As I look at what my life has been like for me I often feel like I am a survivalist on the path of self destruction.
In 1990 “Self Destruction” was a number one song but that was more than 20 years ago and we still haven’t gotten the message.
Does every black man feel this way or am I the exception, just some twisted contradiction from my true reflection of GOD’s perfection? Continue reading
“O my comforter in my sorrow, my heart is faint within me” Jeremiah 8:18
God Is Our Comforter
He has given us His Holy Spirit to carry us across the desert sands of all our trials.
“The Trampling of My Courts”
“When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts?”
– Isaiah 1:12 –
I was lost and alone,
behind these bars of steel.
Afraid of what was ahead of me,
with no one to appeal.
“Weeping may endure for the night,
but joy comes in the morning”
– Psalm 30:5 –
In the midst of our
darkest times,
of great sadness and sorrow.
“WHO SET THE CAPTIVES FREE”
Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19)
As I lay still in my cell,
wondering why I am still
awake.
My heart is eager oh Lord,
until the morning comes
of which I can hardly wait.
NOTE: The views expressed on Prison Lectionary are those of the individual author of each post and do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrators of Prison Lectionary.
“There is an illusion of central position, justifying one’s own purposes as right and everybody else’s as wrong and providing a proper degree of paranoia. Righteous ends, thus approved, absolve of guilt the most violent means.” – Henri Amiel –
“Kill ’em With Kindness”
I am an inmate in a Virginia correctional facility and I have been in prison for the better part of a quarter of a century and I am shocked by the level of senseless violence that has been occurring in this country lately. Before I came to prison events like the one that took place at Pulse in Orlando, Florida the site of this nation’s worst mass shooting to date was almost unheard of. But now these incidents are so commonplace the main issue of them is often overlooked as we debate the reasons of how such crimes are committed in the first place. And it will not be until we do address what makes a person commit mass shootings will we ever hope to prevent tragedies such as this from ever happening again.
by Kwame
John 14:23-29
This reading from the Gospel of John deals with many interesting points, the first one being “we will… make our home with him” signifying that all of us who put our love in Jesus and obey his words will experience the immediate presence and love of the Father and the Son. And lastly, that when we give into anxiety or worry that shows a lack of faith in God’s fatherly care and love.
My name is Charles Bonamy but I prefer to be called “Kwame” which is short for “Kwame Toure Kagale.” It means “He who fuels the fires for change and born in a time of trouble”. I took on this name when I became a pan-African and even though I don’t hold to all of the principles of this way of life as I once did, the name still fits me I think. I am a Catholic, my date of birth is 09 April 1970, and I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. My interests and hobbies are playing chess, writing short stories, essays, poems, working out, reading, going to church and bible study, and sharing the goodness of GOD with everyone I meet.I am working on writing a book on the life lessons I learned from being in prison for the better part of three decades.
Read contributions by Kwame here.
Prison Lectionary 