*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas. Ronnie Threadgill- “I am going to a better place.” I can think of no more depressing of a place to be than lying on a gurney and waiting to die. With the executioners swarming, Ronnie Threadgill wanted everyone to know that he was going to a better place. How often do we live our lives consumed with all of the morbid and... Read more
Depression stalks me before every birth. The existential questions taunt me over and over again. Why are we here? Do we matter? Where are we going? Death becomes a trusted friend. For I know, there will be a day when I don’t have to deal with these questions anymore. While I still take the pills, existential crises are not easily cured. Hope is difficult to cultivate in a world of doubt. I just keep searching. The snow piles up.... Read more
*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas Ricky Lewis: “It’s burning.” When the poison started to flow through the needle, Ricky Lewis said that his body was burning. Lewis is just one example of a great many executed persons who have reported a burning sensation before they died. Though the burning is used to argue that the execution process is a violation of the constitutional protection against cruel and... Read more
I needed a theological education that could save my life. For years, I struggled to survive under the weight of what I was taught at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I just couldn’t believe that God hated so many people. How could a God called Love only have love for those whose minds and hearts were closed to the world around them? I couldn’t give up. I had to take one more chance on God and life. When I arrived... Read more
*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas. Carl Blue- “We all have to die to get to heaven.” When I think about heaven, I think about the overwhelming and intoxicating embrace of love. Sometimes, I think we get glimpses of extravagant love on earth. Regardless of when we are talking, I don’t think love comes without death. We have to die to our self in order to be able... Read more
*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas. Preston Hughes- “…fight for my innocence…” Have you ever been falsely accused of something? Until the very end, Preston Hughes maintained he was innocent. Even in death, Hughes wanted his family to fight for his innocence and clear his name. Regardless of the veracity of his claims, I believe that we all begin innocent. Unfortunately, there is an accuser out there who... Read more
Eddie Ray Routh will spend the rest of his natural life in jail for murdering Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. When I watched the families of Kyle and Littlefield celebrate what they considered to be a triumph of justice, I couldn’t help but wonder about another 160 families who will never get their day of justice. We are a confused people. Chris Kyle kills 160 people and we call him a hero. Eddie Ray Routh kills 2 people and... Read more
*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas. Ramon Torres Hernandez- “Can you hear me?” Before Ramon Torres Hernandez was executed, he wanted to know if anyone could hear him. I cannot count the late nights of prayer where I have laid awake pondering whether I was heard. Is God real? I don’t have robust proof. There are moments where I think I know and there are moments where... Read more
In February of 1997, Kelly Gissendaner orchestrated the brutal murder of her husband Doug in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Sentenced to die by in 1998, Gissendaner’s appeals process is about to run out. Barring a miracle, Gissendaner will be executed by the State of Georgia on Wednesday night (2/25/2015). Those of us who grow up in the South know well how this process of execution plays out. Over and over again, we watch society dispose of what we perceive to... Read more
*These reflections are taken from pieces of the last words of the last 40 persons executed in Texas. Mario Swain- Silence. Mario Swain offered no words when he was executed. Why didn’t we speak up to save him? I invite you to spend a few moments pondering the silence of Mario Swain: Silence. Amen. Read more
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