OUTLAW

Snippet

The difference between a criminal and an outlaw is that while criminals frequently are victims, outlaws never are. Indeed, the first step toward becoming a true outlaw is the refusal to be victimized. All people who live subject to other people's laws are victims. People who break laws out of greed, frustration, or vengeance are victims. People who overturn laws in order to replace them with their own laws are victims. ( I am speaking here of revolutionaries.) We outlaws, however, live beyond the law. We don't merely live beyond the letter of the law-many businessmen, most politicians, and all cops do that-we live beyond the spirit of the law. In a sense, then, we live beyond society. Have we a common goal, that goal is to turn the tables on the 'nature' of society. When we succeed, we raise the exhilaration content of the universe. We even raise it a little bit when we fail.  Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker

Scripture

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:32,40-42 NIV

Song

Poncho and Left Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxzJAF1BxP4

Livin on the road my friend, is gonna keep you free and clean

Now you wear your skin like iron

Your breath as hard as kerosene

You weren't your momma's only boy, but her favorite one it seems

She began to cry when you said goodbye

And sank into your dreams

Pancho was a bandit boy, his horse was fast as polished steel

He wore his gun outside his pants

For all the honest world to feel

Pancho met his match you know on the deserts down in Mexico

Nobody heard his dyin words, ah but that's the way it goes

All the Federales say, they could've had him any day

They only let him slip away, out of kindness I suppose

Lefty he can't sing the blues all night long like he used to

The dust that Pancho bit down south ended up in Lefty's mouth

The day they laid poor Pancho low, Lefty split for Ohio

Where he got the bread to go, there ain't nobody knows

All the Federales say, they could've had him any day

They only let him slip away out of kindness I suppose

The boys tell how old Pancho fell, and Lefty's livin in cheap hotels

The desert's quiet, Cleveland's cold

And so the story ends we're told

Pancho needs your prayers it's true, but save a few for Lefty too

He only did what he had to do, and now he's growing old

All the Federales say, they could've had him any day

They only let him go so long, out of kindness I suppose

A few gray Federales say, they could've had him any day

They only let him go so long, out of kindness I suppose

Sentence Prayer

Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner