I found the story so fascinating about a 23-year-old man named Greg Smith who was robbing a check cashing business when the cashier Angela Montez who was his victim began to appeal to him (on the basis of her belief in God) for him to not commit this crime. I was very touched when this woman began to pray and this young man began to cry and pray along with her. Then he went on to take the bullet out of his gun and promise the woman that he wouldn't hurt her. This story really moved me. It made me empathize with this young man as well as the victim (not forgetting that this man was a stranger to this woman and she was no doubt terrified). Now while some may not be sympathetic at all to this criminal I can't help but to empathize with what was going through his head. Why was he committing this crime?
It reminded me of the state of this world and how so many can lose their way. This young man was obviously someone who had a conscience though because this woman's prayers moved him to tears and to maybe even ask for forgiveness from his creator. Some who face a genuine struggle for survival have acted in ways that they never thought imaginable. Recent news reports have told the stories of older people even resorting to bank robbing as a means of providing for their basic needs. Or as was parodied in the movie "Fun with Dick and Jane" people who were formerly well to do individuals have also resorted to crime.
It truly makes me sad but also reflects something that the bible says, "Mere oppression may make a wise one act crazy" (Ecclesiastes 7:7 NWT). Sometimes when people feel hopeless they do things that may be completely out of character. Or due to environment they develop a pattern of criminal behavior because in many cases that is all they know. Recently I was asked the question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" While I had an answer some don't have an answer to that question. Some people see themselves dead in five years because of where they are.
Some people have no goals, no hope for the future and absolutely nothing to truly live for. The result of that attitude creates desperation. Desperation along with a feeling of oppression or being boxed in creates a thriving environment for a person to commit crimes. Sometimes these feelings are not the result of any external pressures but the result of an internal one. That age old struggle between right and wrong, which is inherently within all of us.
This post is not a forum for trying to explain that criminals are good people on the inside. No way. Some people who commit crimes don't care. At all. They don't care about you or your life or even their own lives. Taking a life for some is very easy and causes no pain or remorse. But for some this is not the case.
I don't know this praying robbers history (although he did rob once before) but it is obvious to me that every person who perpetrates a crime does not fall into the category of a hardened criminal. While they still have to face the consequences of their actions as this man will. What stood out to me in this story though is that this man was worried about going to jail because he asked the woman to not turn him in, but he was also worried about the true judge of us all.
This fact remains to be lost on many. Regardless of what we experience in this life we all have to answer to someone. At present we are concerned with the judgments of men as in the case of this young man. But, at some point we will all have to answer to our creator. Whether we choose to believe in him or not. With that in mind will we humble ourselves the way that this criminal did?
Here is Greg Smith's and Angela Montez' first meeting on Oprah since the incident. Angela Montez' attitude is a true testament to what a person who professes a belief in God should be.
Tags angela montez, crime, economy, God, oprah, praying robber, remorse
It reminded me of the state of this world and how so many can lose their way. This young man was obviously someone who had a conscience though because this woman's prayers moved him to tears and to maybe even ask for forgiveness from his creator. Some who face a genuine struggle for survival have acted in ways that they never thought imaginable. Recent news reports have told the stories of older people even resorting to bank robbing as a means of providing for their basic needs. Or as was parodied in the movie "Fun with Dick and Jane" people who were formerly well to do individuals have also resorted to crime.
It truly makes me sad but also reflects something that the bible says, "Mere oppression may make a wise one act crazy" (Ecclesiastes 7:7 NWT). Sometimes when people feel hopeless they do things that may be completely out of character. Or due to environment they develop a pattern of criminal behavior because in many cases that is all they know. Recently I was asked the question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" While I had an answer some don't have an answer to that question. Some people see themselves dead in five years because of where they are.
Some people have no goals, no hope for the future and absolutely nothing to truly live for. The result of that attitude creates desperation. Desperation along with a feeling of oppression or being boxed in creates a thriving environment for a person to commit crimes. Sometimes these feelings are not the result of any external pressures but the result of an internal one. That age old struggle between right and wrong, which is inherently within all of us.
This post is not a forum for trying to explain that criminals are good people on the inside. No way. Some people who commit crimes don't care. At all. They don't care about you or your life or even their own lives. Taking a life for some is very easy and causes no pain or remorse. But for some this is not the case.
I don't know this praying robbers history (although he did rob once before) but it is obvious to me that every person who perpetrates a crime does not fall into the category of a hardened criminal. While they still have to face the consequences of their actions as this man will. What stood out to me in this story though is that this man was worried about going to jail because he asked the woman to not turn him in, but he was also worried about the true judge of us all.
This fact remains to be lost on many. Regardless of what we experience in this life we all have to answer to someone. At present we are concerned with the judgments of men as in the case of this young man. But, at some point we will all have to answer to our creator. Whether we choose to believe in him or not. With that in mind will we humble ourselves the way that this criminal did?
Here is Greg Smith's and Angela Montez' first meeting on Oprah since the incident. Angela Montez' attitude is a true testament to what a person who professes a belief in God should be.
