Sentencing of the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooter

 

                                             My steel-tongue drum, which I had been eyeing every week that I go to the music store for my lesson. I brought it home to add to my music arsenal. Drumming is healing, and the drums {and drum circles} are not the sole copyright of any culture. Full stop. 

It has been a weird couple of days for me.

Not only has my pain level/ leg weakness been high {I thankfully get the nerve block on Monday} , but the fate of the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooter has been determined. A jury of Pennsylvania citizens gave him the death penalty. 

I am grateful and relieved. 

There is also some guilt associated with this gratitude. After all, my normal {and lifelong} stance on capital punishment is one that is firmly against state-sanctioned murder. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I do not usually subscribe to the Old Testament. " An eye for an eye" version of justice. State-sanctioned murder will not bring back the dead. 

I still stand by my belief that capital punishment does nothing to deter violent crimes. I live in Florida, which is a state that LOVES to let the government murder people on behalf of its citizens. Unlike Florida, Pennsylvania does not put " the needle" on juries' tables. 

For this case, Pennsylvania chose to use "The Needle", if the jury agreed that is appropriate. 

A jury concurred and the monster who killed 11 Innocent people for simply being Jews is basically a dead man walking. 

I hope he gets The Needle. 

I'll say it again: I hope he gets The Needle. 

For the past few years, Jewish Americans have seen an uptick in antisemitism.

His crime took place in a Pittsburgh neighborhood that I know and love. Being from the Pittsburgh area, I know Squirrel Hill and its surrounding neighborhoods well. I've safely walked those streets in search of a bagel shop. I have a great-uncle and great-aunt who live there. 

While I am Christian by faith, I am Jewish by birth. 

As a Christian, I know state-sanctioned murder is not okay. After all, our Teacher}, Savior, and Brother was gruesomely murdered by the State in which He lived. 

Yet the Pittsburgh Synagogue massacre rocked Jewish-Americans everywhere-- but especially in the city that I love. 

Am I conflicted? Yes, I am. In my over 4 decades of life, never have I supported capital punishment. Frankly, I still do not support this barbaric practice.  

But I hope that murderous Naz! lies in fear as he is murdered.

My hope is that this will serve as a lesson to anyone who has the hatred enough to murder innocent people just because of who G-d created them to be. 

Forgive me, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, for the anger in my heart. I know that " an eye for an eye" makes everyone everywhere unable to see. Use me as an instrument of Your peace and show me ways that I can be that bridge, connecting people who hate Jews to a new, loving way of viewing their neighbors. In Your Son's Name... Amen. 

Sarah Beth McCarren