Candles in darkness

Candles In Darkness Frederick Mason USP Tucson #55487-056 PO Box 2455 0 Tucson AZ 85734 Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden." Ecclesiastes 11:7 "Truly the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun." There is no question that there are many "dark" places in the world, but one of the "darkest" is the prisons. As an inmate, I know firsthand how "dark" it can be. And when I say "dark", I'm not talking about a place devoid of natural light. I'm talking about the emotional and spiritual pains that most inmates go through. Society has only been shown the physical characteristics of prison; gangs, violence, guys in tattoos and the such. The implication here is that every inmate is a problem, and for the most part, beyond saving. And in that, there exists a void of hope- thus the darkness. Yet those same television programs don't show abusive officers, who use position to treat inmates inhumanely, and provoke them to actions they would be in turn, punished for. Folks... you haven't even begun to see the treatment many officers have inflicted on inmates. Note, this isn't every officer (to be fair), but quite enough. Yet in even all this, in the worst of times, there needs to be "candles" in the prisons. As dark as prisons are, it is absolutely critical for people to be a light. Understand, I'm not talking about being perfect- none of us are. And I'm not talking about officers being the rolemodels . , . Yeah, right...not the ones I've-seen. Many (not all) are just as wicked as inmates. I'm talking about inmates being the candles. In the midst of very difficult times, we, as inmates have to continue to hope, to believe, and to trust God to work things out, I know, not easy to do, when you're surrounded by so much negativity, Guys here got 10 years, 2 0 years, 4 0 years,.oLIFE,.. Multiple LIFE sentences... Where's the hope going to come from? How can you hope in the middle of a pitch-black city? It starts within, and that comes from a spiritual war within yourself. Do you believe that your story of life ends because of what a judge in a crooked Justice Department says? Or do you believe what God says in Jeremiah 29:11: Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Do you believe you still have value, not just to yourself, but to others around you? Your "light" is directly related to this. If you have given up on yourself, and resign to "accept fate", then you're nothing more than a candle with no wick. You contain no way to give light- HOPE- to anyone around you. Prisons are "filled with such people. Yet, I contend that it's not enough to not give up. I mean, it's good to see guys fighting their case, and many fight it for years, even a decade...or longer. But to become a burning candle, you have to give light. A candle is no good if it has no wick. But additionally, a candle WITH a wick is still useless in a dark room until it is lit, and gives off light. A pitch-black room with 5 0 people will ALL turn and focus on a lone candle lit in that room. A ship on the stormy sea at night looks for the lighthouse. In distress, it is natural to look first for security, and light is a perfect example of this. No different in prison. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14 that we (believers) are the light of the world. He didn't say perfect people, or "religious" people...He said YOU... believers. And if that light is in you, it will be noticed, just like a city on a hill. A good-hearted person WILL be noticed, even in a prison. and people will be drawn to them. Why? Because if God is in them, if that person trust in God, believes that there is a good ending coming, and carries himself in a positive and encouraging way, then people will be drawn to him, A person like that is shedding hope, a M r very rare and greatly desired commodity in prison. I know from experience that the prisons need more of that. That kind of light is "sweet and pleasant for the eyes to behold". People LIKE nice people; they're drawn to a goodnatured person. And yes, there are some in prison. These guys, though few and far between, are the candles in the darkness, blessings from God to remind the hopeless that there is still hope, Look up into the sky at night, what do your eyes naturally focus on? Anything that gives light, whether the moon, stars or a passing airplane. In prisons, people are naturally drawn to good-hearted people. It is a gentle reminder that if one person can display hope in a positive way, then surely there is a God that has a plan- a good plan, for all of us. Being in prison isn't the end- not as long as there's a God of mercy, and believers with hope. But there must exist, in the midst of the darkness, a candle, a sign of hope, to those who sit in the darkness. The light plays no favorites; it shines for ANYONE who looks upon it; it gives light to ANYONE who seeks it. Can it be any different with God, who shows mercy to all who seek it? So then, it is necessary, critical and imperative for those inmates who are candles to continue to give light- for in it, they also give hope to those who need it. \u if yoncX Ift^