Eleven
____________
Blood In
The Cyrene meeting time rolled
around faster than a round pudgy wanna-be-gangster boy being kicked across the
exercise yard. Officer Johnson informed Renie that Inmate Cords, i.e. the Perv,
had decided to go see the Friday film instead of attending the meeting,
"That leaves an opening or two."
Renie ran to ask Joey if he’d
like to have a go at it. At first Joey said no, but then changed his mind.
“Why not?” he slurred. “Gimme
some of that ol’ time religion, as they say.”
Once searched and escorted, the
youths filed into the room and took seats. Renie and Joey sat one row behind
Cornell.
Turning his head, Cornell
saluted the two, “Hey, howzit goin’?”
Renie replied, “Great, this is
my roomie, Joey.”
Cornell’s piercing eyes studied
the youth carefully, “I seen ya out on the yard once I think.”
“Probably, I’ve been out there a
couple of times,” confirmed Joey.
“You read that verse they gave
us last time, Ren?”
“Yeah, and the whole chapter.”
Silence erupted when Clifford
James entered the room. He informed the youths that his two compatriots, Lenny
and Byron, were at another youth prison that evening and he would be handling
things alone.
Clifford started out with a
short prayer and went right into his message, “The toughest gang leader ever
gave all of his blood so you could be members of his clan. He had twelve
lieutenants on his own crew. One of them betrayed him. They were renegades, tax
collectors, fisherman; you name it, a variety of fellows that this leader
handpicked himself. You use his blood to join up, not your own and not
another’s.”
The group displayed their
obvious curiosity by looking at each other while Clifford explained how Jesus
Christ was considered a trouble maker by the religious leaders of his day. He
informed the boys that God once required a blood sacrifice for sin from his
chosen people, the Jews, but now had sent his own son to die and be that
sacrifice for everyone, once for all.
Clifford added a brief overview
of the gospels before asking the youths if they had any interest in knowing the
Jesus of the Bible. “Some ministers ask folks to come down front to pray to
receive Christ, some use an eyes closed thing and people just raise their
hands, and some just have people ask God on their own in privacy.”
“We want a show of hands,” one
youth yelled out.
Another added, “Yeah, ain’t no
cowards here, preach. Either ya do or ya don’t. It’s that simple.”
“Ok, then,” Clifford said, “A
show of hands it is.”
Almost all of the boys raised
their hands. Joey put his hand up then down for a while before raising it up
again.
“The cross you must carry in
here is heavy, awkward and full of painfully long splinters,” commented
Clifford. “That is why our ministry is named Cyrene, remember, after the man
Simon who was forced to carry our Lord’s cross for the assent up Golgotha. Our
desire is to help you with the load of your crosses as best we can. But most of
its heavy load will be yours to bear alone with Christ. Can you handle that?”
“Yeah,” some yelled. “Bring it
on.”
Clifford continued, “This isn’t
a thing about being tough and noticed. It’s more about having a relationship
with God, a relationship that helps you, so you can help others.”
The boys sat attentively.
“You live your life, pray
whether you have problems or not, and find God’s answers in your reading of the
Bible. God speaks through those words. Then, once you see God doing something
in your life, you can tell others about it and even help someone who’s going
through a problem that you have already been through.”
Renie and many other boys
wondered if God was with them in those horrible moments that happen to them
all, those moments everyone denies and never mentions. The boys were not
prepared for what was said next.
“Every time those rapes and
assaults happen to you, I want you to picture in your mind the soldiers beating
the blindfolded Jesus with their fists and rods, and also the pounding of those
nails into Christ’s palms; picture our Savior agonizing in pain on that cross
of execution. Do this for any abuse you get for being a Christian. If they are
dishonoring you because you belong to God, then you know he will reward you
when you meet Christ face to face.”
The youths had never heard such
a preacher before; someone who addressed their world and their lives so well.
Renie’s face lit up with hope.
Clifford read to the group the
story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. He asked the boys if there were
any questions. Many questions arose, finally someone inquired about the
bindings.
“That is a good question, the bindings.
One thing you will notice,” Clifford took a deep breath, “Jesus told others to
unbind Lazarus and set him free. We can’t always get free from the things that
bind our lives, we need help sometimes.”
It was as if lights went on in a
dark tunnel. The boys understood that they needed each other.
“Lazarus was dead and gone,
hopelessly lost in his stinking grave!”
The youths looked around at each
other.
“But Christ called him back to
life and told his family and friends to set him free; he’ll do that for you if
you believe and trust in him patiently.”
Joey spilled his guts about how
he and a group of boys had abused a Christian kid some years earlier, “Do you
think that Jesus kid and God could ever forgive me?”
“Yes. If you ever run across
that boy ask for forgiveness, but don’t go on a sin witch hunt looking for
people you’ve wronged in your past; face forward and pave your future road in
life with service to Christ. Jesus said that whatever you have done to the
least of his children, you have done it to him.”
“That’s a scary thing,” Renie
replied.
“No, not really, the Bible says
that all sin against Jesus, the Son of Man, will be forgiven. Our Lord takes
those wrongs we do to his children and puts them upon himself, now he can
forgive them. You’re responsible to turn away from those types of actions and
confess to God what you did.”
Clifford paced back and forth
across the room looking each boy in the eye. “Those horrendous crimes many of
you have committed are also a cross you must bear. The pain of the memories and
the burden of guilt are just some of the piercing nails you will feel from time
to time. God forgives and removes those sins far from us, but we still remember
them and so do the victims. Dying to our self and focusing on Christ,” Clifford
raised his Bible. “that is all we can do. It’s a day by day, step by step
thing.”
“So Christ can relate to us in
this prison and he knows what our lives have been like and what they’re like
now?” Renie questioned for clarification.
“Correct. Jesus has been the
reject. They considered him a bastard kid in his home town; a child conceived
outside of marriage, that was a big deal back then. Religious leaders despised
Jesus and even one of Jesus’ own apostles ratted him out for a handful of cash.
You are not alone.”
“It’s blood in, preacher. The
blood of Christ gives us the in to his kingdom,” Renie affirmed.
One of the youths said, “Amen!”
It began to feel a little like an old time revival meeting in that prison room.
Clifford read to the group
Matthew 18:21-22, “Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’” Clifford looked
at the youth, and then continued, “Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up
to seven times, but up to seventy times seven’.”
“That’s a lot,” someone
commented.
Clifford responded, “Imagine
someone committing a wrong against you that many times in a row and you
forgiving them.”
The boys thought about that for
a moment.
“And God is so much more
forgiving than we are. He will forgive you, just be honest with him. He knows
the truth anyway.”
“Thanks, preach,” Renie yelled.
The others joined in thanking Clifford for coming.
“I’m just happy God let me come tonight. God bless
all of you; see you in three weeks or so.”
Next Chapter: Rat-a-tat-tat
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