Over the weekend I saw a very thought-provoking movie, one that I’d wanted to see for a while but always found an excuse to postpone because I knew it would be heavy: Tim Robbins’ Dead Man Walking. The book by the same name had rocked my world several years before, so I was curious. It tells the story of Sister Helen Prejean, a Louisiana nun (played by the fabulous Susan Sarandon) who reluctantly serves as a spiritual advisor to a death row inmate (played by the equally fabulous Sean Penn). Given writer-director Robbins’ far-left political views, I was surprised at how even-handedly he treated one of the toughest social questions we have: the death penalty. With great finesse he shows many sides of the issue: the inmate who is nearly impossible to love, even for a nun, the inmate’s relatives who understand his crime but don’t want him to die, the victims’ families who would gladly inject the poison themselves, the outside observers who are horrified that a nun would even talk to a convicted murderer.

With her typical brilliance, Sarandon subtly weaves a very complex and conflicted character, a nun who wants to serve God and help a man in great need but who is also disgusted by the inmate’s attitude and crimes. Penn’s convict hides behind a rough, barely endurable exterior but over time starts to crack, revealing glimpses of his own fear and pain.

Most of you probably have your minds made up regarding the death penalty. If you do, watching this film probably won’t change your mind, nor is that the film’s point. Robbins and crew want you to think about all sides of the debate and the impact on all the people involved. It comes down to the age-old question of justice versus mercy, a question with which I struggle constantly. The Old Testament advocates eye-for-an-eye justice, so many Christians who support the death penalty use the OT to justify their position. I think the New Testament, especially Jesus, advocate mercy, as Jesus did when the Pharisees brought him the woman caught in adultery whom the Law said should be stoned to death. I still haven’t decided which side is right as a matter of public policy, but I strongly recommend watching the movie and wrestling further with this question yourself.