An Innocent Condemned

And they laid hold of him, caged him, and covered it with a cloth so no one could see him. They led him away to the lower court, where the justices were assembled. Many false witnesses testified against him with the following claims:

• "He ruined my life!"
• "He embarrassed me and my family!"
• "He is unwanted around here!"
• He showed up at the wrong time!"
• He demands too much of me-- his cost is too great!"

And the judge stood up and said to the accused, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony these people are bringing against you?"

But the accused remained silent.

The chief justice asked the one hidden from sight, "Are you alive or not?" He turned to the crowd and said, "I hear nothing from the defendant." He ordered the captors to remove the cloth so that he could see him.

"We object, your Honor," the lawyers said. "We cannot allow you to see him lest you are beguiled and misled by his appearance. Listen to our words: we assure you he is not viable on his own-- he is a parasite living off others."

"Why do we need any more witnesses?" the judge said. He turned to the crowd of people and asked, "What do you think?"

"He is worthy of death!" they answered.

Now while all this was happening, Iglesia sat in the courtyard watching from a distance when a servant girl came to him.

"You fend for the accused," she said.

But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Then he went out to the gateway where another woman saw him and addressed him. "This man supports the undesirable!" she said to the people there.

He denied it again, with an oath. "That's your concern, not mine! I don't have time for such things!"

After a little while, those standing there went up to Iglesia and said, "Surely you are for the captive, for your name gives you away."

Iglesia was adamant in his denial-- even to the point of cursing. "That's none of my business! Leave me alone!"

"Then you're one of us," they crowed.

And when Iglesia realized his indifference condoned their actions, he went outside and wept bitterly.

When the morning came, the council reconvened, and the verdict was confirmed. But this judge did not have the power of final condemnation, so an appeal was made to the Supreme Court.

The justices of the highest court listened to all the arguments and witnesses of the previous trial, and still the accused made no reply, to the amazement of some of the judges who saw nothing that warranted killing the defendant.

While the Chief Justice sat on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: Don't have anything to do with that innocent, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream about it.

Now it was the custom at this time of year for the Court to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they held a notorious prisoner called Choice, who could've lived an honorable life, but instead chose to stir rebellion, commit murder, and steal.

Surely they would choose the innocent, the Chief Justice thought, not realizing some very visible and vocal groups had swayed public opinion to do otherwise.

So when the crowd had gathered, the Chief Justice asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you?"

"Choice! Give us Choice!" they answered.

"What shall I do, then, with the accused?"

"Kill him!" they all cried.

"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked the Chief Justice.

But they shouted all the louder, "Kill him!"

When the Chief Justice saw that he was getting nowhere, but an uproar was starting instead, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am blameless of the blood of this innocent. It is your responsibility!"

All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"

Then the Chief Justice released Choice to them and handed over the condemned one to be killed. As they were carrying the draped cage out of the courtyard, one of the captors stumbled, and the cloth slipped to one side.

"Don't look," someone yelled in the crowd, "lest you are beguiled and change your mind!"

Most everyone-- all but a few-- turned their heads and covered their eyes while the cloth covered the truth again. They continued to carry the accused to his death.

A sharp intake of breath was heard among the crowd.

"Did you see him?" one asked another. "What did you see?"

"Surely my eyes deceived me," she said.

"What!? Was he horrible?"

"No... it was a baby," she whispered, "just a tiny baby..."

"But this judgment isn't about killing a baby, right?"

"Of course not. It's about the freedom of Choice... isn't it?"

An unnatural darkness descended over the land, and an eerie rumbling shook the ground.

Truth seeped into their hearts as they looked at one another.

"Surely this was a child of God."

"What have we done?"