In Memory of Jerry Mooney

To meet Jerry was to love him. He was soft spoken, kindhearted and unassuming. Most importantly, to me, he was my friend. Not in that casual way that our world has grown accustomed to; a friendly “hello” in passing, no Jerry was my true friend, a brother-in-Christ, a confidant. My friendship with Jerry brought to my life an insight into living life to the fullest that I didn’t know I was lacking. This fact was made more remarkable when you know that Jerry and I met while he was in jail serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. You see, Jerry had spent nearly 30 of his 45 years on this earth in jail. In my four years as the Chaplain at the Washita County Jail, I have seen many men come and go and come again, but Jerry was different. His years behind bars had not hardened him. He did not try to convince me of his innocence. He made no excuses for why he was serving time. But Jerry did not waste his life behind bars. “Life is a mental game,” he would say, “and the Bible tells us that we are transformed by the renewing of our mind.” Jerry spent his days helping others understand that time behind bars did not mean life was over. Jerry was able to find a life that most of us could never understand. A life that was grounded deeply in God and God’s love for him. He spent his days helping others come to the same realization. Jerry wasn’t bitter or angry or entitled. He was a kind man who loved people and loved God and he was content to do both wherever he was until the day he died. Jerry wasn’t just a murderer serving a life sentence, he was a child of God, awaiting a court decision to see if he would have the possibility of freedom. But now, Jerry’s ultimate judge, God, has freed him, from the bars that held him physically captive. Jerry Mooney, thank you for your life, your friendship, your love. I am better off for having known you and I look forward to seeing you again on the streets of Glory.

Your friend, Ron Putman