A Time to Stand by Robert Whitlow

When I'm subbing at the high school, I enjoy reading a good fiction book now and then to pass the time.  This story revolves around a crime that has been committed...a young black man being shot by a white officer.  But it goes beyond the crime to explore the racial tension in the community and how that affects the case.  While the plot does focus on legal matters, very little of the action takes place in the courtroom.  It mainly focuses on Adisa, a young black attorney, who must decide whether she can go against her racial prejudices to defend the officer.

I enjoyed the book, but a piece of bad theology left me unsettled.  In the story, the grandmother of the boy who had been shot stood up at church and announced that she had forgiven the officer and asked others to show him mercy.  Instead of supporting that act, the preacher and deacons think she needs to be rebuked.  He says "On the issue of whether it's necessary for someone to ask forgiveness in order to be forgiven.  Does Jesus forgive our sins if we don't ask him to?  I don't think so.  If that's the standard he laid down, how can anyone, even Thelma Armistead, forgive someone who hasn't admitted to doing something wrong and asked for forgiveness?  Several of the deacons were telling me I have to publicly rebuke her."  This line of thinking was never corrected.  I know this is a work of fiction, but it bothers me to think that someone may assume this is true.  From what I've read in Scripture, we absolutely can and should forgive others, even if they don't ask for it.

Other than that, the book was well-written and thought provoking.  There are 7 discussion questions at the back of the book.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.