Wednesday, Sept. 2, 1998 Hello Friends, The following is the text of a devotion that was given by a friend of mine at our Methodist Men's Breakfast Group Chapel Devotions, on August 25th, 1998 at Grace United Methodist Church. It is a sharing about an oppor- tunity to serve in candlelight vigils as part of the work of the Coali- tion to Abolish the Death Penalty. I share this with you with Bill's permission. Please see below for information about an upcoming national convention on this issue. _________________________________________________________________________ DEVOTIONS TO: Methodist Men's Breakfast Group, Chapel Devotions, Grace United Methodist Church By: William C. Colbert Subject: Witness Opportunity, East Missouri Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Date: August 25, 1998 This morning I want to tell you how meaningful I find my participation in the candlelight vigils facilitated by the East Missouri Coalition to Abol- ish the Death Penalty. I am very glad to share my views with you. This is something I have been doing for about a year. I find it to be an ex- ceptional opportunity for Christian witness. The music that was playing as you gathered was "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" performed by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band from New Orleans. We will close this morning's devotions by listening to "Precious Lord" sung by Sing Miller accompanied by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The East Missouri Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty engages in a num- ber of efforts: to encourage lawmakers to change Missouri statutes to make imposition of the death penalty more selective and fair, to raise public awareness of the ineffectiveness of capital punishment in reducing crime, to provide a forum to discuss the moral and religious issues surrounding the state taking the life of an individual, and to facilitate a vigil at the time of each execution to comfort the family of the person being killed. It is this witness to the family of the convicted felon which I find appro- priate as a Christian and as a citizen of the state which is taking the life of their son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister, uncle or aunt, nephew or niece. Usually two or three family members come to the prison on the night of the execution. The law of Missouri sets 12:01 a.m. as the required hour for executions. The prison is a mile or so east of Potosi, the county seat of rural Washington County about sixty five miles south of St. Louis. Prison regulations allow one person to be present in the prison. On most occasions the condemned person selects a minister to be with him under these regulations. The state provides a little gravel parking area at the edge of the prison compound for the public, including the family of the condemned prisoner, to assemble. Usually there are people present who vocally support the death that is about to occur. These people may include members of the families of victims of the crime for which the prisoner had been convic- ted. Sometimes members of racist hate groups are present to celebrate the closest thing to a lynching they can attend. The Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty provides candles to those who wish to participate in a respectful commemoration of the finality and solemnity of the taking of a person's life. If members of the condemned prisioner's family are present, they take a candle and join us. On the Sunday after I learn that an execution has been scheduled, I usually fill out [our church's] blue prayer request card with the name of the pri- soner and his date of execution. I hope that the members of this church are comfortable praying with me for this individual who is clearly one of the "least of these" that the gospel tells us Jesus wanted us to care for. Likewise, the family of the prisoner is likely to be having a very diffi- cult time and is in need of our support through prayer. As a parent I have been fortunate. My four children have turned out to be solid and productive citizens. The times when they came into conflict with the law have luckily been minor and infrequent. I love each of them very much. I would love any of them just as much if they had encountered serious problems with the law. I like to think that I could continue to love them even in the face of such a serious infraction of the law that a court would demand that their life be forfeited. I have found a significant opportunity for personal witness on that little patch of gravel looking through the barbed wire surrounding Potosi prison. As midnight approaches we stand side-by-side with the family of someone whom the courts of our state have found guilty of terrible crimes. These family members did not set out to see that little baby in their home grow to be such a threat to the people of the larger society that his life must be taken. They probably have fond recollections of that individual as a sweet innocent child. They have had many years to prepare for the moment when death will come to him. Most prisoners have lived under sentence of death for about ten years as their lawyers engage in appeals. The family members seem thankful that a few persons of goodwill are willing to com- fort them at this long awaited time for the sentence to be carried out. At the actual time of execution we pray and sing quietly. Sometimes there is need to physically grasp a hand or hug a shoulder to keep them from fal- ling as their emotions take control of them. A short time after midnight one of the prison guards approaches the little group gathered next to wire and announces that the execution is completed and that we should promptly depart. We say good-bye to the family. Soberly we drive home through the early morning dark. I intend to be present at Potosi Prison each time the State of Missouri executes someone in the next year. I would be glad to have any of you by my side. I will let you know when executions are scheduled. Thank you. Now let us prayerfully listen to "Precious Lord." -Bill Colbert __________________________________________________________________________ NATIONAL CONVENTION VERY SOON There will be a National convention and meeting of the Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty in one month here in St. Louis at the Henry VIII Hotel & Convention Center (where I work). The dates are Thursday- Sunday, October 1st through 4th, 1998. Walk-in registration for the convention events is available. The cost is $20 per day; for students, $10 per day. There will be a rally (free and open to the public) on Friday, Oct. 2, at 4-5pm. Times are still subject to change, however, as of this writing (today is Sept. 2nd, 1998). For more information about this Convention and Rally, you can call the national office of the Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, at (202) 387-3890, and talk to Miss Davidson. Interested in coming? Let me know. I can get you information about St. Louis or try to help finding you a place to stay overnight. Give me a call at (314) 890-9294, and I'll see what I can do. Thanks for your time. Cordially, Dave Eisenstein deisenst@mail.coin.missouri.edu (314) 890-9294