"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans
and widows in their distress, and refusing to let the world corrupt you."
James 1:27 NLT
As men who are locked away in prison so often do...
and widows in their distress, and refusing to let the world corrupt you."
James 1:27 NLT
As men who are locked away in prison so often do...
...they will spend considerable time reminiscing about the past, be it good memories, or bad ones. While for me, I began to think about a friend of mine whom I knew back in the 1990s. His name was Gregory, and he was a young man in his early twenties.
Gregory was doing a sentence of about 7 to 10 years. But between his mother's own mental health issues and her persistent poverty, and Gregory's behavioral issues as well, the day came when his mom just couldn't cope any longer.
So one morning, she and her then four-year-old son walked to one of New York City's subway platforms, where she took a rope she had with her, and tied him to an iron pole that was a part of the station's platform, and left him there. He never saw her again.
When I first met Gregory, I could tell he was a very excitable person who was easily irritated. So he was taking various medications to control his emotions, and to minimize his outbursts when frustrated. But he had a kind and friendly personality, as well.
Gregory loved God, and he loved to sing Gospel songs too. He was a good person whom I immediately took under my wings. But what drew me to him more than anything was his tragic childhood. Born to a dysfunctional mother and never having known who his father was, both he and his mom were basically all alone. He had no family that he knew of.
But then came the day for his mother to do the unthinkable. With her son now tied to a steel pole quietly waiting for the train to come, when the subway car doors opened, Gregory's mom simply stepped into the subway car, leaving her frightened son tied up and wailing. She never looked back, and she was never found.
Someone called the police. And as for the now abandoned child, Gregory, ended up under the care of New York City's Family Services, where he was institutionalized. And eventually, once he reached his eighteenth birthday, he was officially released to the streets.
Now an adult, he was on his own. Thus, for a lonely Gregory, as most would predict, things did not bode well. Gregory entered the world of the City's homeless, and from there it was "steal to survive." And it was only a matter of time before he got into trouble.
Repeated run-ins with the law resulted into a growing criminal record of nonviolent misdemeanors, and then into nonviolent felonies. While jail time of weeks and months for various offenses, morphed into years in prison. And it was here in prison where Gregory and I crossed paths. We became friends, and brothers in Christ.
He would eventually get out, and I don't know what became of him. The abandoned boy became an unfortunate orphan. Many years have passed since then, but I will never forget Gregory.
D.B.
Gregory was doing a sentence of about 7 to 10 years. But between his mother's own mental health issues and her persistent poverty, and Gregory's behavioral issues as well, the day came when his mom just couldn't cope any longer.
So one morning, she and her then four-year-old son walked to one of New York City's subway platforms, where she took a rope she had with her, and tied him to an iron pole that was a part of the station's platform, and left him there. He never saw her again.
When I first met Gregory, I could tell he was a very excitable person who was easily irritated. So he was taking various medications to control his emotions, and to minimize his outbursts when frustrated. But he had a kind and friendly personality, as well.
Gregory loved God, and he loved to sing Gospel songs too. He was a good person whom I immediately took under my wings. But what drew me to him more than anything was his tragic childhood. Born to a dysfunctional mother and never having known who his father was, both he and his mom were basically all alone. He had no family that he knew of.
But then came the day for his mother to do the unthinkable. With her son now tied to a steel pole quietly waiting for the train to come, when the subway car doors opened, Gregory's mom simply stepped into the subway car, leaving her frightened son tied up and wailing. She never looked back, and she was never found.
Someone called the police. And as for the now abandoned child, Gregory, ended up under the care of New York City's Family Services, where he was institutionalized. And eventually, once he reached his eighteenth birthday, he was officially released to the streets.
Now an adult, he was on his own. Thus, for a lonely Gregory, as most would predict, things did not bode well. Gregory entered the world of the City's homeless, and from there it was "steal to survive." And it was only a matter of time before he got into trouble.
Repeated run-ins with the law resulted into a growing criminal record of nonviolent misdemeanors, and then into nonviolent felonies. While jail time of weeks and months for various offenses, morphed into years in prison. And it was here in prison where Gregory and I crossed paths. We became friends, and brothers in Christ.
He would eventually get out, and I don't know what became of him. The abandoned boy became an unfortunate orphan. Many years have passed since then, but I will never forget Gregory.
D.B.