I got the dreaded jury summons. I prayed, “God, if I’m supposed to be on this jury, make it so, if not, please allow me to be excused”.
I was put on a murder case! I knew it would be intense. There were two videos of the act. One an eyewitness phone video, the other was security footage from the front of a business. It’s rare to have such footage of a crime, let alone two.
As we deliberated, I prayed again for wisdom and direction. It turned out there were three other Christian jurors. After five days of deliberations, we were deadlocked 10 to 2. We told the judge and were ultimately thanked and dismissed. Why was I on this jury? What was the point of it? I don’t know, but I am confident that it was God’s will for me to be there.
It is never wrong to do our civic duty, particularly as a believer. We carry the very presence of Jesus with us wherever we go. Maybe the point was simple obedience, or maybe it was just to have this encounter with others to allow Jesus to shine through. Whatever the case, I am changed from the process. Maybe that was the point all along.