Do you believe in acim school? Do you believe in miracles in the 21st century? If you do believe, where’s the most unlikely place you would expect a miracle to occur? How about in a courtroom on Thursday, April 16, 2009 in Georgia?
The story of an unlikely miracle (but aren’t all miracles unlikely by definition) in an unlikely place is told by author Jackie Carpenter in The Bridge: Between Cell Block A and a Miracle is Psalm 91. This dramatic and intriguing story is not a whodunit because we know “whodunit” from the very beginning. Instead it is a courtroom drama over whether a man who accidentally shoots another will convicted of murder and a drama on whether God will deliver a miracle – on time!
Jackie Carpenter’s son, Jason, is a contractor who is building new homes and is losing thousands of dollars to copper thieves. While standing guard at a construction site one night he confronts intruders and kills one when his shotgun accidentally discharges. A deputy officer who had advised Jason to guard the site and make a citizen’s arrest realizes he gave bad advice and might be in trouble. So the deputy, in effect, makes it look like Jason killed in man in passion and Jason was charged with murder.
Jackie accidentally comes across a book on Psalm 91 in one of those inspirational book racks while getting a prescription filled at a drugstore. The result of reading the book, plus a discussion with her Sunday School teacher’s husband, leads Jackie into a daily reading of the Psalms. She finds comfort for herself, for Jason, and for family members. The discoveries in Psalms lead her to confront her doubts and strengthen her faith, and to begin praying for a miracle.
In The Bridge Carpenter writes “Ten long months we lived in the very pit of hell where Satan viciously attacked our family continuously, day after day after day after day. But at3:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, 1009 on the third floor courtroom of Coweta County Courthouse, the jury reached a decision. The judge announced, ‘The jury has reached a decision’ and to Jason ‘please rise.’ And God showed up!”
The story is not about a medical miracle but a spiritual miracle and, therefore, has many references to scripture, religious faith, and prayer. Those who don’t believe in spiritual miracles can relax nevertheless and enjoy the courtroom drama from beginning to end.
A key point in this book is that when bad things happen it’s better to trust God than to blame Him. The story also reveals that it is certainly possible to survive a tragedy without losing faith. And, more important, The Bridge clearly demonstrates that God still performs miracles in the 21st century.
