Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If—” has long been admired as a guide to character. It celebrates calm under pressure, self-control amid chaos, and the ability to endure loss without bitterness. For many people, the poem represents maturity—becoming someone who can stand tall no matter what life throws their way. Written for a free person navigating life’s trials, its ideals feel aspirational and dignified. But what happens when those ideals are placed behind concrete walls and metal bars? What does “If—” look like in prison, and how does the Christian faith reinterpret both suffering and strength in that context? Examining prison through a Christian perspective alongside Kipling’s poem reveals both striking parallels and meaningful tensions—especially around dignity, endurance, failure, and hope.
Category: Psalms for Prisoners
The Prodigal’s Return
From my teenage years I wanted to distance myself from my family. I went off to college and then further away for graduate school seeking to gain my freedom. I then got married and started my career to establish my independence. I filled my time with what I wanted and only made grudging appearances for holidays. My brother grew up and got married. My parents grew their business and took up square dancing. They had their lives and I had mine. I didn’t live in a faraway land but halfway between my parents and my wife’s parents. Close enough to make the trip but far enough to not have to make it frequently. My focus was on my career, my interests, and my friends. I didn’t have time for family obligations or responsibilities. Even after my daughter was born, I continued to pursue my dreams without any concerns for how this affected anyone else. This is the very essence of being a prodigal.
Who Is the Paul to Your Timothy?(Or the Timothy to Your Paul?)
Timothy was a young Christian taught the scriptures by his mother and grandmother. He traveled with the Apostle Paul on a missionary tour because the Christian brothers in his hometown spoke well of him. While they spent time together Paul trained Timothy for leadership. Confident in Timothy’s ability to do the job, Paul left him at Ephesus to deal with the issues of the church plant there. Paul did not do this once, but at least twice that we know of. Paul left Titus in Crete to complete the task of organizing the church planted there. By this we can see that it is a model for preparing young Christian leaders through training in a hands-on way and then mentoring them once they have been appointed to a position. In modern times, training for ministry has taken on formal academic methodologies in divinity schools in the western world. However, the old model established by the Apostle Paul still works in the third world church and in places such as prisons where it is practical, efficient, and necessary. If you are a seasoned ministry leader, who are you bringing along to lead after you’ve gone? Don’t get so caught up in the daily struggles of ministry that you forget the future. Use the talents God has entrusted you with to multiply. Invest in the individuals whom God brings to you to grow and expand the ministry by teaching them the ropes and when the time comes delegating authority so that they can experience leadership while there is still someone there to guide them and answer their questions like Paul did.
Jonah and Me
I believe that the book of Jonah is real, that all the miraculous events recorded in it really happened, even it they can’t readily be explained. And that many Christians today can relate to Jonah because they see themselves in this man of God who lived nearly 3000 years ago. The book of Jonah isn’t about an ideal or perfect man that is setting up some impossible standard, instead it is about how God can use a man to do great things in spite of his imperfections, rebellion, and selfish desires. Note that each chapter in this short book represents a different scene with Jonah experiencing different situations which bring out different emotions, different aspects of his character and different spiritual conditions. This is the same thing that we as Christians experience in our own journey through life. Some situations bring out the best in us while others bring out the worst. We are works in progress, don’t think for a moment that we have reached perfection, but rather we are being perfected by God as He works in us and through us. Going through trials is one of the best schools of prayer. When faced with dire need many Christians call on the Lord with truly profound prayers. Helplessness not hopelessness leads to complete dependence upon God. So don’t despair, state the facts of your condition and steadfastly cling to your faith in God and trust in Him by obediently submitting to His call and let God bring about the miracle because He can do more than we ask or even imagine. As with many of us today, Jonah lacked peace, because although he obeyed God, he was not wholly reconciled to the will of God. True Peace comes only from full submission to and acceptance of the will of God in everything. Nothing saps spiritual activity more effectively than hidden rebellion against the divine will. We need to be men of integrity, accepting what the Lord gives us and completely surrendering to the will of God.
Spring 2020 Newsletter
With everything that is going on in the world now because of this novel corona virus pandemic and the widespread disruption to everyday life I don’t know where to begin. My thoughts and prayers are with you and the others incarcerated in jails and prisons in Michigan, America and around the world. In modern America no one ever intended that being sentenced to incarceration for a finite time in prison would result in significant damage to health or loss of life. It was not included in your sentence guidelines; it is an unintended consequence that comes about due to negligence or willful behavior on the part of those tasked with the responsibility of overseeing corrections. The current world-wide pandemic is only a temporary phenomenon, not the zombie apocalypse. When things really start to get crazy and your senses begin to get overwhelmed by all the information coming at you, it is possible for the mind to miss-assign information. This is known as Synesthesia and is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. If you feel like you are in over your head, then I encourage you to cry out to Jesus. So right now, offer up your prayer asking for help. Tell Jesus what you are afraid of, ask him to lift you up out of the water so you no longer feel like you are drowning. The storm may be raging around you, but you will be safe in the Savior’s arms. Seek his guidance to find your way back into the boat and trust Him to calm the storm.
Reflections on Praying Scripture
While I was incarcerated, I spent a lot of time in prayer. I studied prayers in the Bible and what scripture had to say about prayer. I read many books on prayer by both classic and contemporary authors. All for the purpose of understanding how to pray better. I was in a dark place and needed to learn how to prayer rightly. I needed to learn how to not just make my requests before God, but how to talk with Him. One of the most important concepts that I learned was the power of praying scripture. When we speak to God using his own words in the correct context there is power. The power of praise, especially in the midst of battle. The power of repentance in the face of sin. The power of Truth in a world of lies. The power of forgiveness instead of retribution. The power of God’s unmerited grace and mercy to redeem lives. The power of hope in the face of overwhelming odds. The power of certainty in a chaotic situation. Even though I had the support of my family, a prison church fellowship, and a few men I would dare call friends it was prayer that got me through my time. Despite the overcrowded conditions of the housing unit, most inmates experience a deep sense of isolation and loneliness. While the drone of everyday life there made it difficult to sleep and hard to concentrate at times, I was assured that God heard my prayers and that his abiding presence would never leave me nor forsake me. He was closer than a brother and always just a heartbeat away. I trusted Him with my life, I still trust Him, and I will always trust Him because He is faithful.
Diamonds – The Untold Story
There is an analogy that compares the Christian life to the formation of diamonds, where a lump of coal undergoes a transformation by exposure to tremendous heat and pressure. But as Paul Harvey used to say, “and now for the rest of the story.”
Discipline ≠ Punishment
For the Christian, God’s discipline brings the body, mind, emotions and spirit under the control of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are born again, we are infants in Christ and must grow in our faith. As children we must be educated and trained. Discipline and punishment are like the two sides of a coin. You cannot have one without the other. Discipline provides the context within which punishment may be used. “You exercise to discipline your body. You study the Word of God to discipline your soul (mind and emotions). You pray to discipline your spirit. You meditate to unite the three.”
Called to Be A Blessing
As a Christian we are called to be a blessing. Psalms 103:1-5 is a Psalm of King David where he describes God’s blessings. When we bless God that means we praise Him, kneeling in humble adoration. Praise is our response for what God has done for us. Under the New Covenant obedience is our response to blessing not the means of obtaining it. Jesus empowered the 12 disciples and sent them on a missionary trip to preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who had leprosy and drive out demons. Christ does the same for us today, empowering us for service, so we can bless others the way we ourselves were blessed. The lost, sick, dead, leapers, and demon possessed surround us and we choose to interact with them or avoid them on a daily basis. It takes a conscious effort on our part to not shy away, but rather to bless those who are most in need of our blessing.
Creed and Community
The Apostles Creed is a statement of the main Christian beliefs whose earliest versions can be traced back to the A.D. 100’s. It is likely that the creed grew out of the life of the church.
At its heart, the church is a community of believers who are joined by their shared faith in Jesus Christ. Christian community involves service to one another and that starts with listening to one another. Once we begin listening only then can we be truly helpful in performing service.