I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. (Col. 4:18)
'Have patience, have patience, don't be in such a hurry . . . .' Those of you old enough to remember the old 'Psalty' cassette tapes might remember the 'snail' exhorting the kids to remember that 'God is patient, too!' Indeed. I used to enjoy mimicking that basso profondo -- still do, in fact, with grandkids now (we're keeping three while their parents are away). What I don't enjoy so much is when the 'music' gets played back to me, but it must be a lot more frustrating for 'Raymond.'
One would think.
Let me explain. Some of you will remember the post 'I was in prison . . .' some months back. 'Raymond' is incarcerated for life, something he's not proud of. But he does boast in the grace of God that found him, just before he was contemplating suicide because of guilt over what he had done. Jesus lifted him up to grace. Eventually he trained as a chaplain's assistant (two years of theological study), and has been one of the most enthusiastic students I have ever seen.
I mean,how much time do you and I spend reading and using books like An Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic: An Elementary Grammar of the Language? Or how about The Codification of the Qur'an Text, by John Gilchrist? Raymond wants to counter Muslim arguments, so he does his homework.
Back to the problem of patience. Yes, I know he's in prison for what he did, and that has consequences. Christians have no trouble reminding me of that, which disturbs me a little, but that's a subject for another post.
What happened recently to Raymond was that he got put into solitary confinement, through no fault of his own, except that it looks like--if I may be permitted a little speculation--it was because he reaches out to Muslims. At least that's the only explanation that anybody can come up with. He hasn't been accused of anything, but in this particular department of corrections (I guess it is probably that way in most states), he doesn't have to be accused of anything. The authorities can do what they want. And they do.
Raymond has been there for a month now; I couldn't figure out why I wasn't getting any phone calls or e-mails from him, because normally he calls me twice a week. (That is, if his dorm doesn't get 'locked down' for some reason, which can happen pretty easily.) I worried about him--anything can happen. There are gangs in prison that operate pretty freely, or so it seems, so maybe it really is for his safety, I don't know.
At least it was relief to get his last letter. Written with his own hand (like Paul), all eight pages. He has to get a lot in; he's only allowed to send two letters a month, and I hope the other letter was sent to his mother.
He's also allowed to get out of his cell two times a week; to take a shower.
So guess who has had a problem with patience? Me. Not Raymond; he's rejoicing because there is a Muslim just two cells down that he can talk to. Via the 'grapevine' of course, not directly.
So, OK the circumstances aren't quite the same as when Paul was writing out of a Roman prison. He wasn't there because he did anything wrong. But I have this theory, that GRACE can transform circumstances that we cause by our bad choices into God's choices for us, so that Raymond can still say, 'I am in chains for the Gospel . . . .' (Philemon 13). The old has passed away, the new has come in Raymond's life.
And hopefully the same thing will happen in the days ahead in the lives of many more who come close to him.
God bless you brother, you are one of the biggest inspirations to my life that I know.
. . . we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? (1 Thess. 3:7-9)
'Have patience, have patience, don't be in such a hurry . . . .' Those of you old enough to remember the old 'Psalty' cassette tapes might remember the 'snail' exhorting the kids to remember that 'God is patient, too!' Indeed. I used to enjoy mimicking that basso profondo -- still do, in fact, with grandkids now (we're keeping three while their parents are away). What I don't enjoy so much is when the 'music' gets played back to me, but it must be a lot more frustrating for 'Raymond.'
One would think.
Let me explain. Some of you will remember the post 'I was in prison . . .' some months back. 'Raymond' is incarcerated for life, something he's not proud of. But he does boast in the grace of God that found him, just before he was contemplating suicide because of guilt over what he had done. Jesus lifted him up to grace. Eventually he trained as a chaplain's assistant (two years of theological study), and has been one of the most enthusiastic students I have ever seen.
I mean,how much time do you and I spend reading and using books like An Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic: An Elementary Grammar of the Language? Or how about The Codification of the Qur'an Text, by John Gilchrist? Raymond wants to counter Muslim arguments, so he does his homework.
Back to the problem of patience. Yes, I know he's in prison for what he did, and that has consequences. Christians have no trouble reminding me of that, which disturbs me a little, but that's a subject for another post.
What happened recently to Raymond was that he got put into solitary confinement, through no fault of his own, except that it looks like--if I may be permitted a little speculation--it was because he reaches out to Muslims. At least that's the only explanation that anybody can come up with. He hasn't been accused of anything, but in this particular department of corrections (I guess it is probably that way in most states), he doesn't have to be accused of anything. The authorities can do what they want. And they do.
Raymond has been there for a month now; I couldn't figure out why I wasn't getting any phone calls or e-mails from him, because normally he calls me twice a week. (That is, if his dorm doesn't get 'locked down' for some reason, which can happen pretty easily.) I worried about him--anything can happen. There are gangs in prison that operate pretty freely, or so it seems, so maybe it really is for his safety, I don't know.
At least it was relief to get his last letter. Written with his own hand (like Paul), all eight pages. He has to get a lot in; he's only allowed to send two letters a month, and I hope the other letter was sent to his mother.
He's also allowed to get out of his cell two times a week; to take a shower.
So guess who has had a problem with patience? Me. Not Raymond; he's rejoicing because there is a Muslim just two cells down that he can talk to. Via the 'grapevine' of course, not directly.
So, OK the circumstances aren't quite the same as when Paul was writing out of a Roman prison. He wasn't there because he did anything wrong. But I have this theory, that GRACE can transform circumstances that we cause by our bad choices into God's choices for us, so that Raymond can still say, 'I am in chains for the Gospel . . . .' (Philemon 13). The old has passed away, the new has come in Raymond's life.
And hopefully the same thing will happen in the days ahead in the lives of many more who come close to him.
God bless you brother, you are one of the biggest inspirations to my life that I know.
. . . we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? (1 Thess. 3:7-9)
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