By April Terry (personal blog http://faithwarming.blogspot.com)

Over lunch, a friend and I talked about the first time I gave Miles a ride.  I wrote about it here at DE over a year ago.  My husband was worried and told me not to do it again, but I didn’t listen. 

Miles wore this special leather jacket that had the NBC peacock emblem on the back of it.  After the first few times I gave him a ride, I had this niggling sense that there was a purpose behind it.  I told my friend that at the time, too, and she agreed.  It felt like a story was unfolding, but I didn’t try to press him to know Jesus.  I didn’t have time to do that on the five minute drive and that’s not really how I work, but I learned his name and a few details.  I was just friendly with him, but I think Miles taught me a few things, too.

My husband gave him a ride later on and I remember how he had the same feeling of goodness that comes from doing a right thing.  Some may call it pride, but I think it’s more of a knowing that you’ve done what God wants you to do.   Miles had been hitching to and from his home several blocks down from the shopping center that we live near.  It’s where he got breakfast every morning and he was an early bird.

Another friend, my rideshare partner, saw him once while riding with me and she joked, “No way you’re getting a ride here, mister,” and then I told her that I had already given him a ride several times and I told her his name and what little I knew about him.  She shared with me a time that a man had tried to attack her and how it had made her afraid to trust strangers.  I could understand that.   It seemed like once Miles had a name, he wasn’t as scary after that, but I didn’t give Miles rides when she was in the car with me.  She commented once that it would probably be okay now that she knew the story.

We noticed when we stopped seeing him.  It was like the spot where he stood was empty. 

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From the Reno Gazette Journal, a little something that I just had to pass along. It seems Jesus may be taking a whole new tact in evangelism that I hadn’t heard about yet.

The 36-year-old Sparks man jailed on suspicion of an arson, shooting and vandalism spree — who says he targeted strip clubs, Sparks police, a Verdi post office and Reno Fourth Street motels — wants people to call him a “gangster,” an “assassin” and a “shadow.”

Justin Michael Bennett said he also thinks the labels of “vigilante” or religious “martyr” fits, too.

Bennett said during a Tuesday jailhouse interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal that he chose Christmas to act because it symbolized Jesus’ birthday and would incite the public to pay attention to his message of religious morality.

“People should be home with their families on Christmas and at church, not at the strip clubs,” he said, adding he also wanted to let Fourth Street motel managers know he did not approve of the drug and prostitution activities he believes occurs at their businesses.

Lt. Mohammad Rafaqat said Bennett will likely face federal criminal charges related to the destruction of the unoccupied Verdi post office, although no federal charges had yet been filed Tuesday. Rafaqat said Bennett told investigators he left anti-government graffiti on the post office to throw off police.

It was not known if Bennett was assigned an attorney yet, but authorities said he had a video arraignment Tuesday morning at Washoe County Jail. He is being held there in lieu of $50,000 cash bail and is charged with two counts of discharging a firearm into a building, first-degree arson and burglary. While he listed no employment with police, he claimed he is a land developer.

Bennett told the Reno Gazette-Journal that he is guilty of all the crimes alleged by police.

He said Tuesday that “Jesus” spoke to him through his heart and directed all of his violence, which caused no injuries. He said he intentionally picked unoccupied businesses or shot at unoccupied vehicles parked outside strip clubs.

However, Bennett also said he was angry at two of the strip clubs he targeted for incidents that allegedly occurred two years ago while he was a customer. He said that after one club stole $400 from him and another kicked him out after a woman punched him, his estranged wife left him and took their two children, now ages 2 and 12, out of the state.

“I’m sorry, I feel guilty … I have no regrets,” he said of his spree. “It had to be done. God has forgiven me already … If I caused sorrow or pain, I apologize for that. I did victimize innocent people. But I had to do it.”

He first fired gunshots at the Sparks Police Department minutes before Christmas morning, and then about five hours later ignited fireworks inside the Verdi post office, he said. Bennett said he then went to his home which he had earlier destroyed on Jesus’ command, he claimed.

“There’s only so much (expletive) you can do in one night,” Bennett said. “I went to bed, and slept really good that night (Sunday morning).” He then explained how he dressed in dark clothing, like he normally does when he does “stuff,” and waited until it was dark to continue his spree.

“In daylight, you get caught, it’s just common sense,” Bennett said. “I’m kinda gangsta like that.”

Bennett said he was able to attend Christmas Mass in the morning at his congregation and seemed almost surprised the newspaper would ask such an obvious question.

While he said that Jesus recently told him to set the arsons and fire his .45-caliber handgun at the businesses and vehicles, he said he’s been warning his family for years that he was going to commit crimes like these. Because his street preaching wasn’t working, Bennett said he was taking his gospel “to the streets” through his crime spree.

“I was pissed,” he said of the lack of interest in his preaching. “I’m trying to get people salvation.”

Rafaqat said after gunshots were fired by a motorist at the Sparks Police Department and the arson was set at the Verdi post office, local and federal law enforcement officials quickly met to try to develop a suspect, and begin proactive investigations like the surveillance of businesses mentioned in threatening notes left by the shooter.

Rafaqat said it was obvious the suspect had a resentment toward the government and the incidents were somehow connected.

Bennett also went into the Wild Orchid Gentleman’s Club and gave the hostess a threatening note, accompanied with a bullet. He then said he went to the Spice House, broke inside and “slaughtered” bottles of alcohol before setting rags on fire with a lighter. He said he also fired gunshots into the strip club.

Bennett said he then drove over to Fantasy Girls strip club, where he shot at about seven parked cars.

After smearing white paint on the windows of two downtown motels and firing gunshots at one of them, Bennett was arrested by Reno police during a traffic stop minutes later, Rafaqat said. Bennett said he had also left a bullet and threatening notes at the motels, adding that the white paint was supposed to symbolize blood.
Inside his white pickup were a Bible and a large-caliber handgun police said was used in the shootings.

“You could tell he had anger toward the businesses he targeted,” Rafaqat said. “He was impulsive with his anger. He told us he did not intend on harming anyone, and picked businesses where he knew they would be vacant.

“We are thankful he is in custody,” he said. “His acts of violence were concerning us, and were consistent with acts of domestic terrorism.”

by Bob Goff

April Terry is taking a few weeks off during the holidays so I’m offering up a few gifts to you while she’s gone. This first one is from a nearly life-long friend who was one of my very first Young Life kids at Willow Glen High in San Jose, CA. He’s done pretty well since then, so I don’t think I did too much damage. Enjoy…and Merry Christmas!  ~Randy Siever

And now…Bob Goff.

I took an early flight out of Chicago O’Hare this morning for the West Coast. We tried to pull over to the curb just as dawn was breaking. As we did, a traffic cop standing in the street with a big badge started yelling at us and waving her arms wildly.

I couldn’t hear what she was shouting, but she seemed really mad – like maybe we’d run over someone; maybe even her, I thought. After we got our tongue lashing, she started yelling at the next car, and the next. Like us, none of them seemed to be doing anything wrong either. I said my good byes at the curb and walked back to where the cop was standing in the street yelling at the next couple cars. I walked out into the street with all of my luggage, pushing back the thought that she might mace me.

“Hi, I’m Bob, what’s your name?”

“Vanessa” she barked, “Why are you standing in the street?”

“You just seem really upset and I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas.”

Vanessa looked at me for a second kind of puzzled; like she was deciding whether to reach for her gun or not, but instead, she started belly laughing and slapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t be silly, honey. I just pretend to be mad to keep myself warm.  It’s freezing out here!”

I’m going to think about that for the next couple weeks when I meet someone who at first seems mean, or short, or distracted or uncaring. It’s probably not me; and it’s probably not you either; they’re probably just fighting back the cold that might be surrounding their lives.

You can meet Bob at his blogsite, or by reading Donald Miller’s book, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years”, where he is a bit of rock star, and Don’s primary living example of what it means to write your life story well.