Give thanks

Have you heard the tragic yet inspirational story of Anthony Ray Hinton? Though innocent, he was convicted of the 1985 murders of John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vason during armed robberies at the fast-food restaurants they managed in Birmingham, Ala.

A survivor of a third restaurant robbery identified Hinton from a photo lineup. According to Wikipedia, shortly after his arrest, Detective Doug Acker told the scared young man, “I don’t care whether you did or didn’t do it… But it doesn’t matter… you’re going to take the rap.” He continued, “I can give you five reasons why they are going to convict you. Number one, you’re black. Number two, a white man gonna say you shot him. Number three, you’re gonna have a white district attorney. Number four, you’re gonna have a white judge. And number five, you’re gonna have an all-white jury.”

Even though Hinton’s boss testified he was working at the time of the murders and the factory was locked so he could not have committed them, those facts did not keep him from being convicted.

Tragically, he spent his next 30 years on death row, much of it in solitary confinement where he was allowed out of his cell only one hour each day. Despite his isolation, Hinton managed to be a friend and counselor to many inmates and death row guards who begged his attorney to seek his freedom. This finally happened in 2015 when the Supreme Court unanimously ordered his release.

Remarkably, despite the unjust racist treatment he endured he was not bitter. He said, “One does not know the value of freedom until it is taken away. People run out of the rain. I run into the rain… I am so grateful for every drop. Just to feel it…” In an interview on the television program “60 Minutes,” he said he was not angry at the people who put him behind bars, saying he forgave them all. While this innocent man must have been frustrated by his unjust incarceration, he refused to let the injustice of his situation make him bitter.

Though in my research, I found nothing saying Hinton is a Christian, he seems to have the Christ-like attitude the Apostle Paul encouraged when he wrote, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NLT)

Upon his release, the former prisoner said, “I refuse to let anyone take my joy… I don’t need anyone to make me laugh… because I have been blessed to see another day, and when you’re blessed to see another day, that should automatically give you joy.”

During this Thanksgiving season, let me encourage you to be grateful for your blessings. Why not set a daily reminder on your phone to thank God or write thank you notes to those who have blessed you? However you express your gratitude, make it a point to thank God. May your Thanksgiving be filled with heartfelt gratitude!