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WHY ARE YOU ANGRY, BOBBY?
When Bobby Gumpright was an 18-year-old bartender in New Orleans, he was addicted to cocaine. His parents confronted him about why he was broke on payday, and rather than admit that he’d used his paycheck for drugs, Gumpright invented a story about being robbed at gunpoint. From a police lineup, he pointed out 20-year-old husband and father Jermaine Hudson as the culprit. Hudson was sentenced to 99 years in jail. As the years passed, Gumpright was wracked by guilt. Finally, more than two decades later, he cried out to God, and he felt convicted, as if the Lord had said, “Son, why are you so angry?” This was a turning point for him, and he came clean, which resulted in Hudson’s release from prison. Hudson forgave Gumpright. “I have a forgiving heart,” he said. “And in order for me to really move on, I forgave him, because I understood what he was going through.”
WHY ARE YOU ANGRY, CAIN?
Today’s reading involves the first murder in the Bible. Both Cain and his brother, Abel, brought offerings to the Lord, but God rejected Cain’s offering. In Cain’s rage and confusion, the Lord asked why he was so angry and urged him to do what was right. Instead, Cain rose up against Abel and killed him.
- What’s the most liberating truth someone has ever told you?
- What do you learn about God from his response to Cain?
- How might the story have played out if Cain had heeded God’s warning?
Additional Resources
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