Walking Amongst Wolves

Please read the following:
- Matthew 7:15-23 NAS
- Matthew 10:16-23 NAS
- Acts 20:17-38 NAS
- Matthew 25:31-46 NAS

I have contemplated writing this blog entry for quite a while. Because it is something of a 'sore spot' for me, it's taken several years to be willing to even consider writing it. To some extent, it is a continuation of my blog entry “Grow Where You Are Planted”. But, it is also more than that. As I mentioned in that previous post, my job with the Nebraska Department of Corrections was one that I did not desire to have. But, since I asked God to only open the door to the employment that He wanted me to have, He honored that prayer.

All together, I have worked with the Nebraska Department of Corrections (NDCS) at least 8 years. During that time, I have interacted with many different kind of people, both staff and inmates. Since returning to working with NDCS, I have prayerfully sought to see it as a place of ministry instead of 'just a job.' And, God has answered that prayer, too. Part of it has been God opening the door to be the Religious Coordinator Assistant. Although it is a 'facilitator' kind of job instead of a 'ministry' job, like I would prefer, it is still a position that I very much enjoy working.

It is my experience that quite a few people in prison are not there because they are 'hell bent' on destroying the lives of others. Instead, they are in prison because they made a bad choice. For example, let's say someone with a good family and career was celebrating a milestone in his/her life. A promotion or raise, perhaps. And during the course of that celebration, he/she had quite a few alcoholic drinks and then decided to drive home instead of having a non-drinking friend or a taxi take him/her home. And, in the course of driving home they cross into the other lane and have a head on collision with another car, killing one or more occupants. This person did not intend to cause harm to others. However, because he/she made a bad decision to drive after drinking, he/she is not spending many years in prison for manslaughter (unintentionally killing someone else).

There are other cases where someone was in such emotional pain that he or she lashed out at a loved one and now is in prison for assault. Or, another example could be someone was without employment or under employed and stole something. Again, they made a bad choice and are now suffering the consequences. But, their hearts are not bent towards doing evil, they just made a bad choice, or series of bad choices.

Although not all people in prison have a heart bent on doing evil, quite a few are. Some of the inmates that I deal with are master manipulators. Others have little to no ability to emphasize with others. That means, if they cause emotional, spiritual, and/or physical pain to someone else, they have great difficulty feeling sorry for what they did. They also have difficulty understanding the pain they caused in the other person. Others are sadist, in that they get enjoyment out of causing pain (again physical, emotional, and/or spiritual) in others. Though this isn't the case of many in prison, there are those that I have dealt with who would be willing to cause great bodily harm or even kill staff or another inmate in order to get a temporary gain. And, committing that act would not cause them to loose any sleep at night.

It is a challenge to work with this type of person, one who is either so calloused or sadistic that causing harm to others either doesn't bother them or actually excites them. Some of them walk around in general population. Others spend long periods of time in the Special Management Unit (SMU) because of their actions. There are those who spend years in Intensive Management because of how dangerous they can be. (Intensive management cells have their own enclosed yard and shower so that they are kept more separated from others.)

It is amongst such people that I work on a daily basis. Thankfully, most days they choose not to cause problems. However, that is not always the case. I couldn't tell you how many times I have been a part of a use of force team or had to respond to an emergency. Some emergencies were medical emergencies, but quite a few of them were because of inmates fighting. Although I have not been physically injured during one of these uses of force, I know staff who have been. It is always a risk with where I work, that either I or someone else could be assaulted. Although having fecal matter or urine thrown on me is considered a form of assault, I am not including it here.

Whether I like it or not, that is the environment that God has called me to minister to. Although I would prefer to work as a Religious Coordinator (or Religious Coordinator Assistant), my primary job is custody staff. That means I am interacting with the inmates on a regular basis. In fact, I am often within easy reach or one or more inmates who may or may not have a weapon on them. It is my duty to enforce rules, which easily makes me a 'lightning rod' for an inmate's anger. That is my job and I prayerfully ask for God's help in staying safe and doing my job well.

But here is a humbling thought. My life as custody staff at a maximum security prison that we specifically built for the more dangerous and more difficult to manage inmates is nothing compared to what some people endure on a regular basis each and every day. Are you wondering who could have it worse than me? Christians who live in countries that actively persecute them for their faith have it worse.

I regularly get E-mails and Facebook posts from Christian organizations that share the stories of Christians who are persecuted for their faith. They are a daily reminder that, even on a bad day for me, it is nothing compared to what many of them go through on a daily basis. One such story was on my Facebook page this morning. It is about a former Muslim Imam who turned from Islam and embraced Christ. You can read his story here. In many Muslim countries, Christians are forced to worship behind closed doors. In these countries, if a person converts from Islam to Christianity (or any other religion), they are often arrested and harshly punished. Death by hanging or beheading is not uncommon, either. Each and every day, Christians in many nations, not just Muslim nations, face discrimination and even active persecution. Women are often sexually assaulted and forced to 'convert' to the 'national religion' and marry someone of that religion to 'seal the conversion.' Others are sexually assaulted and left to live with that shame. Any who seek to hold the attackers accountable are often lucky to even be given the opportunity to be heard. Most attackers are, unfortunately, celebrated.

One set of statistics from Open Doors are per month: 322 Christians are killed for their faith, 214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed, and 772 forms of violence are committed against Christians (such as beatings, rapes, forced marriages, arrests, etc.). (stats found here: http://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/) Think about it… These people suffer all sorts of horrific experiences because they choose to follow Christ. As a comparison, we will look at the crime rates of a city here in America. According to one web site, Chicago is rated as being one of the most dangerous places to live (having a safety measurement of 11% where 100 is most safe). According to the site's FAQ, they were using the 2013 crime statistics. The stats include 24,469 violent crimes (including assault, rape, robbery, etc.), 9.00 crimes per 1,000 residents, 415 murders, unreported number of rapes, unreported number of assaults, etc. Now, keep in mind, Chicago has a lot of gang activity, which would account for some of these violent crimes. The number of Christians, on average, that are murdered for their faith each month is about ¾ of those that were murdered in Chicago throughout 2013. And, that is only counting the number of Christians that we know who were murdered for their faith.

To help Christians (and others who might wish to know), better see which countries are worse with their persecution of Christians, Open Doors puts together a 'World Watch List'. This list rates the 50 most dangerous countries for a Christian to live in. According to the most current list, the top 5 countries for persecuting Christians are: 1. North Korea, 2. Somalia, 3. Iraq, 4. Syria, and 5. Afghanistan. Each of these countries actively persecute anyone claiming to follow Christ who is a member of that country. Any Christian who comes into the country and shares their faith may be lucky to just be sent home and banned from coming into the country ever again.

For my job with the Nebraska Department of Corrections, I walk amongst many dangerous people on a regular basis. Although there is a low staff to inmate ratio, there are many safety factors in place to protect us. Things like radios, armed staff in towers and roving patrols, OC spray, etc., help to keep us safe. Also, inmates will face charges (either institutionally or via the state, depending on the crime) for assaulting other inmates or staff. If they assault someone, they will loose what few freedoms that they have. That helps to make our job safer. Although we walk amongst wolves, we have layers of protection. And, when our shift is done, we get to go home. And usually, where we live is a much safer place.

For most Christians in countries like North Korea, Somalia, etc., there is no such thing as a safe place. They are in grave danger at work, they are in grave danger at home, while shopping, etc. Sometimes it is a co-worker or neighbor who assaults, harasses, or murders a Christian in one of these countries. But, it can just as easily be a family member. A bad day at work is just that, a bad day at work. For many Christians around the world, it is a day-to-day experience. Let us not forget that. Let us remember to pray for all have to live in such environments. And, let us pray that those of us in 'Christian' counties not become complacent, lest we allow it become reality where we live.