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| The Prisoner by Nikolai Alexandrovich Yaroshenko, 1878 A.D. |
As they sat on the floor of their cells, fearful and lonely, they tried as hard as they could to recall passages of Scripture they had memorized when they were young.
+ The Breath of God,
Deep Down Faith
This winter, I get the joy of spending some time with young people connected to Emmaus City Church engaging the Scriptures alongside one of my favorite reflections on God called Deep Down Faith by Cornelius Plantinga Jr. I've read this book three times now and Plantinga, like C.S. Lewis in many ways, has a gift for discussing profound thoughts in whimsical, rich, and accessible ways for young and old alike.
Like "Hummel's Painting, Peace & Punk Rock," this post also features a story that made me wonder at the ability for a simple good to overcome a ravenous evil. It's included in the Deep Down Faith section, "What's the Good Word?" included on pages 50-51. The artwork above complements the story of how some prisoners of war survived their grueling incarceration and isolation by looking outside themselves and breathing in a better word so they didn't suffocate in their own thoughts.
The Breath of God for the Imprisoned
The Breath of God for the Imprisoned
During the Vietnam War many American soldiers were captured and imprisoned by the enemy. One group of soldiers told part of their story when they were finally released. They told how they had been painfully beaten up. They described stinking food and miserable sleeping conditions. They recalled how many times they had prepared themselves to die, certain that their enemies would either torture them to death or else casually shoot them through the brain.
One additional agony these prisoners suffered was loneliness. Their captors purposely kept them apart so they could not encourage each other or plan escapes. Each prisoner had to sit in his own cell. There was nothing to do, nothing to read, nobody to talk to.
But a number of these prisoners were Christians. And as they sat on the floor of their cells, fearful and lonely, they tried as hard as they could to recall passages of Scripture they had memorized when they were young.
One man could recall Psalm 23.
Another knew several other psalms and the Beatitudes.
A number of prisoners remembered John 3:16.
And a few knew a lot more.
Gradually they worked out a system of communication. They would tap in code on the walls that separated their cells. At first they tapped names, addresses, and simple greetings. Then they tapped encouragement. They tapped warnings.
And they tapped out as many Bible verses
and passages as they knew,
each man adding as much as he could recall
to the general treasury of Scripture.
By the time these Christians were released,
they had put together
hundreds of verses of Scripture.
They had assembled their own Bible.
One of them later said this activity
saved their sanity
and probably their lives.
The apostle Paul knew what it was like
to be in prison.
He also knew what it took
to encourage another Christian.
So Paul writes to Timothy,
"Continue in what you have learned ...
how from infancy you have known
the Holy Scriptures."
Then he adds a strange claim.
"All Scripture," he says,
"All Scripture," he says,
"is God-breathed."
What he means is this: for over a thousand years God breathed his thoughts and words into human writers. From the earliest book of the Bible to the latest, God inspired the Bible's writers.
Some were history writers.
Some were poets.
Some wrote laws and lists
or put down collections
of wise sayings.
Some wrote about the life of Jesus.
Others were letter writers.
None of these writers was perfect.
All used their own language and style.
Each colored what he wrote with
some of his own personality.
But deep in the hearts and
minds of these writers
God was at work,
influencing them,
moving them,
inspiring them.
The result is
God's breathed-out Word,
the Bible.
(See also "What the Son of God
Just as a lifeguard resuscitates
a nearly drowned swimmer,
so God breathes life
into dying human beings
by his written Word.
The Bible tells people of
That is why prisoners of war
struggle to recall it.
That is also why it speaks
to you and me.
For Reflection:
If you were isolated in a POW camp,
how much of the Bible would you
be able to recall?
Are there any passages that you
Are there any passages that you
would find especially meaningful
in that situation?
Other posts about God in prison:
Next Deep Down Faith post:
Bonus:
May God's Kingdom come, His will be done.
Que le Royaume de Dieu vienne,
que sa volonté soit faite.
愿神的国降临，愿神的旨意成就。
Nguyện xin Nước Chúa đến, ý Ngài được nên.
Jesús nuestra Rey, venga Tu reino!
🙏💗🍞🍷👑🌅🌇
With anticipation and joy,
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