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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodist News |
July 2001 |
McVeigh Execution: Witnessing America
By Matthew S. Carlisle
Hoosier UM News Staff Writer
KOKOMO, Ind. -- On June 10, I saw America. I witnessed an America that the likes of Charles Kuralt, Garrison Keiller and Jack Keroac spent their lives chronicling.
In a time when the face of Timothy McVeigh blankets the front pages of every newspaper, 75 United Methodists and Christian friends gathered on the steps of the courthouse in Kokomo, Ind., to speak of peace.
Drive northwest of Terre Haute for about 90 minutes and you will eventually enter Kokomo. Like most Midwestern towns, the heart of Kokomo is found in the town square, where four-way stops slow neighbors down long enough to give a passerby a two-finger wave from the steering wheel.
On the eve of Timothy McVeigh's execution, members of Grace United Methodist Church gathered for a service of reconciliation.
"In a very violent and hateful country, we can come and make a statement on a Sunday evening. This is a witness!" proclaimed the Rev. Gary Forbes, senior pastor of Grace UMC. Forbes challenged those in attendance " … leave tonight saying 'no more violence.' I will do something! … the future (happiness) of your children and grandchildren will be due to a night in June."
With the lyrics of We Shall Overcome echoing off nearby buildings, song leader Lloyd Swartzendruber left the crowd with a simple reminder, "There is no one here who's above having hatred in their heart. . what turns our hope into reality is our love of Jesus Christ."
Invoking a scene from Fiddler on the Roof, Kokomo District Superintendent David Schramm recalled this line of dialogue, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. If we acted that way, the world would be blind and toothless." Schramm reminded those in attendance that there are times when we want to rise up and strike back in defiance." Unlike McVeigh who thought he was "rising up" for the Branch Davidians, we must find another outlet or way to release our anger.
In the often-overshadowed communities like Kokomo or Terre Haute, you find the casualties of senseless violence. It's people like Gail Chandler, who was brave enough to stand in the town square and tell her faith story. Returning a few weeks ago to her childhood home, Gail was once again faced with the memory of the murder of her mother. Teary-eyed, she learned to "lay the stones at His feet."
Charlene Wall was in attendance. While at work on the morning of the bombing, Charlene felt and heard the force of the blast ten miles away. Now living in Kokomo, she is still dealing with the effects.
Nineteen-year-old Bryan Bowen of nearby Russiaville read about the service of reconciliation from the local newspaper. "I felt like I had to be here." A victim of violence himself, Bryan is now a strong proponent of non-violence.
A flame was passed from one white candle to another; slowly a circle of hope was created. For 45 minutes on a Sunday evening I witnessed the America I had read about. As I pulled away from the last four-way stop, I wondered if CNN had reserved a hotel room in Terre Haute for the federal execution of Juan Garza on June 19.
Last updated on 01/14/2004