd experienced a "meltdown" of sorts.  I was aware of only some of what she'd been experiencing and a meltdown may have been warranted even for the little I knew.

Far too often we head to the extremes.  "Meltdowns are necessary; a means to decompress from extreme pressure." "Meltdowns are sinful response to God's discipline." I offer my own unique take.

As I told my friend, I did not condone any sinful response on her part. She needed to evaluate her heart and repent if necessary.  But I pointed out that things melt when subjected to heat. And the heat of God's discipline is meant to refine our heart and character.  The Word speaks of refining gold, subjecting it to high heat so to separate the dross, leaving behind pure gold.

However, metallurgy is beyond my scope of knowledge. And not to disparage the Word, but I think there's more to this than refining gold. What came to mind as my friend and I spoke was s'mores.

I like graham crackers. I like marshmallows. I like love chocolate. In a pinch, when a s'more emergency hits, you can place a cold marshmallow between the graham cracker and chocolate bar. I know; I've tried. It solved the immediate need, but it was not as tasty as the real thing.

A good s'more needs a toasted marshmallow (I prefer mine a bit burnt). The heat from the marshmallow softens the chocolate a bit, melding the flavor of all three ingredients and creating a much more satisfying experience.

Meltdowns of the non-sinful variety serve more than to decompress. They soften our hearts, melding our emotions and minds in to laments and submissive prayers. In return, God gives a heaping serving of His grace which nourishes and satisfies our souls.