Living a Life of Love in the Midst of Trauma

Abstract

This essay begins in an urban park in Atlanta, Georgia where the author became the victim of a violent hate crime. Noblitt is a United Methodist minister, trained in a Christian tradition of forgiveness, grace, and unconditional love. Committed to and trained in restorative justice, Noblitt also tried to recognize and honor the needs of victims in death penalty trials. This essay narrates the attack, the court proceedings that followed, and the ways in which Noblitt worked for restoration in the community, in his own life, and with the young men who beat him. He describes the resistance and restorative strategies that he employed and offers an honest account of the difficulties he encountered while pursuing them.