Visit with a Death Row Inmate –
A Lesson on Teaching God’s Love Part II
(Originally, I wrote this essay as a weekly installment of The Pastor’s
Pen, a column in the newsletter of a local church in Nashville, TN where I
served as Senior Pastor from October 2000 to May 2008)
The truth is equally important to Abu. I asked him if his sentence were commuted to
life imprisonment by the Governor would he consider that a just
resolution. He said no because he has
been imprisoned under false pretenses, without adequate legal representation
and with prosecutorial misconduct.
Moreover, Abu’s counterpart and those who financed the Southeastern
Gospel Ministry, organized to eradicate drug dealing in the Black community,
have never disclosed all of the facts relating to the crime. Abu was promised funds for legal
representation, which never materialized.
Those whom he trusted and to whom he was detrimentally loyal have never
visited him nor spoken on his behalf.
They appear content to allow Abu to be put to death unjustly. Essentially, Abu seeks a full disclosure of
all of the personal, psychological, religious, racial and legal circumstances
relevant to his incarceration and impending death. His vehemence about the necessity of the
truth is most admirable.
Abu talked at length about the need to heal the whole
person. He experiences this healing
daily and strives to share it with others.
Abu is a model prisoner having educated himself and obtained the respect
of the guards as well as the inmates. My
colleague asked Abu how would one effectively reach the young men on the
streets and the incarcerated ones who could be rehabilitated. Abu responded by listing all of the
components of a person’s character: mind, family, sociology, psychology,
spirituality and emotions. More
significantly, he said just listening is extremely important. One must hear a person’s story in order to
help him. He told us if committed
chaplains came with the intent of hearing a man’s story and what he wants, then
they would be able to infuse him with some of what he needs. Abu’s thoughts on the whole person resemble
Jesus’ approach in preaching, teaching and healing. Discipleship development and evangelism must
seek to make a person whole and not merely convert him to a way of thinking nor
enroll him within an organization.
Ironically, although I sat on death row and talked
with a man’s whose death looms in the background, our conversation centered
upon the essence of life. Abu wants
everyone to know his uniqueness as a child of God and his spiritual
contributions to humanity as he journeys on earth. He does not want the state to rob him of this
divine significance. He desires for all
of humankind to recognize our interconnectedness in the universal love of
God. Passionately, he hopes that young
Black men and children can be saved from a life of crime. If he were ever to gain physical freedom, Abu
wants a family with a house and the chance to work with troubled youth.
Even though his loyalty was not reciprocated, Abu does
not regret that characteristic within his personality. He merely wishes those to whom he was loyal
would have been more appreciative. As
long as life continues, Abu will fight for the truth. He wants the truth of his situation to be
revealed. In addition, he wants society
to recognize the truth of it systemic violence on women and children. In essence, Abu Ali integrates all of his
experiences, the knowledge he has gained and his growing spirituality into
wholistic life as a child of God.
Summarily, this death row conversation reaffirmed the importance of
spiritual matters in life: the love of God in Christ, love of family, inner
healing, service to humankind and wholistic growth as a disciple of the Lord.
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