The Incarcerated
On rare occasions, I can treat some of my prisoner friends to small comforts we on the outside take for granted. For our initial meeting, on a bitter Midwest morning, that comfort was Little Caesars pizza, breadsticks, and sweet tea. We gathered in a drafty back office of the prison gym, trying to drown out the sounds of dribbling basketballs, squeaking shoes, and the shouts of competitive inmates. As we ate, I handed out copies of Life Together and briefly discussed highlights of Bonhoeffer’s biography. In hindsight, I wish I had prepared a more thorough presentation. Their interest in Bonhoeffer’s story far exceeded my expectations—they were captivated, moved, and inspired. I immediately ordered four softcover biographies of Dietrich Bonhoeffer to give them.
Fredrick Watson, inmate #679957, sat to my immediate right. A proud “Okie from Muskogee,” Fredrick is 25 years old and serving a life sentence with no hope for parole. He took diligent notes as I recounted Bonhoeffer’s story, especially his time in Harlem and love for the Negro spirituals of the early 20th century. Next to Fredrick was Jacob McGrew, inmate #636144, from Duncan, Oklahoma. Jacob, 27, has 11 years remaining on a 25-year sentence. I was eager to hear Jacob’s thoughts, as I hadn’t worked with him much before. Across from me sat Larry Richter, inmate #734592, a 20-year-old serving a life sentence for a crime committed as a teenager. I first met Larry while he was in the juvenile justice system. Smart and deeply devoted to Jesus, Larry and I bonded quickly. Finally, to Larry’s left was Matthew Haws, inmate #587783, a 46-year-old serving a life sentence. As a leader within Joseph Harp Community Church, Matthew has significant influence among the prison’s Christian population.
Bonhoeffer opens Life Together by hoping his model of Christian community would serve as an archetype for the Church as a whole. In our discussion, Matthew remarked that the leaders of Joseph Harp Community Church aim to model a healthy Church for those in the “free world.” He wondered if Bonhoeffer’s insights might help them achieve that goal. Bonhoeffer once wrote, “My thoughts are almost continually with our imprisoned brethren. They have much to tell us.” I wholeheartedly agree. These men have much to teach us, and I was honored to offer them Life Together as a tool to enrich their faith and community.
All four inmates are passionate followers of Christ and heavily involved in the religious activities at Joseph Harp Correctional Center. Forced to do life together, they are committed to fostering peace in an otherwise dark and challenging environment. Over the next several weeks, they agreed to read, reflect on, and apply Bonhoeffer’s Life Together to their daily lives as Christian inmates.
Before delving into our book studies, it is worth addressing a broader theme in prison ministry that I believe Bonhoeffer’s work speaks to.
