Bible Study - Mk. 12:31 Serving Others While Serving Time

Serving Others While Serving Time : 

Serving Others While Serving Time Adapted from: Chicken Soup for the Prisoner’s Soul – Jerry Gillies Copyrighted material that appears in this article is included under the provisions of the Fair Use Clause of the National Copyright Act, which allows limited reproduction of copyrighted materials for educational and religious use when no financial charge is made for viewing.

Albert Schweitzer : 

Albert Schweitzer Albert Schweitzer was a medical missionary, theologian, musician, and philosopher. In 1896 he made his famous decision that he would live for science and art until he was 30, then devote his life to serving humanity. True to his vow, despite an international reputation in music and theology, he began to study medicine in 1905. He became a Medical Doctor in 1913, and set out with his newly-married wife to set up a hospital to fight leprosy and sleeping sickness in Africa, where he remained for the rest of his life. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952. He once said: “The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve others.”

Scared : 

Scared After being released from thirty hours in a holding cell without a bed, I was shown to my bunk. I was scared, angry and upset – mostly with myself. I was assigned a top bunk (without a ladder), in a group of four double bunks. They were squeezed in a small alcove outside some cells. The prison was overcrowded with nearly a thousand prisoners in a facility meant to hold less than four hundred.

Bunkie : 

Bunkie I arrived at 1:30 in the morning and collapsed in exhaustion, despite the bright overhead lights. At 6 A.M. we were awakened for breakfast, a small box of cold cereal, milk and Kool-Aid. In the bunk below was a man in his mid-thirties named DeMo. He spoke in street language, but also had a speech impediment. DeMo asked me, “Wha fo dey gots an old man likes you up dere? “I guess it was the only bunk available,” I answered.

Several Months : 

Several Months “We see bout dat,” he said, and left me wondering what he had in mind as he walked purposefully down the stairs to the tier below. He came back a few minutes later, and informed me that one of the other inmates in our alcove was moving to another module that day and I would be moving into a bottom bunk. Later, I found out most inmates have to wait several months before moving to a bottom bunk. DeMo also got me an extra pillow and blanket. He filled me in on the basic routine of our module, which contained about 120 prisoners on two levels. I thanked DeMo and asked if there was anything I could do for him. He assured me there wasn’t.

A fifty-six-year-old man. : 

A fifty-six-year-old man. Now, I have to confess I was somewhat suspicious of his kindness and hospitality. After all, this was just my third day in jail. He didn’t seem a likely candidate to make any undesired advances, and I couldn’t imagine what else he might want from a fifty-six-year-old man. My sarcasm quickly went away when I began to understand that what DeMo most wanted was order in the midst of chaos. He made certain our little alcove was always clean and neat, no one stole anything and we got extra treats from time to time.

Crack Addict : 

Crack Addict This crack addict and dealer from the streets of Oakland was a superb manager of his environment. DeMo, through his numerous experiences in prison, learned that serving others was a satisfying way to serve time. I started looking for ways to contribute. I became a human spell-checker for the upper tier. When an inmate was writing a letter and needed a word spelled, I was there to shout it out.

Federal Institution : 

Federal Institution When I was transferred to a federal institution, we had typewriters available. As an accurate and fast typist, my services were in high demand, so I found another way to serve. I became friendly with Jihad X, the Nation of Islam minister/inmate, who was gifted, though not a professionally trained speaker. I shared some of my twenty-five-years of experience as a professional speaker with him. Another friend, Luis, was intimidated by a literature course offered by the local community college.

Service : 

Service I encouraged him to overcome his insecurities about the English language. He in turn helped me learn some Spanish. I did these things because they took me out of myself and out of my own difficult situation. They also empowered me. I became powerful because of those I served. Although I’m serving time in prison, I can still encourage and support other human beings. There’s nothing more spiritually rewarding and satisfying on this planet than loving and serving all of our neighbors.

Neighbors. : 

Neighbors. You can be Albert Schweitzer in your community. No matter what your situation may be we are all neighbors. Some neighbors we like more than others but we are still neighbors. “The one thing we have to offer in this life, of any real value, is our time to others.” Richard Ogren California Department of Forestry inmate firefighters.