Marching Through Death’s Desert: Protesting the Death Penalty

Last updated on: June 17, 2014 at 6:51 pm by Shane Claiborne

Marching Through Death’s Desert: Protesting the Death Penalty 2014-06-17T18:51:38+00:00 Shane Claiborne

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It’s 93 degrees in Texas today. And the Rev. Jeff Hood is walking 200 miles across the state. What would compel somebody to do that?

He wants to end the death penalty… and he is not alone.

Rev. Jeff Hood is a Southern Baptist pastor, deeply troubled by his denomination’s stance on capital punishment. And he is troubled because he lives in the most lethal state in the US. Texas has had 515 executions since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976 – the next state in line is Oklahoma with 111. That means Texas is responsible for 37% of the executions in the US. Jeff has been a long-time organizer and Board member for the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, a movement that is gaining some serious momentum these days.

A growing number of Texans — and Americans in general — are questioning the death penalty. A recent ABC poll shows we are over the tipping point, with more than half of Americans being against the death penalty and in favor of life in prison, putting death penalty support at a new low. For some it is the racial bias – in Texas it is not uncommon for an African-American to be found guilty by an all white jury. In fact, in considering “future dangerousness,” a criteria necessary for execution in Texas, state “experts” have argued that race is a contributing factor, essentially that someone is more likely to be violent because they are black – prompting articles like the headline story in the NYTimes about Duane Buck: “Condemned to Die Because He is Black”.

For others, the issue is more of an economic one – often the decisive factor on execution is not guilt or innocence but whether one is rich or poor … whoever doesn’t have the capital gets the punishment, as the old adage goes. And for others still, it is the Constitutional part, the cruel and unusual element – as equal justice under the law should mean you get the same punishment for a crime done in Connecticut as in Texas which is clearly not the case, with over 80% of executions coming from 2% of the counties in the US. And more and more folks are feeling the cruelty of it all, wasting so much energy and resources on how to kill people to show that killing is wrong. In fact, there has not been an execution since the botched Oklahoma execution over a month ago, which left a man writhing in pain for 45 minutes before he died of a heart attack. It’s not just liberals anymore, but all sorts of reasonable people (including conservatives and faith leaders) who are convinced that we can do better than this as a country… and we must.

For Rev. Jeff Hood it is his faith that drives him. As he likes to say: “The death penalty makes us both killers and victims. Only love can heal us.” He began his journey by meeting with the men on death row, for whom he is a spiritual advisor. As he left the prison he said, “The wind of God is at my back” and set out on the 200 mile journey through the desert.

I got to talk with him today, and he emphasized how his faith has shaped his views on the death penalty. We discussed the victims of violence, the heroic families like Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation and Journey of Hope, folks who are further traumatized by the 10 years of trials and millions of wasted dollars that go toward each execution, and especially the fact that taking another person’s life does not bring back their lost loved ones.

Jeff and I also talked about Jesus, the lens through which we read the Bible and the world around us. He is haunted by the way Christianity has been misrepresented when it comes to execution. “There is a cross on top of the execution chamber in Huntsville,” he said sadly. It’s a contradiction that not enough Christians recognize – Jesus was a victim of the death penalty, not a proponent of it. Jeff described his hope that if more and more Christians embraced Jesus’s life and teaching we would end the death penalty in America, for it’s strongest pillars are in the heart of the Bible belt. He is hopeful, and so am I.

As we ended the call he described all the gracious hospitality he has received – folks bringing him gifts, water, food, and smiles. One of the congregations hosting him are the United Methodists, whose church policy prohibits the death penalty: “We believe the death penalty denies the power of Christ to redeem, restore, and transform all human beings.” Amen.

One of his favorite stories was an encounter with one passer-by who stopped to talk with him, not entirely convinced of where she stood on the issue. He explained how Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself and to love your enemies makes it difficult to execute, and she responded: “Damn, that makes a lot of sense.” Indeed it does.

The Gospel is good news. The merciful will be shown mercy. March on, brother Jeff. I hope with every step you take, every mile you walk, we get a little closer to the abolition of the death penalty in Texas, in the USA, and in the world. March on, brother, march on to the promised land.

Shane Claiborne is an author and activist, currently working on a book on the death penalty. You can find him at www.redletterchristians.org.

Previous Post

June 17, 2014

Speaking and Listening on Marriage Equality: Blogging the PC(USA) General Assembly

Next Post

June 18, 2014 Careful to Hope: Blogging the PC(USA) General Assembly #GA221

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Author Interviews Battle Over the Body and Blood of Christ Bearing Beauty Book Reviews Christian Education christian spirituallity christianity Christmas Church Church Leadership Contemplation Creation Care Death and Dying Death Penalty Disruptive Change Disruptors Series Easter Education Evolution and Faith Future of Progressive Christianity Gun Violence Health & Wellness Holy Week Interfaith Israel-Palestine Leading Differently Lent LGBTQ Living with Cancer Meditations on the Cross Mental Illness millennials Mimetic Mondays Monday Meditations Movie Reviews New Monasticism Pando Populus Parenting Patheos 10+1 Q&A Series PC(USA) Politics Pop Culture Practical Theology Series Prayer progressive christian Race Relations Reformation religion Religion and Politics Religion in America Rethink Church Social Justice Spirituality Spirituality of the Body Stump a Scholar Technology and Faith Thanksgiving Theodicy Trust Me Church Uncategorized Why I'm Still Christian Youth Ministry

Select a Month December 2025 April 2025 January 2025 September 2023 September 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 November 2021 October 2021 May 2021 February 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 June 2020 May 2020 March 2020 June 2019 March 2019 January 2019 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Where did the Pentecostal movement begin in the early 1900s?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Rome Berlin London Azusa Street, Los Angeles