Life’s Injustice is No Match for God

Today’s reading: Romans 8:31-39

I saw the beautiful site of another “Free Hanna” bumper sticker this morning, so today’s reading brings Hannah Overton to mind yet again.

Hanna  remains in prison on a life-sentence, accused of murdering the son she and her husband adopted. Though she was tried and sentenced in 2007, many news stories have reported flaws in the way the case was presented to her jury, (this is the best of the bunch, in my opinion). Her guilt is very questionable  — to say the least.

But last fall, a Corpus Christi judge ruled against Hanna’s appeal. It’s unclear what will happen next, so I check freehannah.com frequently for updates. The latest news: Hannah simply waits, very patiently, in her cell.

I keep Hanna and her family on my prayer list. My friends and family know that her story has caused me much concern, and it comes to mind every time I see a piece of scripture like today’s reading:

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Verses 38-39)

In the various interviews I’ve read from Hannah, I’ve been deeply inspired by her strength. She has calmly maintained her innocence from the beginning — (even hurting herself legally by refusing her lawyer’s frantic advice plea guilty to lesser charges). And I read in her no anger or malice toward any official responsible for her sentence. I sense from her only the most graceful forgiveness I have ever witnessed. It’s clear she has truly learned the glorious lesson of The Cross: “Father forgiven them for they know not what they do.”

But yet another hero of this story is Hannah’s husband Larry.

This comes from an article written last fall by ABC news reporter Juju Change who has been corresponding with Hannah in prison through the years.

“When (Hannah) first arrived, the prison guards predicted that her husband, Larry, would slowly stop visiting and eventually divorce her within a year. Five years later, they all know him by name because he drives 300 miles every weekend — after being a single father of five all week long — to visit the woman he first fell in love with when they were teens.”

Amazing.

This brings to mind some wise advice I’ve heard from one of my favorite radio personalities Dave Ramsey.

“All men who have been married less than 10 years need to find an older man who is celebrating his 30th wedding anniversary and take him to lunch. You need to make that man your role model. Ask him how he did it and take plenty of notes.  Then just go out and do the same things he did.”

Well, I say Amen to that, of course. (And I have indeed taken that advice several times!) But today I also add two sentences to what Mr. Ramsey said:

Larry Overton is a giant among husbands! All men should study his resolve and remain always ready to follow his blessed example.

Thanks be to God for turning the tragedy of Hannah Overton’s conviction into one of history’s best, most inspiring, examples of Christian faith — and of how Christians are supposed to support one another in a crisis.  May I (and we) always find the strength to behave with similar grace throughout my own life’s trials.