Jesus taught his followers to love their enemies and to forgive. How can these messages of compassion be reconciled with a policy of putting to death those whom we have judged to be wrongdoers against society? Walter Long, a defense attorney for Texas death row inmates, says that they cannot. He wrestles with the apparent contradiction between the teachings of Jesus and widespread tolerance for government violence in a state where most citizens identify themselves as Christian. He explores the impact of a particular execution of great renown—the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth—and looks for his own understanding of that event, of the man and his message, and of the followers who formed the church after his death. In a provocative essay, he returns to the basics of how Jesus taught us to live and how those instructions may encourage us to be actively faithful in our world today. Discussion questions included.