Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Just up at the Huffington Post...
Up on the religion page now is a story I have been holding in my pocket a long time, and think about every advent.
I hope you enjoy it; please comment either here or over on HuffPo (where, judging by the comments, most of my readers are hostile atheists).
Comments:
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I'm willing to bet the Judge had a decent ice scraper in his car and was not reduced to using a credit card.
Oh, IPLG, Pickles may have been right about you.
If you can't open the car door, how do you get the ice scraper out? That's how you end up using a credit card.
If you can't open the car door, how do you get the ice scraper out? That's how you end up using a credit card.
Remote start? let it warm up before youeven get out ther? Or park it inthe garage if youhave room? But I know... Still a pian. I am never going back to the Snow
What has happened to us shapes so much of what we do. Your story makes me wonder if that judge had been in a similar situation at some point in his life (not having been arrested, but having been in an unfamiliar place without comfort or a necessity). Perhaps someone gave him a coat (or the comfort/necessity) when he needed it; he may have seen himself in the defendant and did what someone did for him. Or perhaps the opposite happened: someone didn't give him what he needed and he still saw himself in the defendant and did what that person did not do for him. It seems like a very human act.
# posted by 
: 8:24 AM
: 8:24 AM
Great story. So many parts of it to reflect on; the kindness of the magistrate, the reflexive cynacism of others. The question that I keep coming back to is the impact that it had on that young man, though. What ripple effect did that single act have on his life, or the lives of others he ultimately touched. Maybe it was significant; maybe it had none at all. Either way, though, that does not change the beauty of the act itself. Thanks for sharing.
# posted by : 10:48 AM
: 10:48 AM
I will comment here, because Arianna Huffington gives me gas, even though I am at best ambivalently agnostic on the question of divinity.
I would probably have reacted like many of your coworkers; the judge's actions are impartial, however kind or just or Christian they are. I assume you probably had a good reason to insist on a high bond/no bond, so the prosecutor in me says, "he should've stayed in jail."
But the person in me thinks it's great he didn't freeze, and hopefully, a little kindness pushed him down the road to recovery and lawfulness.
I would probably have reacted like many of your coworkers; the judge's actions are impartial, however kind or just or Christian they are. I assume you probably had a good reason to insist on a high bond/no bond, so the prosecutor in me says, "he should've stayed in jail."
But the person in me thinks it's great he didn't freeze, and hopefully, a little kindness pushed him down the road to recovery and lawfulness.
{sigh}
IPLG-- The judge DIDN'T HAVE HIS OVERCOAT, remember?
Are you working on an important water leak or something?
IPLG-- The judge DIDN'T HAVE HIS OVERCOAT, remember?
Are you working on an important water leak or something?
Oh. Never mind.
But he had a law clerk didn't he? Isn't warming up the Judge's car something you used to do when you clerked?
But he had a law clerk didn't he? Isn't warming up the Judge's car something you used to do when you clerked?
No. No, you don't have law clerks warm up your car. It's not like being partner in some hoity-toity Pennsylvania Ave. law firm!
Though I do appreciate when you have that nice associate go warm up the car for us.
Though I do appreciate when you have that nice associate go warm up the car for us.
If only we could all live by the Golden Rule...
"Do onto others as we would have them do unto us."
Our world would be a better place. No one would question why he gave the young man his coat... there was a need.
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"Do onto others as we would have them do unto us."
Our world would be a better place. No one would question why he gave the young man his coat... there was a need.
# posted by : 10:02 PM
: 10:02 PM << Home
