Posted on 03/14/2005 6:18:27 PM PST by Dubya
ATLANTA (BP)--Ashley Smith, the Atlanta-area woman taken hostage by the subject of the largest manhunt in Georgia history March 12, calmed the alleged killer by reading an excerpt from "The Purpose-Driven Life" and talking with him about God. She escaped by persuading him to let her pick up her daughter from an AWANA children's program at a Southern Baptist church.
"I asked him if I could read," Smith, 26, said in recounting the ordeal to reporters outside her attorney's office March 13. "He said, 'What do you want to read?'
"'Well, I have a book in my room.' So I went and got it. I got my Bible, and I got a book called 'The Purpose-Driven Life.' I turned it to the chapter that I was on that day. It was chapter 33. And I started to read the first paragraph of it. After I read it, he said, 'Stop. Will you read it again?'
"So I read it again to him," Smith said.
On Day 33 of the book, author Rick Warren, a Southern Baptist pastor in California, writes, "We serve God by serving others. The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige, and position. If you can demand service from others, you've arrived. In our self-serving culture with its me-first mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept."
The alleged gunman, Brian Nichols, overpowered an Atlanta courthouse deputy as he was being escorted to court for a rape trial March 11. He then shot and killed the presiding judge and a court reporter before killing another deputy as he left the courthouse. Later he killed a federal agent in an attempt to flee authorities.
Nichols, 33, held Smith at gunpoint outside her Duluth apartment around 2:30 a.m. March 12, apparently having chosen her at random as she returned from a trip to a nearby store. Once he removed his hat, she recognized him as the man wanted for the killing spree and chose to cooperate with his demands. He tied her up and then began to converse with her.
Smith asked Nichols not to kill her because she was scheduled to pick up her 5-year-old daughter the next morning. Four years ago, Smith's husband died in her arms after being stabbed in a knife fight, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Smith was concerned that her daughter would become an orphan.
M. Allen Hughes, administrative pastor at Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula, Ga., told Baptist Press he was under the impression Smith planned to pick up her daughter at the church's AWANA function Saturday morning.
"My understanding was that her little girl was participating and that she was supposed to come pick up her little girl and obviously didn't get to do that because of the situation," Hughes said. "Some relative picked up the little girl for her, and ... when the relative found out that she did not pick the little girl up, that's how they knew something was going on. That's pretty much all we know on this end."
As time passed during the early morning hours at the apartment, Nichols and Smith talked about God, family and life experiences while the fugitive apparently became more comfortable with the hostage. She began to help the gunman consider the families of the victims he had shot that day and asked him if he thought about how they might be feeling.
"After we began to talk, he said he thought that I was an angel sent from God and that I was his sister and he was my brother in Christ and that he was lost and God led him right to me to tell him that he had hurt a lot of people," Smith told reporters. "And the families -- the people -- to let him know how they felt because I had gone through it myself."
Nichols held photographs of Smith's family in his hands and said repeatedly that he did not want to hurt anyone else, according to a CNN transcript of Smith's statements to reporters.
"He said, 'Can I stay here for a few days? I just want to eat some real food and watch some TV and sleep and just do normal things that normal people do,'" Smith said.
As they continued to talk, Nichols mentioned that he considered his life to be over.
"He needed hope for his life. He told me that he was already dead," Smith told reporters. "He said, 'Look at me. Look at my eyes. I am already dead.' And I said, 'You are not dead. You are standing right in front of me. If you want to die, you can. It's your choice.'
"But after I started to read to him, he saw -- I guess he saw my faith and what I really believed in. And I told him I was a child of God and that I wanted to do God's will. I guess he began to want to. That's what I think," she said.
When he was hungry, Smith made pancakes for Nichols and they talked more about God.
"I said, 'Do you believe in miracles? Because if you don't believe in miracles -- you are here for a reason. You're here in my apartment for some reason. You got out of that courthouse with police everywhere, and you don't think that's a miracle? You don't think you're supposed to be sitting right here in front of me listening to me tell you, you know, your reason here?'
"I said, 'You know, your miracle could be that you need to -- you need to be caught for this,'" Smith continued. "'You need to go to prison and you need to share the Word of God with them, with all the prisoners there.'"
By 9:30 a.m., Nichols agreed to let Smith leave to pick up her daughter. When she reached the first stop sign on her route, Smith dialed 911 and within minutes a Gwinnett County police SWAT team had surrounded the apartment with Nichols inside, according to The Journal-Constitution. Nichols waved a white piece of cloth to signal his surrender and was taken into custody.
"I believe God brought him to my door so he couldn't hurt anyone else," Smith said. --30--
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anyone who has gone through the " Purpose Driven Life" Bible Studies KNOWS that Rick Warren would be humbled over this.You are right, she lives her faith.
??????????????
have not read it yet. I am giong to now.
You're correct about the concern about Warren. Some who question his methods argue that the church should be "spirit led" not purpose driven. His approach smacks of typical marketing tactics--find out what the public wants and give it to them. If members of your congregation object, too bad. Those who don't agree can just leave. Get rid of hymns and traditional music. People listen to rock and rap--the old hymns are passe according to Warren.
Do a Google search on Warren and see the legitimate, carefully-considered criticism of him. His church markets his program with books, trinkets, videos, and other propaganda. My church ordered boxes of the crap when they were following his program. Unfortunately this Georgia tragedy is only going to get him more attention.
AMEN!!!!!
This says it all!! I am praying that he has asked God to forgive him for his sin. Romans 8:28 " ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God" ....There is none rightous, no NOT ONE. "All our rightousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God".....this is what is so awesome. God loves us ALL, mean killers, hateful people, and the lady do-gooders in the country club that wouldn't hurt a flea. ALL THE SAME!!!!
"'You need to go to prison and you need to share the Word of God with them, with all the prisoners there.'"
I think it is really tremendous this woman said this to this man. I have always wondered at folks who found God in prison, and want to get out. If there is anyplace where good people are needed, it is in prisons. Those lefty nuns can't do it all.
The only person this creep will be reaching out to is his imaginary friend. He'll be locked down 23 hours a day, with one hour out a day - alone.
Bump for later
She was on Hannity today and said she wasn't raped. In fact, he covered her face with a towel out of weird modesty and respect when she was in the bathroom with him. Weird.
I am going to buy the book tomorrow.
"Instead of a bunch of gray heads we have young children in the aisles...
Something wrong with "gray heads?" Seems to me their wisdom and experience is vital. They've seen frauds and fads come and go for years. Maybe their perspective is worth listening to.
I'm instantly suspicious of anything that's been mass marketed and is on the bestseller list like "Purpose-Driven Life." "The DaVinci Code" is there, too.
Chuck Colson and Prison Fellowship are working miracles. I went to a non-denom church that had a very dynamic prison ministry.
Definite herd mentality when it comes to things like books. Everyone just HAS to read what everyone else is reading.
You appear to be deeply moved by this incredible display of courage by this remarkable woman...many observers to this gripping drama are as well.
To discover that the teachings of this young pastor may have been the source of this divine inspiration is nothing short of miraculous.
His book works for many. It may work for you.
It might work for others who are willing to honestly ask themselves: Do I really have a purpose for living my life?
Please let us know how you fare. Some here may be dying to know.
Blessings.
"and even the King James Bible!"
Oy, I'm Catholic and I want the King James Bible. It's OK, I'm from NY, I can say that.
I'd be interested to read any articles you can cite where Rick Warren has stated that "hymns are passe". As far as I can tell, he's on record as saying that (a) worship music matters a great deal and (b) no one style is ideal:
"In the first years of Saddleback I made the mistake of underestimating the power of music. Because we didn't have a lot of talented musicians we minimized the use of music in our services. I regret that now…
The other mistake I made at the beginning of Saddleback was trying to appeal to everybody's taste.
We covered the gamut, from 'Bach to Rock.' often in a single service! We'd alternate between traditional hymns, praise choruses, and contemporary Christian songs. We wanted to make everyone happy so we used classical, country, jazz, rock, reggae, easy listening, and even rap. The crowd never knew what was coming next.
Do you know who we pleased? Nobody!
Do you know who we frustrated? Everybody!
It was like a radio station trying to appeal to everyone by playing every type of music. It doesn't work!
It's impossible to appeal to everyone's musical preference and taste. You can’t make everyone happy. Music is a divisive issue. Music styles separate generations, regions of the country, personality types, and even family members! So we shouldn’t be surprised when opinions differ in the church.
You must decide who you're trying to reach, identify their preferred style of music and then stick with it. Define your target, bite the bullet, and go for it. You're wasting your time if you're searching for a style of music that everyone in your church will agree on."
We gave up some of our comfort, familiarity and convenience to win some to the Lord and we are happier for it. The new blood in our church keeps us young in spirit. The Lord is doing this, and He is using His servant Rick Warren and the gifts He gave to Rick to teach us and we are grateful. Our church is not in sunny Southern California or the Bible Belt, but snow bound Connecticut
All I can say is AMEN to this!!! I am 63 years old. Grew up in a conservative Evangelical Church. ( Nazarene).....I can tell you I have seen transformation in churches, and lives of older folk. Our neighbors who are in their late 70s were converted during the studies here in our home!!!
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