I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been very absorbed by the Casey Anthony case which is on every local channel 6 days a week, here in Daytona Beach, Florida.  I have heard all of the judgmental news commentaries.  I have been hearing about this case since it first began 3 years ago.  So, my question is this:  Why in the world is this case being heard by a Floridian jury?!  I mean, come on...one of our rights as US citizens is innocence until proven guilty by a jury.  This girl has already been tried for the last 3 years by every news network in the United States of America.  With technology and low-handedness being what it is today with the news media, how does one get a fair trial?  We thought that OJ Simpson was big news back in the 90's.....but this trial makes his trial look trivial.  Why?  Because it involves a child.  What bothers me though is that even when they thought that the Kaley was missing...not dead.....but missing....the news media had her mother listed as the number one suspect of first degree murder. 

I am not here to say that she is innocent in the long run.  But, I AM here to say that she is innocent for the short term until determined by her jury.  Being a citizen of this country has always allowed us the privilege of a fair trial in court with fair representation.  What has gone wrong?  The only common denominator that I can see is the news media.  Why did this case have to be SO publicized?!  I mean this poor family has had to endure not only the death of a grandchild, niece, and daughter, but also the grief that the public has inflicted on them as the direct result of the big mouthed media.  The public banged on their door to lynch a killer.  I don't care WHAT these individuals feel about this girl.  In my book, she is still innocent until the jury says otherwise.  AND, circumstantial evidence doesn't warrant the death penalty.  It is another chapter gone bad in these "United States" of America. 

I also wonder what will happen if she is found innocent of murder...will they give up on finding Kaley's murderer?  Will they still assume that Kasey did it even after she is found innocent?  I keep hearing that this is about Kaley and NOT about Casey.  Personally, I think that it is about their bond.  It is about their love.  The love of a mother and her child is on trial and I also think that like we look at our own mortality when another dies....we are looking at ourselves and are reflecting what we see in ourselves...our own insecurities.  I also say never say never.  I hear mothers saying how could a mother kill her own child?  Listen to what you are saying when you condemn Casey as you say that because she WAS this child's mother....how COULD she kill her child. Why do mothers kill their unborn children daily?  Why aren't they being judges as well?

You see, my heart broke when I heard about young Kaley.  My heart breaks every time that I hear about the death of any young or missing child.  I love children.  But, they are going after a mother over circumstantial evidence.....what about abortion?  Isn't that all circumstantial too?  No.  It isn't circumstantial.  It would be tried as first degree murder in the court of law because it is contemplated.  So, now it appears that I am I running down women who have an abortion.  Again...no.  But, if we as a nation are not allowed to try mothers who abort their children with INTENT....how can we throw the first stone at this mother Casey Anthony?  Who are we to judge?

My mind settled in on an image of Jesus stooped over drawing in the sand.  Ministers have often said that He was drawing the names and sins of those around him who wanted to stone a woman who was an adulterer.  So, at this point in time, I don't want to condemn this young lady who obviously made a ton of mistakes.  For all that I know, He might be stooped down there, writing my name in that sand alongside hers.  Judgement day is close at hand.  I have enough to worry about without condemning this young mother before looking into my own mistakes.  After all, in the Eyes of God....a sin has no measurement of one being bigger than another.  Sin is sin.  Lying = Murder.  Lust = Stealing.  Covetousness = Idol Worship.   Which of these have we committed? Everyone sins...and it is akin to murder in God's Eyes.  We covet what everybody else has....a husband, a bigger and better car or house.  Can you say that you have never lied?  We have all lied at one time or another.  White lies are lies so that we don't hurt someone's feelings.  We have murdered.  I will be the first to say that if there is a mosquito in the house...I contemplate how to murder it.  Oh...it's JUST a mosquito?  God loves ALL of HIS creation....nut JUST humans.  So, I think that we need to let the courts do their barbaric work and make a decision.

Now, you are probably asking "Barbaric?"  Yes, I feel that the courts are barbaric.  They follow the Old Testament of an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth while the New Testament focuses on the teachings of Jesus.  When He died on the cross and rose from the dead, He took away the slaughtering rules of the 10 commandments. We are supposed to love everyone as we would want to be loved.  We are supposed to place ourselves in the victim's shoes and walk a mile with their life so that we can see through their eyes.  We are supposed to love even our enemies. We are supposed to forgive and forgive and forgive and forgive 7 X 70 times....again and again.  And you know what?  WE can't do any of this.  We are incapable to doing any of this....on our own.  It is through the acceptance of Jesus in our lives that we learn to do any of this...with the help of the Holy Spirit.  It is the Holy Spirit Who guides us in this area. 

But we as a country, are what we are and I still love this country.  But, just as the church is not the building...but the people who make up the worship,attitudes, and energy of that church....we as a country are not just a large piece of land with a strong military base....we are worship, attitudes,and energy as well.  One day, we will not only be judged by God Almighty as individuals....but also as countries.  What do we, as the country of the United Stated of America, look like through His Eyes?  And as Jesus wrote in the sand 2,000 years ago, was my name...or your name...or your country's name....written in the sand? 

Lets' hope that when we sin, that the media won't be parked outside of our homes badgering us and trying us before we have had a fair trial before our God.  I sure wouldn't want Him to take their word for anything. I would want Him to listen to my story....even my lies.....and give me a chance to repent before Him...before He listened to a prejudiced jury. 

Yes, I like watching the news to know what is happening in the world...but sometimes they just don't know when to quit...to show compassion....to look at what Jesus is writing in the sand.  ABC....NBC.....CBS....FOX?  Maybe THAT is what He was writing.  Only time will tell.