A judge granted $150,000 bail for George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who killed Trayvon Martin. However, Zimmerman will not be released until the terms are final. He is charged with second-degree murder.
Some of the terms Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester set forth include a 6 p.m. curfew, wearing an ankle bracelet and no contact with Martin’s family. Zimmerman is also not allowed to carry any firearms, consume alcohol or take controlled substances.
“I wanted to say that I am sorry for the loss of your son,” Zimmerman said to Martin’s parents. “I did not know how old he was. I thought he was a little bit younger than I am. And I did not know whether he was armed or not.”
Bishop Henry Fernandez, pastor of The Faith Center in Sunrise, Fla., is praying that the situation doesn’t turn hysterical as the trial progresses and the verdict is entered. As he sees it, the nation doesn’t need to go back in time and bring up old pains because of this case.
“If you’ve gotten rid of the cancer you don’t bring back the X-rays,” says Fernandez, author of Faith, Family and Finances. “Let’s just deal with the current issues. What is God saying about this? I caution everyone, especially Christians, not to get hostile. We need to be civilized with how we call for justice and righteousness to prevail in this case.”
Fernandez is one of a number of rising voices that believe the church plays a vital role in helping the nation heal from injustices. He is standing on Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”—and for God to get the glory.
