In the world of prison, there exists a loneliness that can be lethal...
Everyone experiences degrees of loneliness at some point in our lives. This is normal. But there is another level of loneliness which is especially prevalent in here. It is a spirit that can become so oppressive it could actually cause a man to take his life. I've seen it happen more than once.
This kind of loneliness can fill a man's mind with despair, even to a point where he becomes delusional. He will reach the point where he feels helpless, that there is no hope of his life ever getting any better, and death by suicide is the only option. He will see suicide as his only escape from crushing emotional pain. This is a wrong and distorted view, of course. And it is a lie. As suicide is always a lie, whether the thought originates within a man's heart or it is placed there by a demon.
After all, according to the Lord Jesus himself, He has come into the world to give a life of spiritual abundance and fruitfulness, which includes joy, to all who place their faith in Him.
Anyhow, when a man begins to perceive his situation as hopeless, and when loneliness is causing him to see himself as unwanted and unloved, he may think that killing himself is the way out of his misery. He's made a mess of his life, true. He committed a crime for which he is now in prison. And he may feel guilty for what he has done. But there is no sin that the Lord cannot or will not forgive.
Unfortunately, however, when a prisoner is overcome by this kind of intense loneliness, his mind becomes incapable of comprehending two important things. First, that Jesus Christ should be the light of his life. "In Him (Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4). Second, that Satan has blinded him from understanding the gospel. "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
And while in prison officials and mental health professionals probably do not understand the spiritual aspect behind this level of loneliness, they do not recognize that feelings of loneliness and hopelessness can produce suicidal thoughts in a person's mind, that these factors can coalesce together to form a deadly combination. They know, too, that suicide is a foe which they must do everything within their power to guard against, especially now, because it's Christmas. And I, myself, as a Christian, must be vigilant to watch for this spirit of loneliness and the despair that it brings. Because I know, having been incarcerated for more than three decades, that during the holidays loneliness and depression are more apt to appear. Feelings of sadness and emptiness become more pronounced.
Therefore, I have been asking the Lord for the wisdom to know what to do and say, should I meet a man who's feeling downcast. God, I believe, has me here to watch over the souls of these men.
D.B.
This kind of loneliness can fill a man's mind with despair, even to a point where he becomes delusional. He will reach the point where he feels helpless, that there is no hope of his life ever getting any better, and death by suicide is the only option. He will see suicide as his only escape from crushing emotional pain. This is a wrong and distorted view, of course. And it is a lie. As suicide is always a lie, whether the thought originates within a man's heart or it is placed there by a demon.
After all, according to the Lord Jesus himself, He has come into the world to give a life of spiritual abundance and fruitfulness, which includes joy, to all who place their faith in Him.
Anyhow, when a man begins to perceive his situation as hopeless, and when loneliness is causing him to see himself as unwanted and unloved, he may think that killing himself is the way out of his misery. He's made a mess of his life, true. He committed a crime for which he is now in prison. And he may feel guilty for what he has done. But there is no sin that the Lord cannot or will not forgive.
Unfortunately, however, when a prisoner is overcome by this kind of intense loneliness, his mind becomes incapable of comprehending two important things. First, that Jesus Christ should be the light of his life. "In Him (Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4). Second, that Satan has blinded him from understanding the gospel. "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
And while in prison officials and mental health professionals probably do not understand the spiritual aspect behind this level of loneliness, they do not recognize that feelings of loneliness and hopelessness can produce suicidal thoughts in a person's mind, that these factors can coalesce together to form a deadly combination. They know, too, that suicide is a foe which they must do everything within their power to guard against, especially now, because it's Christmas. And I, myself, as a Christian, must be vigilant to watch for this spirit of loneliness and the despair that it brings. Because I know, having been incarcerated for more than three decades, that during the holidays loneliness and depression are more apt to appear. Feelings of sadness and emptiness become more pronounced.
Therefore, I have been asking the Lord for the wisdom to know what to do and say, should I meet a man who's feeling downcast. God, I believe, has me here to watch over the souls of these men.
D.B.
