Jesus on Death Row

The death penalty is a funny thing.

Not funny ha ha. Just funny. In a state where hundreds of folks will come out to the state capitol to protest against abortion, taxes, and the licensing of interior designers… we can only get 24 to show up to talk about the death penalty at this church right across the street.

Professor Mark Osler of Baylor Law School came to talk about his book “Jesus on Death Row”. He is a graduate of Yale Law and a former prosecutor. He now teaches classes on sentencing and professional ethics. He pointed out some very interesting parallels between the Texas justice system and the process that Jesus went through to be put to death.

My friend Sara did a concert series across the state last year trying to raise awareness about the death penalty. The crowds were less than overwhelming.

Texans don’t want to talk about the death penalty. By and large we buy into the idea of retributive justice. If you take a life, you will lose your life. I understand that. The myth of retributive violence is all around us.

Our non-violent heroes are few. Jesus, Ghandi, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr are all I can think of. Our heroes who fix the world by doing violence to the offender? That list goes on and on.

Jesus taught another way. That way is a hard thing to keep in mind when a loved one has died a terrible death.

People do horrible things to each other. I’m sure that in the heat of the moment I would take a life to defend my own or another’s.

It’s just that if I follow the words of the one who started this whole Christianity thing, I should have a hard time judging others. I should have a harder time condemning them to death. Things get complicated. Osler pointed out that when Jesus came across a legal execution he challenged the moral authority of the crowd, “Let you who are without sin cast the first stone.” No one did.

Do you know why we use lethal injection? Professor Osler said that it is because it’s the most palatable to watch for the families of the victims. Generally speaking, most people don’t want to watch someone being shot or hung to death, unless it’s in a video game. Too violent and bloody. Death is funny like that.

By the way, we just killed our 439th prisoner on death row. We are first in something. We are the state that has legally killed the most people. Something to be proud of. Ha ha.

The UM General Board of Church and Society invites you to learn more at www.deathpenaltyinfo.org .