The Casey Anthony Trial: Two Slimes Don't Make a Right

I am sure that Casey Anthony is one of the most reviled mothers of all time. After all she was accused of killing her beautiful baby girl, or at the very least  committing some gross act of negligence that resulted in death for Caylee.

Casey Anthony was tried and found not guilty of all crimes relating to the death of Caylee Anthony, and she walked out of jail scott free. Or so we all thought. And that is the part that concerns me.
Miss Anthony had been placed on probation for another crime while in jail awaiting trial on charges related to the death of her child.

In their anger and shame at having lost the murder trial, the State contended that probation was not served while in jail. Therefore Miss Anthony would have to return to Florida to serve out the probation. Judge  Belvin Perry, under tremendous pressure, caved in and sided with the State. Now we all sit with bated breath, hoping Miss Anthony will violate her probation.

As the relative of several people who have been incarcerated, I can tell you that Miss Anthony served her probation while in jail. No question about it.

Don't get me wrong, I am not shedding any tears for Miss Anthony, but I am thinking about the rest of us.

Does this give the State the right to play this slimey kind of trickery after they have lost a case?  That's scary.  What happens if this becomes a common place move? It's an end run around the Justice System

 If the State of Florida condones this action, what other shady moves should we be concerned about? Two slimes don't make a right.

 

Christians and Mourning 

 Webster's defines the word mourn as: to feel  or express sorrow or grief. Mourning is a natural part of the grieving process. As Christians, I do not believe that we deal with grief in a realistic way. I believe that we are getting better at it, but we still have work to do in that area. Feelings of pain, loss, and grief, cannot be wrapped in a scripture, or a bible verse, and put away in a corner.

Healing takes time. The most helpful thing we can do for people at this time is to let them express their painful feelings, and be supportive.  Allow the person to tell their story. Grieving persons have a need to tell their stories, and to talk about the person they have lost.

Prolonged, or complicated grief occurs when we do not acknowledge the pain, and the truth of what has happened. We must allow those who are grieving to have their feelings, whatever they are. They must be allowed to sit with the fact that this loss has occured, and that indeed, it hurts. Our faith and the scriptures provide  sources of comfort and support. The fact that Christians believe that the deceased is at peace with God is  also a source of comfort, but the pain is still present, and has to be dealt with in the here and now. It is important to realize that Jesus preached a holistic Gospel. All parts of the self must be nurtured and cared for.

Many believe that Christians should not mourn the dead, however from a common sense point of view, it is impossible not to. How does one not mourn the loss of a vital part of themselves?

 Grief and mourning are about the feelings and emotions of the living. The living need to be nurtured, and cared for by the ministers, and congregational care persons in their faith community.

The faith community must accept the fact that death affects us all, and that it hurts. The reality is that we all mourn. We all grieve, and it is painful. We must also accept the fact that there is no getting over it. We do not get over the loss, we simply come to a place where we can co-exist with it.

I think of the conclusion of the book of Job, chapter 42, verse 16, where it enumerates the blessings Job received after having lost everything. It talks about his sons, and his beautiful daughters. However, what is not mentioned is the fact that he must be mourning the loss of his previous children.

Speaking as a parent who has lost a child, and as a Christian, I can tell you that this is not an accurate picture. When this is preached in churches, I hear lots of amens, and hallelujahs, but there is never any acknowledgement of the pain Job must have felt, as the grieving parent of ten deceased children.

I suspect that Job rather liked his children, and to lose them all in such a violent and unexpected manner must have been painful and traumatic. Even though he had other children, the pain and grief of losing  his original children must still  have been present.

Also, we see in Matthew 26:37, that Jesus grieved his impending death. This type of grief is called anticipatory grief.

He turned to the men in his company and said,  “ I am exceedingly sorrowful”.  Notice that no one asked Jesus what he was feeling, but it seems that He had an inner compulsion to voice this grief. He then walked a few more steps, and fell onto His face and began praying. If you look closely at the prayer, what Jesus was actually doing was bargaining, which is another stage of the grieving process. He is saying, God, I don’t want to die, take this cup from me, but then again if it is your will.

Using Jesus as a model, I do believe that Christians should mourn their losses. It is a part of the healing process. If we deny the pain, and the loss, it festers and becomes complicated grief.

As Christians we hold the belief that God is with us through everything we face in life. That being the case, we must trust that God will guide us through that dark period of grief, and bring us to a place where we can function again. There is no getting around it. There is no getting over it. God must take us through it.

copyright 2011 L.S.B.

The Reaper

Ecclesiastes 3 :1-2   

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 A time to be born and a time to die;

He came sweeping in

Silent and graceful

Dark and slightly ominous

He sighed a heavy sigh and dug in his heels.

He sensed it was going to be a long fight.

Such a thankless job was his.

He was hardly ever welcomed anywhere he went.

No fanfare. No red carpets.

He didn’t understand why he was always perceived as the enemy.

Maybe it was the black uniform. Maybe it was the sharp scythe.

He rather fancied himself a kind friend, a welcome relief, even a loving presence.

 Why sometimes he could be downright warm and fuzzy. 

 He could be whimsical too: a melody, a sweet song during a sleepless night,

 a playful wind dancer twirling in the breeze.

Why did people oppose him so? Why did they fight so valiantly a battle already lost?

Why did they not just let go and trust the process for a soft landing?

He sighed and dug in his heels. Yep. It was going to be a long one.

copyright 2011 L.S.B.

Macaroni and Cheese

As a child, I never much liked macaroni and cheese. In my family, even in my culture, that was almost a sin.

When I became an adult, I realized that it was not the dish itself, but it was the sharp Cheddar cheese that I hated. However, there was no other way to make it, or so I thought.  I found ways to make it using other cheeses that I liked, Mozzarella, Colby, mild Cheddar, and so on. I am proud to say that my macaroni and cheese is just heavenly, although, little old ladies must be shaking their heads in disbelief. How does one make macaroni and cheese without sharp Cheddar cheese? There is just no way it can be good.

As I discovered with macaroni and cheese, there are many different ways of doing things in life. There are different cultures, and different beliefs. We as human beings have to be at peace with the differences of others. God has created us to be unique and special individuals. I am reminded of the scripture that says, in my father’s house there are many mansions there. Why not just one mansion for all?  It sounds as if God is accommodating and respecting our differences even in heaven, as we must on earth.

copyright 2011 L. S. B.