Tears of a rapist

I'd not seen him before, no one at Poplar will know him. He didn't look up. He just kept staring into the bag of grocery's I'd just given him. He just kept looking down.

"There's something else....I've done something awful... I'm so ashamed..." A story of wrong choices, wrong friends, a drinking spree getting out of control, arrest, DNA swabs, cells and a rape charge has me sighing at the brokeness of what I was hearing.

The story told - he looks up into my face looking for rejection. I say nothing...

"My life didn't used to be like this... where did it go wrong..." I say nothing...

He half composes himself - "I'm in court next week... I'm scared..." I put my hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you know if you are guilty" His shoulders shake as deep sobs interrupt the moment.

I look into his eye's "What do you want me to pray?"

Through his sobs he barely whispers "that justice will be done..."

Comments

Kathryn said…
Oh...this hurts to read...just for a second I began to realise how much we must hurt God all the time, how he must long for a different outcome to our messed up storied.
Thank you for posting, Gordon,and for being there where...
11:20 PM
Kelly said…
it's not so hard anymore to see past circumstance, when circumstance used to be the only lens through which i viewed things. how great that you drew him out.. great post!
2:46 PM
Rob said…
Gordon

I had tears developing as I read this. I was struck by how easily you allowed Jesus to love through your eyes - such a fantastic example of true incarnational ministry.

Thanks
11:31 AM
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