"If you don't--if a person doesn't think that there is a God to be accountable to, then--then what's--what's the point of--of trying to modify your behavior to keep it within acceptable ranges? That's how I thought anyway. I always believed the theory of evolution as truth, that we all just came from the slime. When we--when we died, you know, that was it, there is nothing, and I've since come to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is truly God, and I believe that I, as well as everyone else, will be accountable to him." - quoting Jeffery Dahmer, found on his Wikipedia page.
I was watching a National Geographic documentary about the science of evil today and they interviewed the pastor who baptized him. This is utterly fascinating to me. My mind wanders in a couple of directions. Could this be a litmus test of sorts as to the depth and sincerity of one's faith? Do you believe that God's grace is big enough for Jeffery Dhamer, mass murderer and cannibal? Can you look forward to an eternity standing beside this man? The pastor said that half of his congregation left his church when word came out. What would the church look like if a statement of faith included something along the lines of "I believe that God loves Jeffery Dhamer and the blood of Christ covers even his sins." Who would stay? Who would leave? Is the church teaching this kind of radical grace?
I imagine this thought conjures up a myriad of emotion. For me, I felt myself conflicted with praise of a good and gracious God and disdain for a reality that is disturbing and frustrating. I considered the victim's families. I pondered what happened in Heaven. Of course this opens the debate about law and accountability. But before we allow ourselves to build a wall made of logistics around the raw emotions, take time to stand in awe of the depth of God's grace.
Soundtrack: Amazing Grace
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