Romans 12:18-21 - Overcome Evil with Good
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Lewis Conway, known on the streets as Doonie, was a twenty one year old kid locked up near Austin, Texas, at the Travis County Correctional Complex for murder, and Cheesy was a seasoned veteran in terms of incarceration.
Cheesy was also the Uncle of the young man Doonie had been convicted of killing in an altercation over drugs and money. As Murphy’s Law would have it, Doonie and Cheesy would cross paths in the most dangerous place behind walls — the chow hall.
Doonie was in line to put his tray in the scullery hole, which is a repository for dirty dishes to be washed. Standing beside a trash can, leaning on a mop was an older man rolling a cigarette.
As Cheesy rolled his cigarette, Doonie came up next to empty his tray in the trash. Without looking up from the cigarette, “Yo’ name Doonie, ain’t it?”
Surprised at being recognized by the older man, Doonie hesitated. He repeated himself, “They call you Doonie don’t they?” Before Doonie could respond, “Yo’ Daddy run them projects on the East Side, right?”
Doonie answered, “Yeah. That’s what they call me. Who you?” He leaned over his mop and said, “My name Cheesy. You killed my oldest nephew, and he was like a son to me.”
Stunned, Doonie began to apologize, but Cheesy put his hand up, lit his cigarette, gathered himself and mopped his way down the hallway in the opposite direction. The tension was thick, rank with fear, and anticipated bloodshed. Associates of Doonie began to file past him as the guard yelled and ordered everyone back to the cell block.
Later that night Doonie would pray like he had never prayed before. In the short time he had been incarcerated, Doonie and a few others had formed a close-knit Bible study group. That group had become a type of brotherhood which allowed others to escape gang association and being preyed upon. For the next two weeks those brothers assured Doonie that it was a one-off incident and even though Cheesy was a trustee, the chance of seeing him again was tantamount to none.
And for a while that was fine, but for Doonie, it wasn’t just running into Cheesy again, it was sitting in the space of having killed someone and dealing with the traumatic stress of that.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
we cannot force peace on those bent on conflict - we cannot control the opposition
make sure it’s not our lack of trying
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
we have been hurt but God will vindicate his children
leave room, place in his hands
for now, later, and at the judgment seat
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
remember the imprecatory psalms where we cast our disparity and calamity into the hands of Almighty God to justify in his wrath and in his time.
transition - we are freed to do the unexpected of Romans 5:8
To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
good works
judgment poured out like burning, fiery coals
shame by good deeds done brought to repentance
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good
two fold
evil done to us
evil in us brought out in our bitter response of revenge.
Remember those who overcome are blessed in Revelation 2-3
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
As Murphy’s Law would have it, there was an overcrowding of the county jail in Travis County in the summer of 1992. That overcrowding had a trickle down effect on the local level, by incarcerating folks that would normally be released on bail or held for 72 hours. Doonie was oblivious to the legislative side of the overcrowding, he just knew that they were being forced to eat in an overflow area and not the main chow hall.
The overflow area was a makeshift chow hall with elementary school styled cafeteria seating.
As Doonie and the other men sat on the children’s table, they began the most important ritual of one’s life in prison — eating. Eating is almost a contact sport in prison, no motion is wasted and not a crumb is missed. So, it’s not a surprise that Cheesy was able to sit down in front of Doonie as he ate, and Doonie being oblivious. The only signaling of something awry came from the other men around Doonie who had stopped eating.
Nothing, or very little will stop someone from eating in prison. Doonie looked to his left and then to his right, but the other men were looking ahead. Doonie turned his gaze to the front and it landed on the countenance of the face that had crowded his dreams for weeks.
As he had practiced for weeks, Doonie went to apologize and tell Cheesy how sorry he was. Cheesy stopped him before he could start. “I already forgave you man. I forgave you two years ago when it happened, he said. “I know had I been home and not locked up, Derrick would have never been involved with the stuff ya’ll was doin’.” Cheesy reached out to Doonie, took his hand and shook it. “You finna go do some time and if you need anything, you contact me first.” Every man at the table sat with mouths agape and sporks in mid-air, it was a rare and unusual scene to witness, let alone be a part of.
Application in the words of Doonie
Doonie was the name I used before I went to prison and the name folks from my youth know me by.
The upshot of the story is: the uncle of the man I killed showed me a measure of compassion, in a place of no compassion.
My life was changed by a modicum of compassion from someone I had deeply harmed and indelibly impacted.
That modicum of compassion has allowed me to reach back into the same cages to give men and women hope. Hope that there is something beyond incarceration, even if it means carrying the burden of your past as a scarlet letter. I was given compassion in an environment where compassion will lead to you being preyed upon at best and killed at worst. I have been able to transform compassion into advocacy for folks on both sides of the incarceration equation.
Compassion led me to the offices of legislators in Texas to fight for Fair Chance Hiring and the right for folks with felony convictions to vote while on parole or incarcerated.
That compassion led me to becoming the first formerly incarcerated person in Texas to run for office and have their name on an electoral ballot.
Cheesy gave me the freedom not to be the worst day of my life, for the rest of my life, by giving me something that didn’t require a cost/benefit analysis. He made a decision based on his lived experience, that enough was enough. He understood that punishing me wasn’t going to heal him, his family, or our community. He had the foresight to recognize a sense of worth in me, that I hadn’t even begun to see a flicker of.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
the natural path is to seek our pound of flesh, but so often we take even more because human revenge does not quench the hurt, anguish, or loss. To play the victim is falling into the conformity of this world. Rather we are to be transformed, conquerors, victorious in Christ, living in his merciful, compassionate, gracious, forgiving, and loving image.