Monday, July 15, 2013

Verdict: Not Guilty

It is interesting how the delivery of a verdict causes people to react. The verdict of Not Guilty apparently does not equate to innocence, although the American legal system works on a stated presumption that the accused is innocent until proven guilty. The reality is that, before the case is ever started, innocence or guilt are already presumed based on opinion; without all of the facts, which could not possibly be known until the case has been presented.
 
What does it take to be truly innocent when the verdict of Not Guilty is not enough to expunge your record? The accusation will hang over your head until you die, you will never be able to escape in this life.
 
This is the same predicament of the "sinner". The accusation stays haunting them for the rest of their life.

Please note, that I purposely tilted this to discuss the predominant viewpoint which surrounds me in regards to the verdict for George Zimmerman. There is much to comment on about all the viewpoints, and please don't confuse this as indicative of my opinion with the trial.

My only wish is to show how this dissatisfaction with the negative response to the Not Guilty verdict correlates to the concept of being a "sinner saved by grace".

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Hello, again!

It has been a while. Where to start? Yeah, hard to start over, hard to go back to where you were. At times like these, it is just time to pick up where you are.
 
I am in Afghanistan. Again.
 
What is different is that I have had to say something that is the hardest thing I have ever had to say. I had to tell someone that a friend was dead. So thankful that I wasn't telling his wife. I was barely able to maintain composure as it was, and that didn't last beyond making it to my room. At the moment, I had been still subconsciously struggling to come to grips with the reality. I had thought it was another pilot in another aircraft.
 
It didn't help that my first flight afterwards, I thought I heard his voice on the radio. Just my memories playing tricks on me in my head. It doesn't just affect me this way, it affects many of us who knew him. He was one of those guys, even if you didn't like him, you liked him.
 
Where is faith in this? Odd question, because it seems to suppose that faith should shield me from this, from life happening around me. I haven't tried to use faith in that way in a long time.