Because of the way I had lived my life in the past, and because of the crimes I committed that eventually brought me to prison, and through the media's continuous portrayal of me as a demented and sinister figure, I have to work hard to overcome immense odds in order to accomplish anything that is good and positive...
Yet it is not my doing. The Lord, I believe, is at work behind the scenes. Nevertheless, through Him I have been able to conquer seemingly insurmountable obstacles in order to reach out to those young persons who may be going down the same self-destructive path I was on.
These days I see young men from all walks of life coming to prison with lengthy sentences after having committed an array of very serious crimes. And they will most likely grow old in prison and perhaps die here, too. Such a waste!
As the years go by they will be left to contemplate what brought each of them to this place. There will be plenty of time for much soul-searching and reflection. And there will be many nights when they will find themselves wrestling with the demons of regret.
However, as a result of all this, I often find myself asking the question, "Is there anybody trying to reach these men to steer them away from crime, drugs and gangs?" I'm sure there is, but the numbers who've devoted themselves to reaching out to our youth are no doubt few; there's not enough of them.
The recent murders of three young college students in the city of Newark, New Jersey, whose lives were filled with hope and promise, is an example that many teenagers and young adults virtually live in the streets without any guidance or direction. Some of the culprits who were arrested for this triple killing are juveniles who were hanging out in the wee hours of the morning.
Meanwhile, in spite of the odds I hope to continue to share my message of hope with as many as I can. And I must also add that the church needs to be praying for a spiritual awakening among the youth of our nation. Prison is not the place for young men. So my plea to street and youth outreach ministries, and those who go into juvenile detention centers and jails, is this:
REACH THEM AND TEACH THEM.
D.B.
These days I see young men from all walks of life coming to prison with lengthy sentences after having committed an array of very serious crimes. And they will most likely grow old in prison and perhaps die here, too. Such a waste!
As the years go by they will be left to contemplate what brought each of them to this place. There will be plenty of time for much soul-searching and reflection. And there will be many nights when they will find themselves wrestling with the demons of regret.
However, as a result of all this, I often find myself asking the question, "Is there anybody trying to reach these men to steer them away from crime, drugs and gangs?" I'm sure there is, but the numbers who've devoted themselves to reaching out to our youth are no doubt few; there's not enough of them.
The recent murders of three young college students in the city of Newark, New Jersey, whose lives were filled with hope and promise, is an example that many teenagers and young adults virtually live in the streets without any guidance or direction. Some of the culprits who were arrested for this triple killing are juveniles who were hanging out in the wee hours of the morning.
Meanwhile, in spite of the odds I hope to continue to share my message of hope with as many as I can. And I must also add that the church needs to be praying for a spiritual awakening among the youth of our nation. Prison is not the place for young men. So my plea to street and youth outreach ministries, and those who go into juvenile detention centers and jails, is this:
REACH THEM AND TEACH THEM.
D.B.
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