Today in the course of my job, I met with a prison inmate who said he used to be into the bible and God but felt like God had turned his back on him. This offender is a former gang leader who has recently contracted a terminal illness and is locked up in 24 hour lockdown.
I asked him, if perhaps he wasn't the one who'd turned his back on God. He shrugged his shoulders and just kept looking at me. I went on to point out to him the story of Paul a man who pretty much had it all and then he became a christian.
Paul was then in the course of his christianity stoned, jailed constantly, put under house arrest, shipwrecked on a prison island, and eventually killed for his faith. I then reminded him that Paul was the same person who wrote, "In all things I am content".
The inmate made a few comments about faith that encouraged me to continue and I pointed out to him that christianity is not a pie in the sky type faith; God calls us to obedience and if you look at Biblical Christianity the only way to really maintain your faith is through belief in things not yet seen and that God does reward those who seek him. I asked him to remember that God calls us to bless those who curse us and to pray for our enemies; God says if a man slap you on the face, turn and let him slap you again; God calls us to take joy in our trials and sufferings.
I reminded him that God's will is not that we have stuff or that we be happy but that we are, more and more, every day, transformed into the image of Christ and our trials and struggles are lights into that transformation process; for some it means going to prison and contracting a terminal illness and for others it means working with inmates everyday and leading a family of four.
Finally, I pointed out that God tells us the rain falls on the sinner and saved alike and the only difference between a christian and a nonchristian is the Christian has received forgiveness and begun the process of investing in eternity.
"just something to think about," I said.
"you said that better than the chaplain, thanks," he said.
Create Peace and Forgive it Back
Darrin Coe
