the final moments of kenneth smith

When I woke early this morning and had my usual cup of steaming coffee, with half and half, I might add, I was aware that Kenneth Smith, a long term prisoner on death row in the state of Alabama would never again have the same. He was executed January 25th, 2024 by nitrogen hypoxia, the first instance of this gruesome execution upheld by the court system of Alabama.
When it comes to the death penalty there continues to be great debate by some political conservatives and committed Christians alike. As such, there is no consensus. A historical perspective is perhaps in order, as the death penalty has long roots dating back centuries, especially among early Christians.
Emperor Justinian, born 482 BCE, his reign encompassed 527-565 BCE, and he had a leading role in shaping early church laws, and by way of his role as emperor, the very nature of a death penalty, now referred to as “Punishment of the Sack”. This form of execution was generally a form of legal retribution to patricide, although on occasion, matricide as well.
This brutal method included sewing up the prisoner alive in a leather sack, with various animals, also alive, and throwing the sack in a river. The inclusion of wild dogs, monkeys, snakes, and a rooster increased the terror of the accused as this death combined not only death but terror as well.
I would like to think we, as a society, have moved beyond this gruesome need for retribution; what is clear is that this is not justice but a sense of revenge, that some need, either consciously or unconsciously.
I have no idea whether Kenneth Smith wore a mandated hood for his execution, nor do I care to find out. Was he able to see the faces of his loved ones in those final moments? Or, did he have to gaze into the eyes of his victim’s family? Either way, according to witnesses it was an excruciating sight to see. It makes me wonder whether we are still metaphorically using the Punishment of the Sack, or something just as lethal, and just as brutal. God forgive us all.