I first heard of the book, Just Mercy, when my mother in law was reading it while in town. She told me a little bit about it and I thought that it sounded interesting, but depressing. I wasn’t sure if I was up for reading a heavy book and I quickly forgot about it.
Fast forward a few months where I was looking up something on my phone and I saw an advertisement for the movie trailer to Just Mercy. I thought the name sounded familiar and watched the trailer. While watching it I was mesmerized. I recognized that it was the movie based on the book my MIL was reading. I couldn’t get it out of my head and decided I had to read the book!
This book was eye opening to me in so many ways! I knew that racial profiling was a problem in the South but I had no idea that it was carried out in our judicial court system and especially in my lifetime!
This book also completely shifted the way I thought about death row. To be honest, before this book, I hadn’t thought much about whether I was pro or against capital punishment. I now know that I am 100% against it.
I found the author, Bryan Stevenson, to be a very inspiring person. I marveled at his level of grit and how he continually persevered despite all the roadblocks that he came to throughout his career. He befriended those that are some of the lowliest in our society and reminded us all that “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”
A few months later I saw a short interview clip with Oprah and Ray Hinton. I recognized Ray’s name from Bryan Stevenson’s book and was excited to learn that he had written a book. Ray served 30 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. During the interview I was shocked to see a joyful and optimistic person and knew I had to read his book.
Ray’s book was inspiring. He had his share of moments of doubt and depression but when he trusted in God he became in instrument in God’s hands for good.
Some quotes that I enjoyed are:
“It was a revelation to realize that I wasn’t the only man on death row. I was born with the same gift from God we are all born with –the impulse to reach out and lesson the suffering of another human being. It was a gift, and we each had a choice whether to use this gift or not.”
“And sometimes I think….that this is just the life I was meant to live. I’ve made a home here and a family out of some of the most terrifying men you’d ever meet. And you know what I’ve learned? We’re all the same. We’re all guilty of something, and we’re all innocent at the same time. And I’m sorry, but a man can go crazy trying to make it all fit into some plan. Maybe this is the plan. Maybe I was born to live most of my life in a five-by-seven.”
These books both left me with so much to think about and consider. I found Just Mercy to be a little heavy at times and the Sun Does Shine to be lighter. I read both in just a few days and couldn’t put either of them down. Thank you Bryan Stevenson and Ray Hinton for taking me to places I’ve never been and forever altering some of my life’s perceptions.
