The Educational Aspect of Being in Prison
One of the on-going debates that's been around a long time is whether the main purpose of putting a person in prison is for reeducation and rehabilitation or for punishment and protection of society at large. While some may go to prison and receive "vocational training" for the furtherance of their life of crime, the prisoners I talk with all say they've learned their lesson and have no intention of ever going wrong again. I pray that they are right, and it's not just a temporary attitude while they're in prison.
As for my own "time behind bars" (2 hours or so every Monday afternoon), it has been an educational experience. The mix of nationalities and languages and religious backgrounds is educational in itself. Baptist, a few; Catholic, many; Jehovah's Witness, one (that I knew of); ex-Muslims and ex-animists, a broad range of ideas that get debated in the weekly lessons. But last Monday I had a real learning experience.
Only two men came to the meeting. Oleg, one of the Ukrainians, and Usher, a native of Jamaica, most recently of London. They could not be more opposite in many ways: Oleg hardly ever speaks (he knows some Portuguese, but hardly any English)---Usher is one of those who asks the most questions and participates in the discussions; Oleg sports the typical Ukrainian haircut, a close-cut butch---Usher, dreadlocks to his shoulder blades. When I asked Usher how long he had been reading the Bible, he said he only started when he got in prison. As I asked about his religious background, it all became clear: he is a Rastafari, a term I had heard one time or another, but knew nothing about. The remainder of our time was spent learning what Usher believes as a Rastafari and even Oleg got in on the discussion. He is Orthodox and finds our evangelical approach to the Bible different, but he sits in and listens, saying little---but Usher's claim that Emperor Haile Selassie is the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords made for some interesting discussion.
The revelation of Usher's religious alignment explained why he asks certain questions, mostly centered on the Jews, Abraham, and King Solomon. It explained the dreadlocks. I asked Usher if they try to "evangelize", that is, convert others to their religion. I get the idea they don't, but Usher did say that it is possible for someone to hear the Rastafari beliefs and accept them, and even if that person didn't have dreadlocks, he would be considered to have dreadlocks in his heart. Sounds like a twisted version of "the circumcision of the heart" Paul wrote about in the book of Romans, and my heart is far from dreadlocked, I assure you.
Pray for me as I go each week to minister to such a diverse group, that I would have the wisdom to answer wisely and counsel rightly those who come to the meetings.
As for my own "time behind bars" (2 hours or so every Monday afternoon), it has been an educational experience. The mix of nationalities and languages and religious backgrounds is educational in itself. Baptist, a few; Catholic, many; Jehovah's Witness, one (that I knew of); ex-Muslims and ex-animists, a broad range of ideas that get debated in the weekly lessons. But last Monday I had a real learning experience.
Only two men came to the meeting. Oleg, one of the Ukrainians, and Usher, a native of Jamaica, most recently of London. They could not be more opposite in many ways: Oleg hardly ever speaks (he knows some Portuguese, but hardly any English)---Usher is one of those who asks the most questions and participates in the discussions; Oleg sports the typical Ukrainian haircut, a close-cut butch---Usher, dreadlocks to his shoulder blades. When I asked Usher how long he had been reading the Bible, he said he only started when he got in prison. As I asked about his religious background, it all became clear: he is a Rastafari, a term I had heard one time or another, but knew nothing about. The remainder of our time was spent learning what Usher believes as a Rastafari and even Oleg got in on the discussion. He is Orthodox and finds our evangelical approach to the Bible different, but he sits in and listens, saying little---but Usher's claim that Emperor Haile Selassie is the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords made for some interesting discussion.
The revelation of Usher's religious alignment explained why he asks certain questions, mostly centered on the Jews, Abraham, and King Solomon. It explained the dreadlocks. I asked Usher if they try to "evangelize", that is, convert others to their religion. I get the idea they don't, but Usher did say that it is possible for someone to hear the Rastafari beliefs and accept them, and even if that person didn't have dreadlocks, he would be considered to have dreadlocks in his heart. Sounds like a twisted version of "the circumcision of the heart" Paul wrote about in the book of Romans, and my heart is far from dreadlocked, I assure you.
Pray for me as I go each week to minister to such a diverse group, that I would have the wisdom to answer wisely and counsel rightly those who come to the meetings.
posted by EP | 12:46 AM | Permalink
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