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Sermon October 17, 2021
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, MSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 24, Track 2
https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearB_RCL/Pentecost/BProp24_RCL.html
Audio: /documents/Eucharist__October_17__2021
Video: https://youtu.be/zrAOHBn27Lk
By a perversion of justice he was taken away.
Who could have imagined his future? Isaiah 53:8
During the summer I heard about the case of Mr. Kenneth Strickland of Missouri. Mr. Strickland has been in a prison in Missouri for 43 years. He was close to 19 at the time of his incarceration and is now 62.
Friends of his committed a triple murder and Mr. Strickland got caught up in their crime, even though he was home watching TV and on the phone at the time and his alibi panned out. Unfortunately, a witness identified him as being involved. But she later recanted her testimony and said she was pressured to identify him as one of the shooters.
The men who actually committed the crime also gave signed statements that Mr. Strickland was not involved. And get this…the men who committed the murders are no longer in prison; only Mr. Strickland is still serving time. His sentence was life without parole.
The current prosecutor for Jackson County, the County where Mr. Strickland was convicted, has agreed Mr. Strickland was wrongly convicted and should be released. Current top prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said, “My job is to protect the innocent. It is important to recognize when the system has made wrongs, and what we did in this case was wrong.”
Federal prosecutors in the region, the county’s presiding judge and the Mayor of Kansas City have agreed with Attorney Baker; however, the release of Mr. Strickland depends upon the good graces of the Governor to pardon him or the State Attorney General. The Governor, who issued a number of pardons during the summer has stated that this case is not a priority for him. The Attorney General continues to fight Mr. Strickland’s release. A hearing in Mr. Strickland’s case continues to be re-scheduled and is currently supposed to be held in November.
Meanwhile Mr. Strickland has numerous health issues. He recently had a birthday. He is 62 and in a wheel chair. He says he’s not sure he will live to see another year.
Life just isn’t fair, is it? Didn’t you hear that growing up?
In our reading from Isaiah this morning, we hear about the suffering servant…the individual or community that is treated unfairly, indeed feels like they are being punished and are suffering for something they did not do.
Hasn’t that been our great question and struggle with God? Why are individuals and communities treated unfairly? Why do bad things happen to good people? We want easy answers and fixes. We try to find something in the person’s background, maybe, to satisfy ourselves that their current punishment or suffering is deserved, as if we are the judges of that.
I can’t really explain this. The only thing I know is that God is always with us in our suffering and trials.
I also believe that we as Christians and followers of Jesus Christ are called to relieve the suffering in the world as much as possible. This is not an easy calling, is it?
When we can do something to relieve someone’s suffering like provide food or clothing or shelter or employment, it feels a lot easier…when there is a clear solution and something tangible that can be done and done immediately, we can spring into action.
Maybe, such as in the case of Mr. Strickland, there are policy changes that need to happen or letters written or advocacy steps taken. Again, we can spring into action.
What is much harder is when there is no easy solution or no tangible thing to provide. Yet in following Jesus Christ, we are called to be servants to others. That means walking alongside those who are suffering and being present with them. That is not the easiest thing to do, is it?
There is even a name for people in professions that continually witness or hear about suffering. It is called vicarious trauma.
The way of Jesus…the way of love…is to do all we can to alleviate suffering. It is to be the servant…the worker…the compassionate and loving presence.
May God give us the strength to do so.
Amen
