Trial by Jury

I've never served on a jury. I've had to report for jury selection several times, including once for federal court, but I've never been chosen to serve. Most of the times, the jury was chosen before my number was called. Once, I was dismissed because my mom had recently passed away, and I was in tears throughout the entire selection process. I'm certain that the judge was concerned for my mental state and allowed me to step down.

Each time, as I sat and listened and observed the questioning process for the potential jurors, I couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to be on trial for committing a crime. I cannot imagine the emotional upheaval that would be involved, especially if the accused was innocent and on trial for a serious enough crime that could destroy the remainder of his or her life.

Recently, I've experienced both acceptance and judgment in my life, and both outcomes have given me pause for deep contemplation concerning how we as humans are inclined to do life together. More often than not, we categorize and label our fellow man or woman according to a multitude of criteria ... skin color, profession, size of bank account, parent or non parent, married or single, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, and the list goes on and on.

Ultimately, when the layers are peeled back to reveal the core of who I truly am, none of the categorizations or labels even matter in the end. It is of no consequence how I am accepted or judged by a jury of my peers, but only how I am viewed in the eyes of God.