Doing Time

　


(A small room is filled with inmates sitting in wooden folding chairs. The inmates all wear matching light blue uniforms. There are various types of men in this room, blacks, whites, Hispanics, Vice Lords, La Raza Nation, and Pagan's MC. The peace is kept between the rivals as this is considered a holy place.

Inside of these cold, concrete walls, where the white paint is peeling off to expose the grey concrete. All these hardened criminals, these gang members, these convicted murders all sit quietly facing the front of the room where there is a podium set up and an old black man standing behind it in a white robe and holding a Bible.

The man is known as Pastor Ron, also an inmate, serving a life sentence for murder. Ron has been inside of these walls for over thirty years and has been preaching the gospel for the last twenty-five years. Ron is charismatic and commands the attention of all the inmates, and the guards command the peace while in chapel.)

Pastor Ron: First Timothy four and eight says that for bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. How many of you brothers are in here today because you were exercising the body? How many of you brothers in here today were living for the flesh of this world focusing only on your earthly needs...focusing only on your physical strength. Exercising that physical strength to show your dominance, to earn respect on the streets. Look where that got you, look where it got me.

Just think about where you would be in life if you had exercised your spiritual muscles. What if instead of showing people your physical power you had shown them the grace that the Lord has shown us?

(A voice interrupts saying, "That preaches good, but it won't get you anywhere on the streets". Pastor Ron looks to see who has said this and we see Solomon Cain sitting in the back near the isle. His hair isn't nearly as long, and his beard is completely absent as he is a young twenty years old, serving time for felony assault.)

Pastor Ron: Oh, my brother, I used to think and say the same things but look where it got me. Look where it got you, look at where it got all of us. Locked away. Our chains and shackles can only be lifted and removed by one and that is our heavenly father.

Solomon Cain: Heavenly father is just like my earthly father...completely absent from my life.

(Solomon stands up and starts walking away. Solomon gets about three steps when Pastor Ron calls out to him.

Pastor Ron: Jesus answered and said to him, "what am I doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this", John thirteen and seven.

(Solomon freezes in his tracks. After a few deep breathes Solomon turns back around and walks back to the Pastor, stopping when he is almost face to face with Pastor Ron.)

Solomon: God sent Jesus here to earth to die for our sins, he seems like about as good of a father as my old man. Sending his son to die for people that don't even appreciate him and some that don't even believe in him.

Pastor Ron: Son, you are mistaken.

(Solomon takes another step forward and is now nearly nose to nose with Ron. The tension in the air thickens, many prisoners become uneasy and the guard in the room grips the handle of his taser and takes a half a step forward, ready to spring into action.)

Solomon Cain: You are not my father. I can't forgive my father, I can't forgive myself, so how do you expect me to believe that God would ever forgive me or him? How can you talk about being peaceful in a world surrounded by violence? I've tried the religious thing before and it didn't work out for me.

Pastor Ron: Then why are you here?

Solomon Cain: I'm only here because my cellmate said he'd give me his lunch if I came today.

Pastor Ron: Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, Philippians one six. God has a plan for you, and you may not understand it, but he is working in your life.

Solomon Cain: If he's working on me then he's not doing a very good job.

(Solomon turns and begins walking away. The tension eases a bit and the guard takes a step back and removes his hand from the taser. Solomon gets about three steps away when Pastor Ron speaks again.)

Pastor Ron: You are not lost my brother, the good shepherd will leave the ninety-nine to find that one, he has not given up on you, don't you give up on yourself.

(Solomon stops walking again, but this time doesn't turn around. He simply turns his head looking over his shoulder at Pastor Ron, and says "I've been lost my entire life, at this point I enjoy it". Solomon then walks out of the room.)