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Jesus wept (John 11;35). Doug , a follower of Jesus, wept (HFP blog essay 11/17/25).

I don’t weep much. My therapist friend labels that condition with a highfalutin title. It’s something I’m not proud of. I place a good share of the blame on the fact that I was a small-town news reporter for nearly 30 years. I’ve seen too much, heard too much, experienced too much. You get the idea.  Having made that confession I admit that, on rare occasion, tears do stream down my cheeks. And, each time it surprises me!. That seldom happens over the usual sad experiences like death or tragedy. Instead, it can occur over something very unexpected and very simple, such as a musician's interpretation of a piece of music or the lyrics in a favorite old hymn: “My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more…” That one will do it almost every time as I sit on the organ bench accompanying the congregation.   Well, let me tell you about my experience in the past week when I met Simon Latch. You wouldn’...
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Prosecutor Smietanka: First a despised enemy...later a beloved friend!

  My friend John Smietanka died the other day. He was 84.   As usual, the published obituary covered a lot of material…his many accomplishments as a lawyer, his important positions as a public servant, his many awards and citations, along with the usual data about family, survivors, career, church membership, date and time of memorial service, etc. He was an amazing individual with a ton of credits and accomplishments in his lifetime, including an annual pilgrimage to the Czech Republic each year to teach young law students!   But, obits don’t tell stories. So, as an old newsman, I’d like to share a few.   While serving as the U.S. District Attorney in the Western District of Michigan he handled the disappearance of West German freight ship captain Fredrich Helling in Lake Michigan. Another case involved an investigation into sales of diluted orange juice. Then there was the highly publicized major Chicago gang prosecution which fell apart amid accusations of...
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Who to help those behind bars? A parable

The scene is in heaven, and St. Leonard is patiently waiting at the door of our Lord for a private discussion. Not many people know about St Leonard, but he’s well known in celestial circles, especially among those who have spent time behind bars while on earth. St. Leonard is the Patron of Prisoners, Captives, and Slaves.   Back to the story.   When finally granted an audience with the Heavenly Father, St. Leonard came right to the point. “What’s this I hear about your plans to start a little agency to help prisoners in a little town in Michigan?”   “Yes,” said God. “ The idea of simply helping prisoners with their day-to-day problems has been on my mind for some time. We have wonderful agencies and servants providing Bibles to prisoners, offering Bible lessons, making prison visits, and doing all kinds of things for our cause. But, I’m thinking of something much smaller. As you know, our prisons are full of men and women who aren’t getting appropriate medical care...
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Thou shalt not kill

I see an Oklahoma headline like this in the Huff Post and it just fries me!   His Brother Admitted to a Murder. He Is Set to Be Executed for It.   Readers of this blog site are aware of how strongly I oppose the death penalty. Before I get into some of my reasons, once again, I’d like to share some information with you. As of November 1, 2025, executioners in the United States have been the busiest they have been in over a decade.   - The U.S. has carried out 40 executions so far this year. -This figure is the highest since 2012, when 43 people were executed. -October was the busiest month for executions since May 2011, with 7 executions. - The number of executions is up significantly from the 25 carried out in all of 2024. - At least six more executions are scheduled before the end of the year. BUT - The murder rate in non-death penalty states has remained consistently lower than the rate in states with the death penalty, and the gap has grown since...
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Words of comfort following the loss of Maurice Carter

October 25, 2004---the day my brother Maurice Carter died. He was only 60 years of age and had spent nearly half of his life in prison for a crime he did not commit. Our decade-long battle against the system was over. Maurice, having been finally released for medical reasons, survived in freedom for only three months.   I was numb. Then the personal messages started arriving. I share a sampling of meaningful notes that buoyed me during that time of sadness.   From that wonderful Pam Cytrynbaum, then with Medill Innocence Project, one of the moving forces in our fight for justice:   Oh God. Oh God. Here’s the hug I can offer. It comes in the words of Sister Helen Prejean, a friend of us all, and, magically, a friend to me while I was in New Orleans covering death penalty cases for the local newspaper. I was covering the grotesque trial of an innocent man, Vernon Williams. The night after he was (inevitably) convicted, I sobbed to Sister Helen. “What can I do? I fai...
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Sweet freedom!

As we observe the anniversary of Maurice Carter’s death in 2004, I’d like to share the HFP blog page today with former Grand Rapids Press Religion Editor Charley Honey. He and two others from the Press visited Maurice at a nursing home in Lamont, Michigan shortly before he died. I treasure this piece, and share it with you in memory of my brother. Maurice Carter knows 'It's so great to be free' Publication date:  8/21/2004, GRAND RAPIDS PRESS Byline:  Charles Honey / Press Religion Editor   This week, I had the privilege of meeting a man convicted of trying to kill someone. His name is Maurice Carter. He has gentle eyes, a warm hug and a soft smile that glows with gratitude. In this thin, ailing man, I saw a presence of grace that I have not witnessed in a very long time. "I know this God is for real," Carter said quietly, sitting in the lobby of an area nursing home. "He's just answered my prayers. That's what keeps me going....
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He ain’t heavy, mister…

I remember paging through a magazine as a little guy in the 1940s, and seeing the image of an older boy carrying a younger boy on his back. The caption read, “He ain’t heavy, mister… he’s my brother.” I never forgot it.   Maurice Carter died exactly 21 years ago this week. I called him my brother.   It all began in the mid-90s when I was introduced to this Michigan prisoner. Maurice, of Gary Indiana, was serving a life sentence on charges of assault with intent to commit murder. His claims of innocence in a Benton Harbor shooting case intrigued me. For the next month or two, he and I chatted, sometimes by telephone, sometimes in prison. It didn’t take long for this old reporter to realize that the Maurice Carter case not only had a serious odor…it reeked!   So, I agreed to partner with him to assist in proving his claims and obtaining his freedom. That was a huge victory for Maurice. His support group suddenly doubled. Instead of just Maurice, now it was Maurice and...
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