When Life Shows Up: Will You Be Ready? (A Story of True Events)

By Dr. Charlie B. Mayson

When Life Shows Up is a book about how, when you least expect it events happen in your life that are out of your control. How do you deal with these unforeseen tragedies or occurrences? Do you just pimp God and say a foxhole prayer, please God get me out of this? Or do you prepare yourself for the inevitable and when life does show up you are ready mentally, physically, and spiritually? This book continues where his book Behind the Glass left off, the saga of Dr. Maysons false arrest, unfair trial, and conviction. It also outlines seven spiritual disciplines that will prepare you for anything that life can throw at you. It is essential for Christians, professionals, moms, dads, and anyone else who wants to be prepared for life, when it shows up, because it will!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9781456808440

Dr. Charlie B. Mayson

Rev. Dr. Charlie B. Mayson is an ex-army helicopter pilot, corporate executive, and business owner. He was called into the ministry and after seminary began to minister in southern Virginia. After failed marriages, entry into alcohol recovery, and marriage to the girl of his dreams, life showed up. He was falsely arrested, unfairly convicted, and jailed for something he did not do and is currently facing a six-year prison term. As a man of God, he has been tested to the extent of his faith. God has continued to provide for his need while also using his experience as a model for others who have had life show up and kick their doors in. He currently resides in Petersburg, Virginia, and pastors a ministry for those in drug and alcohol recovery. He is married to Sheila, an RN, who works at the local rehab-hospital. He can be contacted at [e-mail] charlesmayson.blogspot.com behindtheglass.vpweb.com [phone]

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Copyright © 2010 by Dr. Charlie B. Mayson.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2010916353

ISBN: Hardcover    978-1-4568-0843-3

ISBN: Softcover      978-1-4568-0842-6

ISBN: Ebook           978-1-4568-0844-0

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Chapters

Chapter One            Justice Denied!

Chapter Two            What? Guilty?

Chapter Three            When Life Shows Up!

Chapter Four            So What Do I Do Now?

Chapter Five            Where Is the Truth?

                               (Spiritual Discipline One)

Chapter Six            My New Friends!

Chapter Seven            The Ripple Effect

Chapter Eight            One Is a Lonely Number

                               (Spiritual Discipline Two)

Chapter Nine            The Top Bunk!

Chapter Ten            Legal Stuff

Chapter Eleven            Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

                               (Spiritual Discipline Three)

Chapter Twelve            Settling In

Chapter Thirteen            Insanity!

Chapter Fourteen            Ommmm . . . !

                               (Spiritual Discipline Four)

Chapter Fifteen            There’s a Reason for It!

Chapter Sixteen            Life Changes! Auh God!

Chapter Seventeen            Three Sets of Fifteen, Begin!

                               (Spiritual Discipline Five)

Chapter Eighteen            Hey, Don’t Worry! What Are You Kidding?

Chapter Nineteen            Take It Easy and Keep It Simple

Chapter Twenty            Please Press 0 to Accept this Call

                               (Spiritual Discipline Six)

Chapter Twenty-One            Actions and Consequences

Chapter Twenty-Two            Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! Yeah, Right!

Chapter Twenty-Three            Yes, I’ll Be Your Waiter for this Evening!

                               (Spiritual Discipline Seven)

Chapter Twenty-Four            Hey, How’d That Work Out for You?

Chapter Twenty-Five            Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way!

Epilogue

Summary of Scripture

Bibliography

Appendix

1.    Justice Denied Time Line

2.    Motion to Overturn the Verdict

Acknowledgements

This project is certainly guided by the hand of God. It has been His divine presence that allowed me to overcome the terrible adventure to the dark side that this volume chronicles. It was God that stilled my heart, put a hedge around my sanity, pushed me through my post-traumatic stress, and cleared my mind so that His message could come across. All the grammar, spelling, and sentence structure are mine, and if wrong, my fault; the content, however, is God’s message to those who care to listen.

Sheila, my inspiration, long-suffering partner and friend, and, oh yeah, my wife, deserves so much recognition for her efforts to be God’s conduit to me—for being the breadwinner of our tribe, for her tireless efforts to surround me with the assurance of her love and the promise to allow me to continue to be her MAN (all caps, case sensitive).

My mom has proven to be more long suffering than anyone else; she has known me longer, of course. Her prayers, support, both spiritually and financially, have truly helped me remain living indoors during this trial. She has boldly proclaimed my innocence and sold a ton of books. Thanks for all you do, Mom.

I salute Brooks, my son, for his courage for coming to see his dad in jail. As tough as it was for me, I know it was extremely difficult for him. Making five-hour trips from his home to visit is truly a labor of love. Trust me, friends, you do not want to ever be in a position to have your children visit you in a place like that. Love you, son. I mean it!

My sister Victoria and her husband Nick are truly the folks you want on your side when life starts closing in. Their research of the state’s legal system, the state and national congressional structure, and that of the Virginia State Appellant Court representatives has been invaluable. Their love, support, and belief in me have continually been a beacon of hope in my life.

Morgan and Angela, my brother and sister-in-law, as well as their daughter, have encouraged me and loved me without condition. Their life is very busy and stressful, yet they have always taken time-out for me and even accepted my calls from jail. Yeah, team!

Turning Point Ministries, where I, Pastor, my other church family members and friends from the twelve-step groups I attend, I need to thank last but certainly not least. It is with them I spend most of my time. Their unquestionable loyalty and belief in me has given me a day-to-day peace beyond measure. I can be with these folks and never have to explain where I am or what’s going on; they kept me from being alone in my own head (not a good place, of course) and just love and accept me, warts and all.

God bless and Amen!

Preface

What the world does not need is another how to book. If that is what you want from me, then stop reading and sell your copy of this book. Actually, keep your copy, and read it when you are more rational; let others buy their own copy from my publisher. I need the money to defray lawyer fees. LOL! Seriously, this book is not intended to be one of those do as I say and life will be fine when you’re done reading books.

This book is being written for two reasons. The first reason is to continue to chronicle my trip through the unjust system of courts, judges, and jails contained within this land of justice for all. I want this book to be a voice crying in the wilderness about my plight and the ridiculous way I have been treated by the system of checks and balances of the system of this great country.

The story contained within is a continuation of the one told in my first book, Behind the Glass, published by Author House in July 2010. This volume picks up where that one left off. If you have not read that wonderful book, why not? LOL! Once again, go get a copy—I have legal fees to pay for! (I’m not too proud to beg. Good character trait, huh?) In case the meager cost for my first book escapes you, the first chapter of this one will serve as a review of where we are in this torrid tale of injustice.

I said there are two reasons for this delightful addition, the second one being the most important. When Life Shows Up, what are you going to do? Are you spiritually, physically, and mentally prepared for a major event in your life? Are you prepared to open the door one day and have your whole life change in an instant? Are you ready to have your lifelong dreams and goals be radically altered in the twinkling of an eye? You are not alone if you answered no to any of the above questions.

Life is getting worse! Parents are being stripped of their rights! Teachers have no authority in the classrooms! Professional are targets for any ne’er-do-well seeking to extort them through lies and manipulation! Health care, fuel prices, medicines, and numerous other things are being controlled by the government, and the common consumer is getting less and less for their money! The economic state of the world is bad, war continues to loom on the horizon, and just plain ole bad things continue to happen to good people everywhere you turn!

The major purpose for this book is to outline (notice the word outline) some spiritual principles which, if begun now, will go a long way toward helping the practitioner be prepared when life shows up! Some of these principles have been written about very completely, where others are rarely mentioned by the theological giants of our time. So what! Outlined in these pages are seven principles that you can begin to practice with little to no spiritual development and little to no resources of any kind.

These principles are suggested as a course of study because of their simplicity and their need for no other resources but your own self-discipline. Trust me, when life showed up, I opened my door and I ended up in jail twice in eighteen months. I am glad I had some spiritual tools to help me in that cell, where I had nothing but my Bible!

Again, this is not an attempt to solve your problems. This is an attempt to help you build a base using tools that have been tested and found rock solid in their ability to sustain people when life shows up! These spiritual disciplines have kept me aware of God’s presence in my life and have allowed me to stay solid through two years of judicial harassment, judgmental people, societal prejudices, and lost friendships. These disciplines are not theory; they are practical tools for better living. Try them and see. Following this project, I am working on two more; a yearlong Devotional Journal to help practice these disciplines daily as well as a book to help those like me who wrestle with God.

Thank you for reading this labor of love!

God bless and Amen!

Chapter One

Justice Denied!

The following is a document drafted to make known to various groups my plight. This notice and others explain what has been going on and were sent to various state and federal congressional leaders. It was also sent to the American Civil Liberties Union as well as other members of our so-called justice system. It has appeared on my Facebook page as well as my blog and Web site. With these documents I have tried to make my case as public as I can in order for as many people as possible to see the injustice that’s being done.

My first book, Behind the Glass, laid the groundwork in my legal case, hopefully developing my credibility as a Christian soldier and maybe even a writer. Mostly it was my desire to have that book launch this series of books designed to help the reader prepare for life in the quickly diminishing spiritual climate that exists around us.

I would like to use this particular document as a sort of review of what has transpired to this point. It is sort of a review for those who have not read my first book, Behind the Glass. Even if you have read it, let this chapter serve as a reminder of what’s been happening. In the next chapter I will begin where the first book left off: at the end of the trial.

Form Letter

Rev. Dr. Charles Mayson is a man who has been doing nothing else than trying to seek and do God’s will. In this endeavor, he has pastored and started churches, he has studied for and earned a doctorate degree, he has earned the respect and admiration of many people of faith. At the time he was dragged into this country’s legal system, he was pastoring a ministry designed to provide spiritual development to those in drug and alcohol recovery.

In July 22, 2008, a young girl with mental health problems, then fifteen years old, claimed that Rev. Mayson abused her in January 2005, then twelve, after a church service while she was supposedly cleaning up donuts and coffee in a Sunday School classroom of the church. She says that she bit him and ran out of the church yelling. She further claims that she never attended the church again. She claims she didn’t remember anything else. She claims she doesn’t remember what she was wearing, who was in the church, what she did with her soiled clothing. She had no idea who was in the church at the time or why Rev. Mayson out of the blue would decide to touch her inappropriately. She admits that he never showed her special attention, called her during the week, or singled her out for favors. She claims that, without any preemptive grooming and contrary to any behavior Rev. Mayson ever exhibited before, he walked into the room she was cleaning alone, with a church full of people, put his arm around her and assaulted her.

At the trial the girl could not remember any details of the alleged incident. Normally assault victims are able to recall the incident. They are able to describe with clarity this traumatic experience. Or the opposite is standard. They can remember nothing. They cannot verbalize or visualize even the smallest facts. This girl, however, wants her family, Child Protective Services, and the justice system to believe that her story with this selected memory is true. Even after waiting three years to tell of this alleged incident, her attempts at suicide, and her lengthy stay in a mental institution, the commonwealth attorney, with no evidence (physical, eye witnesses, DNA, doctor’s corroboration, or mental health professional opinions), decided that the story was believable and vigorously began to prosecute Rev. Mayson.

All of these allegations resulted in one thing. Despite being innocent, Rev. Mayson’s life has been turned upside-down. He was arrested on July 2008 on two felony counts, jailed until able to post bond until a week later. He has been in court twenty-two times. There have been three trials. The first two resulted in mistrials. The first was a mistrial because the judge failed to have alternate jurors available, so when one of the already seated jurors was disqualified, there were no others to put in place, resulting in a declared mistrial. The second attempt at a trial was declared a mistrial because of jury misconduct. The third trial was held in a different venue, stripping Rev. Mayson’s witness of their credibility. During that trial, three jurors fell asleep while defense witnesses were testifying. Additionally, the bailiff tried to radio the deputy who was supposed to be keeping an eye on the jurors to wake up the sleeping jurors—but the deputy was asleep too! How this case even went to a jury is difficult to understand; sadly, when it did they abdicated their responsibility.

After the commonwealth attorney and the defense rested their cases, and prior to the jury beginning deliberation, Charlie’s attorney asked the judge to dismiss the case because the burden of proof had not been met. The judge agreed that the burden was not met, but in his own words he did not know how to stop the trial. So because of his ignorance of the law, he decided to allow the jury to hear the case. The judge, the commonwealth attorney, and nearly everyone in the courtroom were shocked when the jury returned a guilty verdict forty-five minutes later.

This is a case of misguided justice from the moment that Charlie was arrested to the moment he was convicted. The entire justice system broke down. The judge knew that no real case existed. The commonwealth attorney knew that she had no case other than a young girl claiming to have been molested; the jury assumed that this girl had been molested and that someone should be punished. Rev. Mayson was there in front of them, and they decided he would bear the punishment. The jury was so undecided about their decision they sentenced Rev. Mayson to the minimum allowed by law: six years. Not the twenty years that seemed to be the norm for this kind of conviction.

In Virginia, the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is required in criminal cases. Burden of proof means that the prosecution—in this case, the state of Virginia—must present enough evidence to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the accused committed the crime. The sum of the state’s evidence was this girl’s testimony. They did not present any physical evidence or any witnesses that corroborated any part of the girl’s story including when she sold donuts and cleaned up the church. The commonwealth presented no forensic evidence proving that Charlie committed this crime or that any crime had even been committed. The commonwealth’s only other witness was the girl’s mother who contradicted her daughter’s testimony.

Rev. Mayson’s witnesses countered with the following: the downstairs area of the church has a huge picture window overlooking the parking lot that was highly traveled. She was not in an isolated, dimly lit; out-of-the-way room like she tried to portray the incident took place in. The donut/coffee cleanup was always completed prior to the church service, not afterward like the girl stated. The girl would never have been alone—her teacher or other kids would have been helping her. Witnesses said Rev. Mayson would not allow himself to be alone with minor children nor would the church be vacant while he was closing up after services. No witnesses remember her ever leaving the church running and yelling or under any kind of duress. One witness stated that she was always in the basement after church retrieving her grandchildren when and where the alleged abuse accrued. Another stated he always helped Rev. Mayson close up the church while the other members of the congregation waited.

This is a case of uncorroborated testimony given by a girl who had admitted to lying in the past, who during the trial admitted to withholding evidence in the preliminary hearing, whose testimony was refuted by her own mother, who presented no evidence but her word, who stated that the bus driver had molested her the first time she told her story after three years of silence.

This is a case of a jury abdicating its responsibility to be attentive to the witnesses (some slept), to refrain from coming to a conclusion until they were deliberating (two witnesses were talking about the trial during closing arguments), and to reach a guilty verdict because there was no reasonable doubt. What no reasonable doubt? Rev. Mayson had no criminal record and no evidence of anything like this kind of abhorrent behavior in his past. Rev. Mayson’s defense presented mature Christian witnesses swearing under oath that the events described by this girl could not have happened as she stated. Certainly there was reasonable doubt!

This is a case of a judge abdicating its responsibility to stop a trial because there was insufficient evidence to meet the burden of proof. This happened because of his lack of knowledge of the legal procedure and his failure to halt the trial until he had time to research the law before acting.

Those that know Rev. Mayson know that he is a man after God’s own heart and that he is without a shadow of a doubt innocent of these charges. Yet as it stands now, he awaits a judge’s decision whether to overturn the verdict, stay with the jury’s recommended sentence, or modify the judgment in some other way, all as a result of being accused of something he never did. What’s wrong with this picture? Justice Denied!

In the Old Testament Book of Job, Job, the main character, is visited by some of his friends. I have said it before and will say it again, they must have been preachers because they were long-winded, actually said nothing and were of no comfort. LOL! One of his friends did have something to say pertinent to the subject I am writing about. Job 12:5 says, He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt . . . Exactly, if in fact you do not think life will show up at your door, you are showing contempt for the forces of the world around you. You are sadly underestimating the desire Satan has to drag you away from doing the will of God.

The spiritual disciplines that are being suggested are not theological theory. They are tried and true, shaped by trial and error, sharpened and honed tools of faith. Whether you’re beginning the journey of faith or are ramping up your desire to utilize the kit of spiritual tools that God has laid at your feet, just do it. What have you got to lose? Oh yeah, it will cause you to get out of your comfort zone and begin to try something new, yep, its worth the effort, however. It will stretch you and cause you to rethink some of the crazy ideas you thought were sane and rational for so long. It will help you begin to place yourself in a position to be in the safety of God’s will. In that place, all things are possible!

There is no way I thought that day in December would end like it did. No way had I thought that it was God’s purpose for me to spend yet more time in jail as an innocent man. No way had I thought that my life would go so far afield from what I had currently been doing and planning.

Life showed up, and here I am. God does not owe us forgiveness nor does He owe us grace. We pray for grace and mercy, but like us God has free will and has perfect knowledge of our needs. He chooses to place us in situations or allow us to be drawn by Satan into situations that will ultimately either destroy us or make us better. That is our choice, Amen.

Being prepared is the obvious answer. I have said this before and will continue to say it so the point will be made clear. It is a given that life will show up; no real mystery there. It is a shame that some folks think that God’s job is to show mercy, forgive, and keep us from harm; that’s not true and certainly not biblical. He is the Author, Creator, and Sustainer of the universe. He has the right, the free will, to anything He desires with us. Original sin has caused the world we live in to be like it is. So to think that we are not going to be affected by it is like an ostrich to stick its head in the sand at the first sign of danger. The only thing that does is create a dead, headless bird.

My passion has become the equipping of people for the journey ahead of them. The logical destination is eternal life with Jesus in heaven. Most folks reading this book probably have already made that decision, so for the purpose of this book, the destination is not as important as how we travel through this life. Our personal spiritual growth is a must as well as our witness for God to the lost and dying world. We must begin to reach and touch those folks within the sphere of our influence so they too can be prepared when life shows up. So I share my story with you, not because I am all that proud of certain aspects of my life but because this could happen to you! You could befall a series of circumstances that are beyond your control. You too could be launched into a nightmare that never seems to end. You too can have your future become so opaque that living one day at a time is actually not a slogan but all you really and truly can do.

In the Book of Jeremiah 31:16, 17, he gives the people from the tribe of Judah, who are currently in captivity in Babylon, hope for restoration. He says, Thus says the Lord, restrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, declares the Lord. Jeremiah continues, There is hope for your future, declares the Lord. This has been my mantra and my belief as I continue down this very uncertain road. Come with me, let’s continue this journey together, and along the way develop or strengthen some spiritual disciplines so all of us will be ready when life shows up! Ready? Please continue. God will help us!

God bless and Amen!

Chapter Two

What? Guilty?

When I came back from being stationed in Germany as an Army Aviator, I was stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama, for the Aviation Officers Advanced Course. It was there that we were supposed to learn how to act like midlevel officers; most of us held the rank of captain at the time. We were to learn how to lead troops into battle and prepare for upcoming administrative assignments. Most of us were at a time in our young careers where we would be doing less and less of the line-pilot flying and more and more of administrative duties. Sadly, most of us would be leaving the flying to others soon.

During one of the classes in aviation brigade tactics, we had a particularly colorful instructor: a major that had been in the aviation branch for a while. It was obvious that he knew what he was talking about, unlike some of the other nuts that had been assigned to teach at that school. I do not remember everything he said, and some of what I do remember cannot be repeated in good company. Some, if repeated, would mean I would have to kill you. LOL!

This instructor told us, If you expect justice in an unjust world, you are terribly naïve!

He was speaking of rules of engagement and the treatment of prisoners of war at the time. As Americans, we had a higher moral standard to adhere to on the battlefield than other countries. One of my classmates stated that it did not seem just! Why should we be held to a higher standard? We are unfairly handicapping ourselves while the enemy has no such deterrent. All good logic but stated above was the major’s answer.

That statement stuck with me, obviously; it’s been twenty-five years since it was made. I was a young army officer, worldly and educated. Yet I still felt like, ultimately, the world was basically a just place and that life was fair! After all, the stuff I personally had been involved with, good or bad, seemed to work out fairly. When I had done wrong, I got punished. When I had done right, I was rewarded. When unjustly treated, the situation was corrected and an apology issued or compensation offered. Life just seemed to be fair for this young twenty-five-year-old person. Granted, I was not so naïve that I felt like life was always going to cosmically balance the debits and credits, good will always win, and only bad things happened to bad people. I will reveal more in the following chapters on this learning process. For now I will move on. Stay with me please.

For a statement like expecting justice in an unjust world to be said was senseless to me at the time. I believed that folks got what they deserved—survival of the fittest. Those who worked hard got good things, the lazy one got what they deserved. Willpower and discipline made the world go round, and practicing those character traits made life fair. Those who had nothing—hard luck, life problems—somehow deserved it.

I know, I know, sounds very dogmatic, opinionated, and selfish! Correct on all counts, guilty as charged, and yep, you caught me. That was me at twenty-five, sorry to say. My view of the world was naïve and extremely shallow. I, like many young folks, had a thinking that was narrow and very short sighted.

Do not blame my parents for this; obviously they taught me better. They tried to instill in me a since of fairness, compassion, and Christian charity. At twenty-five I was having none of it. I launched myself off into this radical way of thinking and allowed myself to be lulled asleep by my own denial. I was a product of extreme discipline and self will. It was this master of my own fate type of thinking that flowed through my veins, which helped me develop this hunter, gatherer, superiority mindset.

You will read later on in this volume more about the awakening that I began to experience not too long after this period in my life. It was not long before I began to open my eyes and see what had been around me all the time. The real world! Real hurt! Real injustice! Real bad things happening to good people! But not now; as promised, there will be more to share on some of those awakening experiences.

Jump ahead for now to a time where I am experiencing some spiritual growth. In the twelve-step process we say, "Sometimes quickly and sometimes slooowly," but in the progress we do not look for any type of perfection. In my Bible study, I began to notice the harsh, unjustified, and often brutal ways that my biblical heroes were treated. It was not just the heroes; good, hardworking common people were treated unjustly, and at times inhumane. If you look back through history, you can see good people martyred for what they believe in, all unjustly.

One of the most unjust stories in the Bible is chronicled at the end of the Book of Judges. During this period in the history of God’s people, the Israelites were prone to doing what they felt was "just in their own eyes. They had inhabited the land God promised them, the land flowing with milk and honey." The twelve tribes had basically divided up the country under the supervision of Joshua. The priestly line of Moses’s brother Aaron, a Levite, was charged by God to lead the people. After a few generations, the people drifted away from God and His carefully crafted plans and promises for them.

The time of the Judges was a time in which the people followed no leader or God’s instruction. It was their dark ages! God, in His mercy, rose up men and women at times to deliver His people from themselves; these folks were called Judges. Yet time and time again they would slip back into their evil ways, forgetting God and His provision for them. God would allow them to suffer for their choice and then eventually rise up a person to bring them back around. This cycle was repeated for hundreds of years. Eventually God would allow them to be like the surrounding nations and have a king to rule over them. But sadly for now there was little law and order.

It was during this time one of the most unjust events I have ever read about took place. In the Old Testament, Book of Judges 19:1-28, a story is told about the horrible degrading of a Levite’s concubine. A Levite is a person from the tribe of Levi, who was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. The whole group, the twelve tribes, was named after Jacob, who was later named Israel.

This incident turns my stomach; it is so bad it seems to me to be in bad taste to have included it in Holy Scripture, yet what do I know? A Levite was taken in as a visitor while traveling. The house he was staying in was soon descended upon by some ne’er-do-wells that wanted to have gay relations with the visiting Levite gentleman. This volume in no way wants to slam any lifestyle, but we all can agree that forcing your desires on someone else is wrong, correct?

The host attempted to reason with the mob of men and asked them to not violate the sanctity of his home and dishonor his guest in this way. The unruly mob would not be dissuaded and pressed for the Levite to be handed over to them for their carnal fun. The host offered his virgin daughters to the mob of men in place of the visiting Levite.

I have to stop here and say how equally repulsive this suggestion was. Earlier in the Bible, in the Book of Genesis, we see Lot, Abraham’s nephew, offered the same compromise using his daughters when a crowd came to dishonor his guest. What’s up with that sort of thinking? Brings new meaning to the phrase We’ve come a long way, baby, penned by the feminist movement. Anyway, the whole incident turns my stomach on several different levels.

The mob was so intent on having the Levite as their evening’s entertainment that they rejected the offer of the virgin girls and insisted upon the man. Now the story really gets repulsive: the Levite takes his concubine and throws her to the wolves, so to speak. He shoves her out the door, unprotected, to be ravaged by the crowd. The mob rapes and sexually tortures her until morning. She is found dead on the doorstep as the Levite leaves the house on his way to continue his travels. What?

Let me say again how disgusted this event makes me feel! Yet as an example of life’s unfairness, this story really tells the tale. This young girl had done nothing wrong. She had spent the night before with her family. Earlier that day, she had said good-bye to her parents, other family members, and friends. She was leaving and was traveling with her so-called protector and provider back to the home they shared.

I do not even want to start telling you what I think about the host and the Levite, but they were less than honorable and in my book deserved whatever the mob was intending to dish out. The girl was disposed of, and her life had no more value than to be used as a tool to stave off a threat to a man. What a waste! What a tragedy! What an example of unfairness in life! How it is possible that God would believe this is fair and just? Why would a loving God allow such a horrible event to take place? For crying out loud, these were members of His chosen people!

For crying out loud, read the Bible, right? Notice throughout its pages that God’s people are consistently found in situations that appear not to be fair. A good laundry list of those heroes is found in the New Testament Book of Hebrews. Hebrews 11:4-29 lists a few of our biblical heroes, and all of them at some time or another were in situations that seemed unfair. We will go back to those folks in another chapter, but for now know that we who suffer as Christians are not alone and are in good company.

Bad things happen to good people all the time! In Job 2:10 he tells his wife, Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity? Why should we as Christians be any different? Should we think of ourselves as special and above the norms of life? Should we believe that only positive events happen to those who believe in God? And so consequently, only negative things happen to those without God in their lives? We who profess to be law-abiding citizens of this great county, should we have no fear of false imprisonment and becoming victims of its judicial system? Life is just, and only the guilty go to jail and prisons, right? No way has someone gotten arrested on the word of one mentally ill child, right? In the words of my Advanced Course instructor, If we expect fairness in an unfair world, we are naïve!

All rise, the court is now back in session, cried the Clerk of Court.

Be seated, mumbled the judge.

Bailiff, please bring the jury back and seat them, requested the judge.

Has the jury reached a verdict? he asked.

The jury foreman stands and replies,