Sin, Repentance and Pleas for Help

There was a news report recently about a gunman in Indianapolis who, upon seeing the tears and crying out for God of the clerk who he was holding up, stopped for 10 minutes to pray with the same clerk before running off with the clerk's cell phone and $20. In his short, uh, prayer request time with the clerk, he shared that he had a 2-year old child and asked for prayers so that he could overcome his hardships.

I had a number of different reactions to this. I was relieved that in the end, nobody was physically harmed. I predictably found that the whole episode was amusing - almost funny. I also felt sadness and dare I say it, sympathy for a man who cared enough to pray, but apparently felt desperate enough to turn to crime to overcome whatever problems he was facing.

What caused him to pray? Was it repentance? Was it a compassionate act to assure the clerk that he didn't plan on killing him? Perhaps a deep down knowledge that was he was doing was wrong - and a chance to ask God to enlighten him about a better way to get out of whatever mess he was in?

In some ways, maybe we're not that different. We all may not rob convenience stores, but who can truly say that they never take moral detours and shortcuts in a desperate attempt to force an outcome that we think we absolutely need to have? And perhaps we've even repented for such moral failures and have asked God for deliverance - and the vision and courage to walk accordingly.

Redemption for this gunman was so close - he was right to get on his knees and plead for help - but ultimately gave in to finish the crime, taking the phone and the $20 from the cash register. So close - yet so far. Hopefully all of us, including the gunman, will find that courage each day to seek righteousness and turn away from mistakes we've already made.