The First Stone

By Sam Sarson

When police detective Sanders discovers grisly remains outside of a religious compound’s gates, he suspects a hate crime from the surrounding area. After all, the Songs of Grace congregation preached peace, and tolerance, and solidarity amongst themselves. His heart falls when he realizes that the mangled body is none other than the leader of Songs of Grace himself, Pastor Danny Rayes.

But when cult members and families are questioned within the compound, the police realize it was not all sunshine and rainbows within those now-bloodied adobe walls. Lies, abuse, and scandal ruled within, and the pastor at the center of it all. Did the pastor deserve his fate, or did his sheep turn to wolves in the night? How does their biblical justice fit within the confines of modern affairs? And perhaps most importantly, who threw the first stone?