Just Mercy

This weekend, my wife and I went to see the new film Just Mercy, and I knew even before the movie was over that I had to write about it. If you take nothing else away from this blog post, please understand this: You need to see this movie. In fact, if you want to just stop reading and go see the film right now, I’m alright with that. That’s how important I think it is.

But in case you need a little more convincing, here’s my review of the movie and why I think it’s a must-see for everyone concerned about faith and justice.

Just Mercy tells the story of Bryan Stevenson (played by Michael B. Jordan) and his work with death row inmates in Alabama. Bryan is a Harvard law graduate who has dedicated his career to defending the defenseless and fighting to achieve justice for those our system has wronged and cast aside. He’s the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and a superstar in the world of criminal justice reform.

He’s also a professor and an author. In fact, this movie is based on Bryan’s book of the same name. The book is half memoir about his early days at the Equal Justice Initiative, half reflections on social justice issues in our country today. I’ve been reading it in preparation to see the film, and it is incredible. Of course, no movie adaptation can perfectly live up to the book it’s based on, but Just Mercy does an excellent job of portraying the book’s central narrative in a powerful, compelling way.

Both the book and the film center on one particular true story: the case of Walter McMillian (played by Jamie Foxx). While condemned on death row for a murder he did not commit, Walter meets Bryan, who offers to take on his case for free. Over the course of the film, the two unveil the many ways the system has failed Walter and fight to prove his innocence, an upward battle that will pit them against an indignant prosecutor, corrupt law officers, and a biased public more interested in their own peace than in the truth or justice for Walter.

The premise is interesting enough on its own, and it’s made even more so by the fact that this story really happened. But that’s not all Just Mercy has going for it. It’s also been created by some incredible people. In addition to Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx, the movie also stars Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, and Brie Larson, who each give beautiful, powerful performances that capture the passion and struggle of the real-world people they’re portraying.

The director, Destin Daniel Cretton, also co-wrote the screenplay with Andrew Lanham. Though they may not be household names like the stars of Just Mercy, you could be hearing about them again very soon. The two just received an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay for their work on this film. The possibility that a movie about criminal justice reform could win an Oscar this year is just amazing.

Star power and Oscar buzz aside, my favorite thing about this movie is the way that it invites viewers to empathize with a group of people they probably have no experience with: death row inmates. While it’s common to dismiss these individuals as good-for-nothing criminals, it’s important to remember that they are people. They have families, communities, feelings, and dreams, and this movie does a good job reminding us of that.

It also highlights the problems with capital punishment in the United States. While the main story is about an innocent man at risk of losing his life for no reason, the film also features the stories of other inmates, including one who admits to the crime that he’s accused of. But even his case is more complex than death row inmates are generally portrayed to be, and the film invites us to recognize the humanity even of those we may not want to.

Even though the story depicted in the film took place nearly 20 years ago, it’s still timely as ever. Debates over the issues in our legal system, especially when it comes to racial bias and capital punishment, are extremely relevant today. Regardless of where you stand on the death penalty—and I’m not shy to say that I’m opposed to the entire practice—this film is beneficial because it shares the experiences of people who’ve largely been shut out and ignored by society. It’s important that we recognize and value the humanity of every person, even those on death row.

And as Just Mercy points out, we’ve got some serious work to do if we ever wish to call our society just. I don’t think anyone wants to live in a country where an innocent man is condemned to death without recourse. If we want to avoid harming innocent people like Walter McMillian in the future, we need to face the mistakes of our past and learn from them so that we can do better going forward.

Just Mercy is a beautiful portrayal of two men working together towards justice. And it’s emblematic of a larger movement within our nation to create a more just and merciful future for everyone. I consider it a privilege to be a part of that movement, and the film invites everyone watching to join in, too.

I think that invitation is worth considering, and so I hope you’ll give this movie a watch.

Just Mercy is in theaters nationwide now. Please go see it and let me know what you think. I’m already planning to watch it again soon, and I’ll definitely be rooting for the filmmakers at the Oscars this year. We need to be support movies like this, because they do good for the world. I’d like to see more of them, and less of the incidents that inspire them. We can make that happen together.

Thanks for reading, friends! I hope you enjoyed this review, and I’ll see you next week.

Hope for the New Year

A few weeks ago, we talked about making space for pain during the holidays, and that’s really important. I tried to do a good job of that this year, and I hope you did, too. Now that the holiday season is over, though, the struggle for many does not stop. It might be different: less sharp and immediate, more throbbing and below the surface. But it’s still there.

Maybe you feel the weight of the world’s problems on your shoulders. Maybe it’s discontentment with where you are or the fact that your circumstances haven’t changed much since this time last year. Or concern about whether you’re where you’re supposed to be. Maybe it’s confusion about what you want this year to look like. Or maybe it’s a pain that you feel deep down in your soul, though you can’t quite put it into words yet.

Whatever the situation looks like right now, I want you to know that if you’re struggling in this new year, there is still space for you.

The new year is meant to be a time of hope. A time to look forward to exciting things ahead. A time to get motivated and make that change you’ve always wanted to make. And for some, it is.

But if that’s not where you are this new year, that’s okay. This time is for you, too.

Aside from simple recognition, I’d also like to offer you one other thing in this post: an opportunity to find hope in the small things. Because even though our circumstances sometimes seem bleak, and even though it isn’t always easy to see it, there is always a reason to hope.

It might seem like a small thing, but hope can often mean the difference between wallowing in despair and finding a way through the darkness. Even the smallest bit can remind us that things won’t always be this way. That they can be better. That they will be better in time, if we’ll only hold on to hope.

So this new year, here are a few things that I find hope in. I believe that you can, too.

• I find hope in knowing that I’m not alone. There are people in this world who love me, who support me, and who want nothing but the best for me. And you’ve got people like that, too.

• I find hope in believing in something bigger than myself. For me, that’s my faith and my dedication to making the world a better place for others. For you, it might be family, your pets, a cause you’re passionate about, or any number of other things. Regardless, we are all apart of something bigger than ourselves, and knowing that can give us hope.

• I find hope in taking steps towards where I want to be. It might be something tiny like reading an article on a goal I want to accomplish, but at least it’s something. We each have a certain amount of agency to change our circumstances. It might take all you have just to take a tiny step, but even the smallest move in the right direction can be a source of hope.

• I find hope in remembering the passion I’ve had for things I love in the past. If I felt that way before, I know I can again. So I look back on those days and look forward to the days when that fire comes back. We all know what it’s like to be passionate about something, and even just the promise of having that feeling return can be enough to get us started.

• I find hope in investing in others. Even when I feel like I can’t help myself, I love being there for other people. Having a positive impact on the world gives me purpose. I don’t do it for me; I do it for them. But I usually find that I get more out of it than I could possibly have given.

Those are some the things that give me hope when I’m struggling, and I go to these sources often. Without them, I’m not sure where I’d be. If you need a little bit of hope in this new year, maybe you can find it in one of these places, too. I’d encourage you to try, because a little hope can go a long way.

That’s all for this blog post. Thank you for reading, and here’s to you having a new year full of hope, healing, and progress. I’ll see you next week.

So Long, 2019

Happy almost new year, friends! I know things have been a little quiet here over the holiday season, but never fear. We’ll get back into the regular swing of things starting next week.

For now, I just wanted to pop in and say thank you for making 2019 such a great year for the blog. I’ve really enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you and hearing your ideas in return. Your support has made writing such an enjoyable experience this year, and we’re going to keep that excitement going into 2020.

Of course, I’d like to say a special thank-you to those who support the blog financially. They make this site possible. If you enjoy what we do here and would like to help it continue and grow, I invite you to check out the campaign.

Here’s to hoping your year starts off right. Let’s meet back here same time next week, shall we? Until then!

For Those Hurting This Holiday Season

Christmas is nearly upon us, and it truly is a wonderful time. Gathering with those we love. Exchanging gifts. Celebrating Christ’s birth. Looking back on another year of growth and change. There’s a reason we so look forward to it year after year.

But for many, this is a time of mixed emotions. Whether it’s missing a loved who’s passed on, having to face a difficult family situation, struggling to make ends meet, or any number of other things, there are a lot of reasons one might be feeling down this time of year.

And if that’s you, I want you to know you’re not alone.

The truth is that underneath the surface, behind all of the smiling and celebrating, we each have a deep pain that we carry with us. And for some, this particular point on the calendar accentuates that pain in ways others simply cannot imagine.

I’ve seen it in the eyes of those I love after a year of loss—including, for some, this one. I’ve even experienced it myself in years past when my own family traditions had to change. For a lot of people, it gets easier; even though things will never be the same, you find a new normal. For others, the struggle is fresh and new every year, and it’s all they can do just to get through the holidays without a breakdown.

While some of us are concerned about finding the perfect gift, planning a great party, or sending fancy cards to everyone we know, others around us are silently suffering, wanting nothing more than just to survive this time of year and maybe find a speck of hope somewhere in the midst of it all. And this time is theirs, too.

Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, to be sure. But even the very event we celebrate wasn’t so clear cut. Jesus was born not at a big party, but in a farmhouse that his impoverished parents were sleeping in because they couldn’t find anywhere else to stay. Jesus’ birth was accompanied by the celebration of angels, shepherds, and wise men; however, it also came with the fear felt by his refugee family fleeing persecution and the wails of mothers throughout the land who lost their baby boys to Herod’s viciousness.

There’s certainly joy in the story, and lots of it. But there’s suffering there, too.

From its very beginning, this holiday has been about human experience. It celebrates the incarnation of Jesus, God becoming a person to live the way we do. And our lives are rarely all one thing or another. Usually, they’re a mixture of good, bad, and in-between. Jesus experienced that himself, even on the very night of his birth.

Just as there’s no one way to celebrate this season, there’s no one way to feel about it, either. We each have unique experiences and real, legitimate feelings that come along with them. We can’t expect that just because this time is easy and light for us that it will be for someone else, too.

For those of us finding ourselves in a good place this holiday season, let’s go out our way to be cognizant of the experiences of those around us. As we celebrate, let’s remember that this time of year isn’t easy for everyone. Let’s do our best to be understanding and meet people where they are rather than expecting them to do things our way.

And if you’re hurting right now, please know that we care. Some of us may get too caught up in the merriment to remember that we need to make room for your pain, but you have a right to feel the way you feel. You’re not doing Christmas wrong; you’re not a buzzkill. You’re just in pain, and we are here for you.

In a perfect world, the holidays would be nothing less than merry and bright. But in our world, this time of year, wonderful as it may be, often has a somber undertone. As we get together with those we love to celebrate and enjoy all the warmth and cheer we can muster, may we also make room within ourselves and our celebrations for those less cheery feelings, too. Because they’re real, and they have their place—even now.

Merry Christmas, friends. Wishing you and yours all the joy and peace in the world. 🎄 I’ll talk to you again soon!

Practice Makes Perfect

I was a huge choir nerd growing up. From the time I was old enough to enroll to the day I graduated, I spent every school day in the choir room rehearsing for the next big performance. I loved pushing my skills to the next level and making music with my friends. When I look back on my formative years, choir is one of the parts I remember most fondly.

One of my assistant directors had a catch phrase that I’ll never forget. He used to say, “Practice doesn’t make perfect! Perfect practice makes perfect.” And while that was a helpful way to keep us on our toes in choir rehearsal, I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to figure out how to turn imperfect practice into something better.

The truth is that a good deal of life in the real world is failure. Or if not failure, it’s at least only partial success—a check mark with an asterisk next to it. For every thing I get right, I can recall at least a dozen that I goofed up along the way.

Mistakes seem to be the world’s primary method of education.

This week, I’ll celebrate my third anniversary at the church. Three years on the job. And that means I’m entering my fourth holiday season as a full-time pastor.

Between special services, programs, and events, this time of year can become quite hectic. The calendar is chock full, and the requests don’t stop coming. My first few years, I struggled just to keep up. It’s not that I had poor time management or work ethic; I just wasn’t prepared for everything that would be on my plate.

This year, though, I’m going in with a plan. I’m trying to stay ahead of things. Work more efficiently. Avoid the mistakes I made last year that cost me time and mental energy. And the funny thing is that it’s working.

I’m feeling more on top of things this year than in the past, which means I’m more pleasant and have more attention to give to my family as we celebrate the holidays. I don’t feel like I’m drowning or even treading water. Instead, I think I’m handling all of my responsibilities well and contributing to the projects that I’m working on. It’s a really good feeling.

I hope this doesn’t come off as bragging. I’m not telling you all of this to pat myself on the back. In all honesty, it probably shouldn’t have taken me so long to get to this point. But here I am.

The point is that practice can make perfect, but only if we choose to learn from it. Even our mistakes can be beneficial if we don’t plow past them but instead reflect on them and allow them to inform our decisions going forward. The only way to get better at something is to work at it, and that’s going to require us to be comfortable with a certain amount of failure.

What is it you want to improve at? Are you willing to work at it? Even more than that, are you willing to fail, to face that failure, and to learn from it? Because that’s what it takes.

When we say, “Practice makes perfect,” we gloss over the fact that practice stinks. Sure, the end result is nice, but the in-between? Not so much. We don’t like to fail. But learning from our mistakes is the only way we’re going to get better.

I’m really happy that, at least in my work situation, I’m getting to a point where I’ve made enough mistakes to really learn something. That’s not to say I won’t make more; I will. But when I do, I’m going to learn from them, too, and use them as tools for improvement. And in doing so, I’ll continue to grow and get better.

If you’re in the in-between and feel like you’re failing right now, don’t give up hope. That just means you’re on your way to something worthwhile. And once you get there, you’ll be glad you stumbled through.

Practice makes perfect, and perfect is worth the work it takes to get there.

That’s where I’m at right now, friends. I hope you find it useful. I appreciate you for reading, and I’ll see you back here very soon!