Mark David Chapman

Recently I watched the movie Chapter 27. If you aren't familiar with it, it's about Mark David Chapman killing The Beatles, John Lennon. While watching it all seemed very dark to me, a lot of the shots were in a dark hotel room or at night so it physically was dark but more then that Mark David Chapman seems so obsessed with John Lennon that it's sick and to me it seems like he just put his brain in a bunch of acid. During the movie he reads and rereads The Catcher in the Rye, because he believes he and main character, Holden Caulfield, are one and that Holden is pushing him towards murdering Lennon. Jared Leto (the actor for Mark David Chapman) does an incredible job at portraying him, because I really felt the darkness that surrounded Chapman. When he found out that John Lennon's apartment was a part of some of the production of movie Rosemary's Baby, Chapman started talking about Satan, with almost a slight grin. I'm not sure if that is what really happened, but I assume that he did have some sort of fascination with the devil. At the end of the movie they showed some real footage of news reports after the murder, and then talked a little bit about what Chapman was doing now. First of all, I thought he had to have died by now with all the Lennon fans so upset, I figured we had a repeat of Lee Harvy Oswald/John F. Kennedy but no, Mark David Chapman is currently in a New York prison. Second, I thought that he would be in a mental hospital because he obviously has some issues upstairs if he thought that a fictional character from The Catcher in the Rye was talking to him and convincing him to shoot John. Third I thought he has got to be either worshiping Satan or in his own little world but again I was wrong. He is a Christian.

I actually paused the movie and reread that a few times because I was a little shocked. I know people can change, heck I changed a lot from just a few years ago and I do realize that a lot of people in prison or in jail find Jesus and change their life but this whole movie revolved around how dark he was and I finally saw this light. This guy has hope. Can you imagine killing THE John Lennon? Especially if he was your idol. Right now, the person you admire most. Obviously I wasn't alive when this happened but, to me this would have been a much bigger deal then Michael's death (RIP MJ, love you) even thought I loved him a lot. Regardless this guy has been forgiven. According to Yoko Ono (Lennon's widow) the pope even came and forgave Chapman in person! After doing some research I saw that not only has Mark David Chapman come out and said he is a born-again Christian, he is really living like one. He has been wonderful while in prison, in all the interviews I have read he talks about the Lord and has been through the bible quite a few times.

He has asked for parole, but been denied 5 times. I think he can ask again this August so we'll see what happenes. Yoko Ono believes that if he is let out he will be killed by a Beatles fan, and I'm sure that has a lot to do with why. As for me, I think that it's crazy that when I sit down and read my bible I am reading the same thing that Mark David Chapman read. The thing that saved his soul. When I pray, I am talking to the same God that Chapman fought with and ended up helplessly in His arms.

I really believe that Chapman is going to heaven. Obviously I'm not Jesus so I couldn't tell you for sure, but I'm looking forward to being with him after life.

While watching this movie, Chapter 27, I was somewhat bored. I mean I'd heard it all before. I figured I'd watch it once and then forget about it but those 6 words at the very end of the movie, "He is a born-again Christian" changed everything for me, it got me really thinking. If Jesus can forgive Chap If Chapman can accept that Jesus forgave him, and move on with his life why can't we? Sometimes when I do something terrible it eats me up inside for weeks. I'll acknowledge that Jesus has forgiven me but I still let it get to me, I still let Satan have a foothold on my life.

Goal for the rest of my life;

When I do something wrong-

Step 1: Ask Jesus to forgive me

Step 2: Accept that He has forgiven me because He is the bomb

Step 3: Forgive myself and move on, learning and not forgetting (avoiding making the same mistake twice).