More about The Bethlehem Center and how Gloria invited me to join her for a movie...
Gloria at The Bethlehem Center loved the idea of having her Seniors involved in writing cards to inmates. She added after we'd checked our calendars and made a plan for when to start.
“It's funny that your idea is about serving those in prison. You see, this Saturday, my sorority is holding a private screening of a new movie called 'Just Mercy.' Have you heard of it?” I hadn’t. She was so excited, that even though she was now late to her next appointment she took the time to pull up the trailer. It is a new movie set in the 1980’s about death row inmates who had not had a fair trial. And how a young black lawyer from Maryland began a non-profit practice to advocate for them.
Saturday afternoon, three days after I had the conversation with Gloria about having her Seniors involved in writing cards to inmates I left to meet Gloria at the movie theater.
Before I started driving, I had that same kind of inner prompting that had sent me to go see Gloria earlier in the week:
“Pull up that TED Talk you had seen posted on Facebook. You know, the one from 2012 on Justice. Listen to that as you drive.”
So I did. It turned out is was about CRIMINAL justice, and it was a compelling talk by a lawyer named Bryan Stevenson.
“I’ll be listening to this again.” I thought to myself. "I have so much to learn."
Thirty minutes later I’m sitting in the movie theatre with Gloria and her sorority friends. As the story unfolded I began thinking “How strange! These are similar issues as that seven year old TED talk I just listened to!”
And then somone in the movie called the young lawyer by his name: Bryan.
The hair stood up on my arms.
"Dear Lord! You are unbelievable! Just Mercy is the movie based on how Bryan Stephenson began his work!" It was a remarkable, world view shifting day for me opening my eyes and heart much wider to issues about injustice. I went home and watched every other TED Talk I could find on the topic.
That was the first eleven days of this year!
There's more. but that's enough for today.
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