Larry Reynolds murder case update...

This is a brief update to two previous posts, one August 18, 2009 "Capital Murder Case" and the other September 16, 2009 "More on the Murder Case".

The execution of Larry Reynolds that was scheduled for October 8, 2009 has been postponed until next spring by the State of Ohio due to a recent botched execution attempt by lethal injection in another death row case.

I guess I just want to go on record here to say that I have found the peace about this sentence that I needed. If you have never served on a jury in a case like this, you really have no idea of the stress and all the mental and emotional sorting out that you have to do, all the soul-searching and praying and all the sleepless nights. To say nothing of the long days of sitting in a jury box listening to gory testimony and seeing photographs that should never have to be seen of someone's mother, grandmother, daughter, doing your civic duty while your heart just aches to be home with your own young children.

Both 15 years ago when I served on the jury, and more recently as the execution date neared, I sought spiritual counsel from a trusted pastor. My conflict, of course, was that I am a pro-life person. I totally believe in the sanctity of human life. And I had to reconcile that belief with how I feel about the death penalty in a murder case.

What I have come to understand is this: The death penalty really upholds the idea of how sacred human life is to God. When one intentionally takes the life of another, the only just penalty is for him to forfeit his own. I hope that one sentence might help someone else who struggles with how they feel about the death penalty. I know that others do not agree with my conclusion. Like I said, I have found peace in it. And I believe it is God's peace. I can rest in it.

That said, I also want to say that I find no pleasure in the circus-like atmosphere that often attends high-profile executions. That is a sad commentary on our society and only serves to undermine what is being done.

While I personally feel that 15 years or more is way too long for a sentence to be imposed, I am glad our judicial system allows time for appeals and hearings so that there hopefully will be no mistake made. Unfortunately we all know this has happened.

As far as the Reynolds case goes, God has His own timing in mind. He is working all things out for good, even in this situation. In the past few months, I have been put in touch with a relative of the victim. For 15 years she has been angry and consumed in her grief and loss. I was able to tell her that she will continue to be a victim of Larry Reynolds long after he is executed if she kept herself on this path of anger and bitterness. I'm not free to go into the details, but something happened recently and this relative of the victim has now softened her heart toward the murderer's family and sees their own torment and loss...and she is also praying that Reynolds himself might come to repentance before his next execution date. Did you catch that? The victim's relative is praying for the person who murdered her loved one. God is at work.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

more on the murder case...

Good morning friends. This is just a quick update on a difficult subject. The clemency hearing for Lawrence Reynolds was held last week in Columbus, OH. Unless something changes, he is due to be executed by the State on October 8.

Regardless of how you feel about the death penalty, would you please pray for everyone who has been touched by this horrible crime, the brutal taking of the life of someone's mother, someone's aunt, someone's grandma. Would you also pray that in what seems to be the last days of the life of the perpetrator, that somehow he would demonstrate true remorse and repentance, and be prepared to meet his Maker. Pray that all involved in any way can find the peace that can only come from God in the coming days.

capital murder case

Fifteen years ago I served as an alternate juror on a capital murder trial. The killing took place in my home town. The trial lasted a long time, and my kids were 10 and 14. It was a very emotionally draining time for me...sitting in the courtroom every day and then running to catch the kid's baseball games or get them to practice. I also remember my husband was traveling on business a lot during that time. I sought counsel from my pastor to try to sort out how I really felt about the death penalty. When it was all over, I didn't have to cast a vote because I was an alternate and no jurors had been removed or dropped off the case. But I had to be there and sit through it all right up to the end. And of course I had to make up my mind as well based on the facts of the case and the law.

My younger son saw this article in the paper this week and recognized it as the case I had served on. http://www.fallsnewspress.com/news/article/4647849

Remember he was only 10 at the time! We have certainly not talked about this over the years. It bothers me that it made such an impression on him at such a young age that he never forgot the name of the convicted man.

Fifteen years is about the normal amount of time it takes to carry out the death sentence in Ohio. That leaves lots of time for appeals and making sure there were no errors in the case. But it sure seems like a long time for the family of the victim to wait for justice for their loved one.

I can't imagine that this man will receive any kind of clemency, but I feel no joy or satisfaction that he is scheduled to be executed in about two months. I can't help but wonder what his thinking has been over the past 15 years. Is he sorry? Has he ever contacted the victim's family? He was a next door neighbor!

And how does the victim's family feel? They were known to be a Christian family. Have they been able to forgive? Could anyone? How has this affected them for the past 15 years?

I can only pray that the grace of God might be applied to all involved, including the jurors, everyday citizens, who had to listen day after day to graphic details and then make the decision. Now that the time of the execution seems eminent, that grace is needed perhaps now more than ever. I know I need it.

Faithful One, So Unchanging!

One of the things about living life between the buns (life in the sandwich generation) is that I cannot deny that my life has changed so much through its 60 years so far. Perspective has changed, mostly for the better I hope. Priorities have changed as little children grew up, got married, had kids of their own, and got their own mortgages. Physical appearance has changed as gravity and the aging process have taken their toll. Energy levels have most definitely changed. Thoughts about "the future" have changed as I seek ways to downsize and simplify. The years of accumulating and building are farther and farther behind. The hardest change I've endured so far was the loss of my dad last year. When we were much younger, it seemed like life would always be the same and we would always have our loved ones with us.

Today I took my mom for a medical appointment at a local hospital. In the waiting room was a huge (like a story and a half) artistic rendition of the Hippocratic Oath. I realized I had never read it before, so I took a few moments to do so. The Hippocratic Oath supposedly originated from Hippocrates, an ancient Greek who lived about 400 BC, and is considered to be the "father of modern medicine". I was fairly shocked to see that it included references to abortion and what we now call euthanasia, and several other issues that had to do with ethical situations.

A 12th century Byzantine manuscript of the oath, rendered in the form of a cross

I have always assumed that taking the Hippocratic Oath was something required of all new doctors as they were ready to embark on their practices. After I had a chance to do just a little research, I found there is the original Oath, which in the past was taken routinely by new physicians, and a "modern" version, adapted sometime in the 1970's. However apparently neither the ancient version nor the modern version is used anymore at medical schools! Most of them now have some ethical statement or pledge that is recited at graduation ceremonies, but there is no universal standard or code of ethics for the profession upon which to take an oath due to changing societal mores and the variety of accepted medical practices.

The American Medical Association has a published oath that it has "approved". This version has totally removed the references to things like never prescribing or administrating a lethal dose of medicine to any patient even if asked; also deleted is the statement referring to performing duties with utmost respect for every human life from fertilization to natural death and rejecting abortion that deliberately takes a unique human life.

All of this got me to thinking this afternoon about one of the profound attributes of God, His immutability. That means He never changes. His character never changes, His purposes never change. He is dependable in so many ways, known and unknown! So unlike fallen humanity, whose moral code changes like shifting sand. What was wrong yesterday is ok today. What is true today may be false tomorrow. God is so unlike that! Because He doesn't change, we can always know we can depend on Him and that His Word will always be true.

I hope you have a couple minutes to listen to this song, Faithful One by Brian Doerksen and sung on YouTube by Andy Park. I think it is just beautiful, and is my song of praise today.