stories: Caring for friends and their dogs
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
In this series, I usually write about ways that I serve other people. Today, I want to do something a little different. I’m going to tell about how some friends served me, my family, and some other friends recently. It may seem insignificant to some, but it was very significant to us and our friends.
Last week, our family traveled to Alabama and Georgia to spend time with our family. Some friends of ours (the H. family) volunteered to take care of our house and our dogs while we were gone. It was very hot, so they said one or more members of their family would stay at our house so they could let our dogs go outside and come inside regularly during the day.
The week before we were planning to leave, Maël’s (pronounced like Ishmael without the Ish) grandfather passed away. Maël’s family lives in Italy. He was not able to travel back for the funeral, but he wanted to go back the week after the funeral in order to spend time with his grandmother.
This means that Maël and Cindy would be away from home the same week that we were away from home. They also have two dogs. So, our friends, (the H. family), offered to take care of their dogs and their house while they were gone as well.
The four members of the H. family traveled back and forth between our house and Maël and Cindy’s house and their house. Each night, some of them would sleep in each house. They were willing to spend time away from one another for a week so that they could care for their friends and their friends’ dogs.
Why would they do this? I’m convinced they were willing to spend their week traveling back and forth between houses to let our dogs in and out of the house, and spend their week sleeping in different houses because they love us and because they love Maël and Cindy.
Demonstrating love is not always about doing the great things (although this was a very great things for us)! Many times, demonstrating love is simply about knowing the people and serving them in the way they need and desire to be served.
—————————————————————————-
If you would like for me to include your story in this series, please send me an email at aknox [at] sebts [dot] edu.
Review of The Jesus Paradigm
As I mentioned previously, I’ve been reading The Jesus Paradigm by David Alan Black. (see my posts “The Jesus Paradigm“, “Summer Reading“, and “Not about me… seriously“.) I read it slowly, mainly because I had several other things going on at the same time. I should make a couple of disclosures before my review.
First, Energion Publications sent me the book for review. (I am very appreciative!) See their page on this book here: jesusparadigm.com
Second, David Alan Black is my PhD mentor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Black’s purpose in writing this book is to encourage his readers toward “radical discipleship”. He is concerned (rightfully so, I would say) that many believers have forfeited following Jesus, and have instead placed their trust in their traditions, their leaders, or their politics.
This is not a book about the church. Nor is this a book about politics or leadership. However, Black touches on each of these subjects, and in some cases he grabs them with both hands. No, this book is strictly about discipleship – about following Jesus in the simple – yet extraordinarily radicaly – ways in which Scriptures describes and prescribes.
For much of the book, Black uses the radical reformers of the sixteenth century – the Anabaptists – as exemplars for our own discipleship. He explains how the Anabaptists refused to compromise their way of life:
Above all, the Anabaptists believed in obeying Christ’s call to abandon self and follow his example of humility, service, and suffering. The way of Jesus, they taught, is the way of suffering servanthood. It is the ultimate in downward mobility. (39)
Using the Anabaptists’ way of life as an example, Black exhorts every believer to consider him or herself to be a minister (servant) and a missionary. Every believer is responsible to teach, admonish, serve, give, evangelize, disciple, etc. These responsibilities cannot be given to or taken by others, even those in leadership.
However, Black does not want his readers to follow the Anabaptists. Instead, he says, the Anabaptists were simply attempting to live according to the pattern that they found in Scripture. Were they perfect? Of course not. But, they lived their beliefs.
And, Black does not write only to those who follow in the footprints of the Anabaptists historically. In fact, I think any believer from any tradition can benefit from reading this book. Black even concludes by calling all believers to radical discipleship and unity in Christ:
It’s time to summarize and conclude. Are you in a mainstream congregation? In an emergent church? In a home meeting? It really doesn’t matter. The paramount question to ask is this: Are you willing to wash the feet of others? Are you willing to use your gifts to enrich the Body of Christ? Are you willing to forego pyramids of power? Are you willing to surrender what is rightfully “yours”? In the end, it doesn’t matter what evangelical church we belong to. What matters is that we faithfully pursue the Jesus paradigm regardless of the religious structures around us. What matters is that we work from the bottom up… And we are to do this whether or not we agree with our brother or sister in every area. (126)
On one hand, Black’s book is an academic work. His years of study in Greek, New Testament, hermeneutics, and history are ably demonstrated in this work. On the other hand, this book stands apart from many works of academia, because Black is unable (and does not desire to) separate this work from his life. In fact, he uses examples from his own work in the seminary in North Carolina, at his home in Virginia, and in countless villages and cities around the world – especially in Ethiopia – to exhort his readers to consider their beliefs and live them out!
I have to admit that I did not first come across these lessons while reading this book. Instead, I’ve spent many hours discussing these concepts with Black. We’ve talked about being servants and ministers. We’ve talked about a church full of priests. We’ve talked about the church relying on the state.
This book is a great reminder of the many discussions that I’ve had with my PhD mentor, and the reason that I asked him to be my mentor in the first place. Everyone reading this book will quickly realize that Black is not writing from an ivory tower. Instead, he’s writing with hands covered with Ethiopian dust.
This is a book that I would recommend to anyone. Read it… and share it with others… then live the pattern of life that you find in Scripture… the pattern of life in which only the Holy Spirit can direct you and empower you.
stories: I love you, and I’m glad you’re not dead
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
Ms. Jennie has had a rough time lately. She is the 85 year old lady from New York who lives in a local nursing home and who my family spends time with each week. About a month ago, she developed pneumonia. She had not been sick, but she woke up in the middle of the night unable to breathe. She has been on oxygen off and on for the last several weeks.
She’s also had hip problems. Her hip has been hurting her alot, and she’s been taking pain medicine that makes her groggy. She has to shift positions often because of her hip.
During the last few weeks, when we’ve visited her, we’ve been unable to stay for very long because of her breathing problems, or because her hip was hurting, or because she became groggy from her pain medicine.
But, the last time that I visited with her, she was back to her normal self. Her breathing was back to normal, and they had taken the oxygen tanks out of her room. She had had a few physical therapy sessions, and her hip was feeling much better.
When I walked in the room she smiled at me and immediately began talking. She talked about things that had happened over the last few weeks – things she had not been able to talk about before because of her breathing and her hip.
She also wanted to talk about “religious things”. This is always somewhat funny to me, because she starts by saying that she does not talk “religion” with anyone but me. She says that she tells people, “If I want to talk about religious things then I’ll talk to Alan.” I asked her why she talks with me but not with other people, and she says, “Because I know you care about me”.
While we were talking about God, she started talking about her children again. She’s angry with God because “he took” her sons in separate automobile accidents when they were both twenty-one. She also has a daughter, but her daughter is not “good” like her sons, at least according to Ms. Jennie.
She was almost in tears when she told me that her daughter once threw hot coffee in her face and yelled at her, “I hate you! I wish you were dead!”
I told her that I can’t imagine the pain that that caused. I told her that I could imagine Miranda telling me that. It would break my heart.
Then I said, “I know that I can’t make up for what your daughter did and said to you. I don’t want to try to make up for it. But, I want you to know that I love you, and I’m glad that you’re not dead”. She smiled again in spite of the pain that her memories had caused.
I don’t know why God has chosen me to love Ms. Jennie. I pray that God will use my relationship with her and my words to her to bring Ms. Jennie to himself. Only he can do that. All I can do is make myself available to him and to her.
———————————————–
If you would like for me to include your story in this series, please send me an email at aknox [at] sebts [dot] edu.
stories: Still serving Ethiopians
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
The following story comes from the blog of Dave Black. I mentioned Dave and Becky Lynn Black a few months ago in my post “stories: Loving and serving Ethiopians“. A few days ago, the Blacks returned from a three week trip to Ethiopia. They have already started writing about their trip. This is one of his stories (from Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 7:15 a.m.):
—————————————————————————-
To travel to Ethiopia is to be plunged headlong into more deprivation and hunger than most of us have ever witnessed. In my experience, only India comes close. I am very much aware that there are so many needs and so little I can do about them. This morning I would like to tell you the story of two forgotten people with whom I share this finite planet.
Zemete is a married woman in Alaba and the mother of 3 children.
When I first met her 5 years ago, she was in desperate need of fistula surgery. She could control neither her bladder nor her bowel movements. She was totally ostracized from her family and friends in her small village of Kuke. Becky and I were to able see that she got to Addis and into the excellent fistula hospital there, where she had a successful operation. That is not the end of the story, however. Upon returning to her home her husband forced himself upon her even though he knew he had to refrain from all intimacy with her for a period of several months. Since that time, the fistula has tragically reappeared. I met with Zemete two weeks ago. I am eager to have her return to the capital for another operation. But it would be senseless to do so without first getting her husband’s agreement that he will cooperate this time. He claims to be a follower of Jesus, but this is quite impossible in my mind. No man who treats his wife in that manner can be a true Christian. The elders are even now talking with him.
The other woman I want you to meet is Fatima Mohammed. She is a recent convert to Christianity. She lives in the hillside village of Galaye.
[S]he is blind in her left eye and partially blind in her right. I think Fatima is 15 years old, but most villagers have no idea when their birthday is. Last year she lost her parents to starvation. She now lives with her older brother, a simple farmer.
As I think of such suffering, my theologian brain tries to make sense of it all. On one level, all of this is the consequence of the fall. And, since God is absolutely sovereign, He controls the situation completely. That’s true of every person in this world. Nothing takes Him by surprise, including our illnesses and diseases. Whenever I go to Ethiopia I consistently realize the impact of sin in this world. But not only in Africa. There are no boundaries when it comes to heartache and grief. Life hurts!
On another level, however, I know that suffering has a purpose. At the very least, it is God calling me to get involved in the lives of others. He wants me to be like Jesus who left comfort behind to serve the lepers in society. In Ethiopian society, both Zemete and Fatima are absolute NOBODIES. But in God’s eyes they are huge SOMEBODIES. So, while there’s sadness and pain in joining in the sufferings of other people, there is also the joy of knowing that the God of all comfort, the Father of compassion, is right there with us all.
Why I am sharing this with you? I don’t really know. Maybe it’s because I’m feeling the post-trip blues. Maybe it’s because I just need to jangle. I think mostly it’s because I just want you to pray. Pray for your sisters in Christ, Zemete and Fatima. Missions is hugely demanding. The joyous frustration is constant and irrevocable. Personally, I wouldn’t want to live any other way.
—————————————————————————-
If you would like for me to include your story in this series, please send me an email at aknox [at] sebts [dot] edu.
Saturday and Serving
Saturday has become a day of service for our family. Sometimes, its very busy, and sometimes we don’t spend as much time together as we’d like. But, we’ve learned (and are learning) to serve together as a family.
This morning, we plan to spend time in “The Neighborhood” as we do most Saturday mornings. A few months ago, we stopped taking fresh produce with us, because the roadside stands closed. Now, they’ve reopened, and we’re planning to buy some fresh vegetables and fruit before we go to the neighborhood. Some good friends gave us some money to buy extra produce this week. Some of the people that we normally spend time with on Saturdays are not going to be home today for various reasons. Hopefully, we’ll be able to meet some new people today.
I’m also excited because some friends are interested in spending time in the neighborhood with us. We don’t know who is going with us today, but that doesn’t really matter. We’ll go, even if it is just our family.
I think God may be directing us to do something different in the neighborhood. I’m not exactly sure what that is yet, but please pray for us and the neighborhood.
Tonight, we’re getting together with a group of friends again. We’ll share a meal and talk about our lives this week. We’ll study Scripture (right now we’re studying Exodus) and pray together. This has been a great time of fellowship over the last few weeks, and I’ve been very encouraged by these friends.
Later tonight, after the Bible study, a friend is bringing some high school football players into this area. This friend was once our neighbor, but he recently moved toward the east coast of NC. He now coaches football at a local public high school. He is bringing several players to visit one of the colleges west of here. He asked if some of us would be willing to host two or three boys so they wouldn’t have to drive the whole way on Sunday morning. We’ll be keeping two or three boys, while two of our friends are also hosting two or three boys.
We won’t get to spend too much time with them, because they’re not planning to arrive until after 10:00 p.m., and they’re planning to leave by 6:30 a.m. But, we’re excited about the opportunity to help out our friend and serve these high school students.
What opportunities has God given you to serve people?
stories: Tell Your Story
Since the beginning of this year, I’ve been publishing a series of blog posts called “stories“. In this series, I’ve been sharing experiences that people have had serving others in big ways and small ways. Some of these experiences have been my own; some have been the experiences of my friends; some have been the experiences of readers who have sent their stories to me.
The purpose of this series is to provide examples to encourage each of us to follow Jesus by serving those around us – both believers and unbelievers. We see in Scripture that the authors often use their own experiences to encourage their readers to do likewise. Similarly, we are exhorted by the author of Hebrews to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Hopefully, this series has been a method of exhortation toward love and good works for my readers.
Now, I want to give you, my readers, another opportunity to share your stories. The stories can be short or long, big or small, individual actions or group actions. Simply email me your story (my email address is aknox [at] sebts [dot] edu) and tell me if you would like to remain anonymous or not, and if you would like me to link to your blog or website.
Some of my readers have told me that they are reluctant to share their own stories because they are afraid that it would be seen as boasting. Here is an opportunity to share your stories in a way that cannot be perceived as boasting (if you do it anonymously) and yet can still encourage other believers to follow Jesus Christ in serving others.
So, here is your opportunity. Think about what God has done through your to serve others. Consider the people who may read your story and be exhorted to serve likewise. Then, if you feel comfortable, send me your story, and I’ll publish it here.
This type of “story” reinforces that teaching is by example as much as by words, and the importance of “doing” not just “talking” or “studying” or “thinking”.
Missional Idol
(I want to thank John Lunt for the inspiration for this blog post.)
Many television shows never make it past the pilot episode. One such show was a new reality show called “Missional Idol”. Based on the popular show “American Idol”, this new show attempted to crown America’s “Missional Idol”. People appeared before a panel of judges who would vote on the most missional person in America.
Unfortunately, only a few people showed up for the auditions, so they all made it through to the pilot program.
The first “Missional” contestant took the stage. He taught for 45 minutes about the necessity of believers living their lives in ways that demonstrate the love of God to the world. He explained the good news of Jesus Christ clearly, called people to follow Christ, and exhorted believers to faithful living in their home, neighborhoods, and workplaces. The audience cheered! The judges thanked the contestant and praised him for his eloquence and passion.
The next “Missional” contestant presented a detailed plan for developing a missional movement. He had graphs and charts, statistics and books and articles. He showed his conference and seminar plan as well as an exhaustive speaking schedule. He included an impressive list of Christian authors and celebrities who endorsed his plan. Once again the audience cheered, the judges gushed over his three-color charts.
The third “Missional” contestant used music. He played guitar and sang songs about reaching the world. The audience cried when he sang about a young girl in Asia who was sold as a sex slave and about a young boy in Africa who was dying of AIDS. The audience raised their hands and swayed to the rocking rhythms. The judges said they had never heard such powerful songs, and many people purchased the contestant’s new CD.
Another “Missional” contestant put on a puppet presentation. Another passed out several colorful and humorous tracts designed to convince people of their need to follow Jesus. A professor presented a detailed plan for courses and degree programs. Contestant after contestant impressed the judges and the audience with their skills and talents and gifts.
Finally, the last contestant left the stage and the judges began their deliberation. After a long pause, they turned to the audience. “We can’t decide,” the judges announced. “Everyone seems very talented, but something seems to be missing for each presentation. Can any of you help us decide?”
A young lady near the middle of the auditorium raised her hand. “What about Joe?” She asked in a timid voice.
“Who’s Joe?” one of the judges asked.
The lady pointed to a shadowy figure just to the side of the stage. The judges recognized Joe as the man who brought them drinks and snacks throughout the show. “Why Joe,” they asked, almost in unison.
“When I was coming into the auditorium,” the woman started, “Joe saw me struggling with my bags and my baby. He helped me carry my things and find a seat. He stayed with me until I was situated. I tried to tip him, but he told me he was not an employee. He said that Jesus loved him and gave him everything – even a new life – and then Joe told me that God loved me and that because of that he loved me. I think Joe should be the Missional Idol.”
An older man at the back of the audience stood up. “I vote for Joe also. When got out of our taxi, I realized that I had left my wallet at home. We didn’t have money to pay the cab fare. We were about to get back in the taxi to go back home to get the money – and miss the show – when Joe walked up and paid the cab fare. I thanked Joe and asked for his address so that I could repay him. He asked me not to repay him. He said that God had paid everything for him, and he explained what God had paid for me. I also think Joe should be the Missional Idol.”
Person after person began to share stories about how Joe had helped them in small and big ways during the evening.
The judges eventually stopped the audience. “When Joe brought us drinks and snacks during the show, we also thought Joe was an employee of the production company. We started asking him to get other things for us, and he never complained. Looking back, we treated Joe like a servant, and he kept acting like a servant.”
“We realize now,” the judges continued, “that this is exactly what was missing from the contestants’ presentation. They talked about, conferenced about, sang about serving and loving other people, but none of them actually got their hands dirty while serving other people.”
“So, by unanimous decision, we are crowning Joe as the ‘Missional Idol'”. The audience erupted in applause. They jumped to their feet and continued clapping and cheering for several minutes. However, the stage remained clear. A few stage hands began rushing across the stage and looking backstage for Joe. Eventually, someone walked up to the judges and whispered to them.
One of the judges quieted the audience and made a final announcement. “Apparently, Joe slipped out the back door while we were talking about him. The last time anyone saw Joe, he was helping a family move their belongings into their new apartment across the street. We don’t know how to find Joe to give him this award.”
He paused a moment, and then continued: “Does anyone know how we can honor Joe?”
Interdependence
Last weekend, the American Cancer Society sponsored the local “Relay for Life”. We participated in the Relay last year, but not this year. When I read about the “Relay for Life”, it reminded me of a post I published last year called “Interdependence“. During last year’s “Relay for Life”, God used several events to remind me to live a life dependent on Him and interdependent on other believers.
————————————————–
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are both dependent upon God, and interdependent upon one another. Unfortunately, society teaches us to be independent – neither dependent nor interdependent. We’re taught to learn for ourselves, fend for ourselves, care for ourselves, earn for ourselves, and do for ourselves. We’re taught not to admit that we need help from anyone nor to accept help from anyone. This is the nature of American society, but it is not the nature of the follower of Jesus Christ – he or she has a new nature.
This point was driven home for me last Friday. Our family arrived at the event location for the North Raleigh / Wake Forest Relay for Life around 5:15 p.m. We were supposed to drop off our canopy, chairs, tables, etc. – which we did. The committee was supposed to pick up our stuff and take it to our site – which they did. I was supposed to park my vehicle – which I did – while my family walked to our site – which they did. Everything was going according to plan.
Except… as soon as I parked our van, it started to rain. It wasn’t a slow sprinkle, it was a gully-washer – at least, that’s what we called it in Alabama. The entire time that I was walking – running – to our event site, I could picture my family standing in the middle of a muddy field getting drenched by the rain. Imagine my surprise when I reached our site to find that two teenagers from a nearby site had come to their rescue! The two young men were helping my wife set up the canopy, and they had pulled all of our equipment under the canopy. Those two teenagers were my heroes that night! After I arrived, I helped them finish setting up the canopy, and we stayed as dry as we could while the rain continued.
Not long after our canopy was set up, another team arrived at the site next to ours. The team – at this time – consisted of a mother, her teenage daughter, and two or three more teenage girls. My family helped them spread their canopy over their stuff. We offered to help them raise their canopy, but they said they didn’t want to raise it yet. Instead, they stood under some umbrellas and waited for the husband to arrive.
When the husband arrived, I again went over and offered assistance. I told him that some boys from a neighboring site had helped us, and that we would love to help them set up their canopies – they actually had two. He said no. He didn’t need the help, but thank you anyway.
We watched and listened as he struggled to raise the canopy in the wind and rain. He was obviously getting frustrated because his family was not doing things the way he thought they should be done. They often spoke loudly – shouted – at one another as they tried to raise the two canopies and keep their stuff dry at the same time.
When the shouting had subsided for a moment, and when tempers seems to settle a little, I again walked over and asked if I could help. He said… and I quote… “No, we like to fight while we do this.” I told him that I would be glad to help, if he decided he needed anything. Then, I walked back to my canopy.
As I think back over this encounter, I recognize the church acting in this stubborn, independent manner many times. It seems that even believers have the attitude that they can do everything by themselves and they don’t need any one’s help. It often appears that many feel that asking for help or accepting help from others is a sign of weakness or spiritual immaturity.
This is such a travesty and a misunderstanding of what it means to be brothers and sisters in Christ. God provides us with relationships with one another so that we can love one another, accept one another, help one another, give to one another, and serve one another. We cannot make it through this life alone – at least, we cannot live the way God wants us to live alone. We need God, and we also need one another. Independence may be an American virtue, but it is a Christian vice.
The next day, Saturday, my family was helping one our young, single, female friends move. (I mentioned this briefly in my post called “Weekend of Service“.) A few weeks before, this young lady began telling people that she needed help finding a place to live. Another family asked if she would like to live with them. They shuffled their boys’ bedrooms so that our friend could have a room to herself, and Saturday afternoon, a bunch of us got together, packed up her belongings, and moved her into their house.
After unloading all of the boxes, another friend brought dinner for everyone. While I was sitting there enjoying a homemade meatball sub, I remembered the encounter with the man who refused to acknowledge that he needed help, and refused to accept help when it was offered. What a stark contrast to my friends, one of whom acknowledged that she needed help and accepted the help that was offered, and a family who was willing to put their own comforts aside and offer help.
This is a beautiful picture of God’s family. Brothers and sisters recognizing their complete dependence upon God and willing to live interdependent upon one another. That evening, I couldn’t help but thank them and praise God for the example of community that he had shown me that day.
stories: Prison Ministry Story
This post is part of my “stories” series. In this series, I share stories of how people live their lives in response to the gospel and as a demonstration of God’s love in order to teach us and to provide an example to provoke us to love and good works. (See “stories: A New Series” for more information about this series.)
I asked one of my friends to share how God is using him to serve in a prison. This is his story:
———————————————————–
I work in a prison, although my platform for being there is a little unique. I am a contractor for the prison through a local community college’s prison education department. Inmates at certain correctional facilities throughout the nation can earn an Associates degree while in prison. My position with the college is Instructor of Religion and I currently teach Old Testament and World Religions. I must say I came into this position by, what seems to me, divine providence. I had no desire or plans whatsoever to spend time ministering to inmates. Yet last summer I found myself right in the middle of another world that was right in front of me all along, the sub-culture of “corrections.â€
A recent Pew report shows that more than 1 in 100 Americans are incarcerated. This comes out to at least 1% of the United States’ population being in prison (the highest number of inmates in the world, more than China and Russia combined). Yet, despite such an obvious segment of the population behind bars, I had no conception of that reality outside of the occasional documentary on the History Channel. And before I knew it I was standing before a classroom full of student-inmates who were ready to learn the Old Testament. The strangeness of the atmosphere almost immediately faded away and I quickly fell in love with this new and surprising opportunity. And I learned quickly that prison is a place of suffering.
What follows are just a few images from the lives of a few of my students. MJ was shot in the head when he was a boy and unexpectedly survived. He claims that an angel came to him in the hospital and saved his life; this encourages his belief in God today. He hopes to provide for his wife and pre-school daughter when he is released in the next few years. Mike told me he began using drugs when he was 7 years old (his parents kept marijuana around the house). After he was arrested for dealing (at 16) he turned to heavy using. He was using cocaine and heroine when he was arrested again at age 19. He says that prison saved his life; he would like to assist in drug rehab programs for youth in the future.
One student told me of his time at the US Penitentiary in Atlanta, a notoriously violent maximum security facility, when he would call his wife crying every night, just trying to survive. He witnessed another inmate’s throat cut in front of him and multiple beatings, an all too common reality in such maximum security facilities. William is finishing up a 20-year sentence for a drug charge when he was 23. He is now 43 heading back to a world that is now foreign to him. Another student, Jamal, has not seen his son in three years; he and his wife are in the process of divorce. Todd is at the beginning of a 30-year sentence and has recently been diagnosed with terminal diabetes. The doctor estimated he has 5 years to live, which more than likely means he will die in prison.
I could go on with stories of pain and suffering from behind the walls of prisons, from society’s forgotten citizens. The amazing thing about prison is that these stories are the norm. Each individual inmate has a story of suffering.
Apparently prisons were important to Jesus and he says that they should be important to us. According to Matt. 25.35-40, Jesus taught,
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.
What we learn from Jesus is that serving the lowest of society is serving Christ. The poor that we are called to love include those who find themselves behind the bars of prisons. Thus, the result should be, I believe, that each inmate is the responsibility of society (especially the community of Christ), not simply a liability. Further, this leads me to believe in restorative justice as opposed to strictly retributive justice where only vengeance is sought through punishment. According to Christ, prisons are a place to serve. We have an opportunity to work for restoration instead of simply punishment.
Yet this really cannot happen outside of relationships. The nature of the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25 shows clearly that relationships are at the heart of all acts of love and compassion. Every example of service he gives involves one person serving another, which makes it clear that restoration cannot take place outside of community. There are scores of prison “ministries†out there but I have found that only few do a good job of building real relationships with inmates. It is easy to enter the prison every so often and deliver a “powerful†sermon but it is quite another to just be there with the inmates and know them and understand their world and their suffering. These relationships are invaluable and the potential for restoration is so much greater.
So what if our perspective on inmates is informed by a vision of restoration and compassion instead of anger or revenge? In short, what if we view guilty inmates as Christ does? When we see human faces made in God’s image as opposed to seeing a person simply by their crime we will begin to see the beautiful power of the gospel to make all things new. Jesus gave a transforming vision in John 13.34, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Our love must not be dependent upon what we receive in return or the worthiness of the other; it must be rooted in the love of Christ shown to us. Therefore, let us love one another as Christ has loved us, especially our neighbors in prison who so deeply need it.
Live and serve and love others radically
I’m not sure why I continue to read Dave Black’s blog. I always come across nuggets like this that point out my own selfishness (Friday, May 15, 2009 at 9:17 am):
In the church, our opposition is not basically outward and physical but inward and spiritual. It is, in fact, diabolical, led and planned by the devil himself. Scripturally, we are expected to acquire all we can by way of preparation, and then apply everything we acquire in the actual fight. Knowing biblical truth is not enough. We must live it out as well. “By this,” said Jesus, “everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” The Bible knows nothing of a disciple who does not live and serve and love others radically. We are called upon to give our all for the cause; we are called upon to sacrifice ourselves for the blessing of others. “Christian warfare” is hardly bellicose! It does not seek to “win.” It involves “losing” — the sacrifice of self on behalf of other people. It means being willing to deny myself, my own ambition, anything that centers on “me” — for the benefit of others. I am even called upon to lay down my life if necessary.
Did you see what he said? “The Bible knows nothing of a disciple who does not live and serve and love other radically”.
Well, the Bible may know nothing of this kind of disciple, but I know him all too well. In fact, I am that disciple. Well, I want to think of myself as a disciple. But, if Dave is correct… and I think he is… then many times it’s not Jesus that’s I’m following (the meaning of “disciple”). Instead, I’m following my self – my own desires – my own priorities – my own purposes – my own likes and dislikes – me, myself, and I.
To be completely honest, I’m tired of this. I’m tired of living for myself much of the time. I want to follow Jesus 24/7… seriously. But, I don’t do it.
So… you may be thinking… Alan, why don’t you just do more? Why don’t you just follow closer? Why don’t you just act better?
Because that would not help my situation at all. Anything that I do on my own strength will be more of the same – that is, more of Alan. I don’t want more of Alan… I want less of him.
You see, my failures do not make me want to try harder. Just the opposite. My failures in following Jesus make me want to stop doing things on my own (which is where and when I fail), and submit completely to Jesus Christ – to die, as it were, even if I must die literally.
My failures simply remind me of God’s grace. Yes, I am an imperfect follower of Jesus (“disciple”), but I remain God’s child. Why? Because I’m not God’s child because of the way that I follow Jesus. I’m God’s child because of his grace. And, I will remain God’s child in spite of the face that I do not live and serve and love others radically.
Oh, but how much I desire to live and serve and love others radically!! And, I thank God for that desire, and I earnestly pray that He changes me into a followers who continues to live and serve and love others more. But, I will not do this on my own. I can’t.
So, the next time you see me at a time when I’m not living and serving and loving others radically, you can remind me of my desire. Then, together, we can thank God for his grace and for the fact that he’s continue to transform us. Then, we can live our messy lives together.