A little that some did during lockdown

It is possible to write a letter

When the Apostle Paul experienced lockdown in prison he wrote letters.  What a blessing Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon have been!  The last one was a personal letter to try and help a friend with a problem.

It is possible to have a new vision of Jesus

Confined on the Isle of Patmos the elderly John wrote down so much which has been inspirational ever since.  Not a moan nor a mention of his conditions or loneliness.  He was taken up with Jesus and thinking of the glorious future yet to be.  Not for him any grumble anticipating the grave – he was enthralled with anticipating the “imminent” return of his Saviour and encouraging others to be ready for that event.

It is possible to translate the Bible

Fearing for his death after his “Here I stand” speech friends of Martin Luther pretended to kidnap him and for months they hid him in a castle.  Locked down for his own safety he devoted his time to translating the bible into German.  What a blessing that proved to be!  Though we may not be able to do anything similar, we can pray for those today who are in similar situations; not only those who are in prison but also those who are involved in Bible translation work.  Their painstaking work must betimes seem like an unending lockdown.

It is possible to write a book

Perhaps the most famous of all books to be written in prison is Pilgrim’s Progress.  What a story, suitable for both adults and children.  John Bunyan, the author of it, was a tinker by trade and pastor of a church in Bedford.  Because he refused to give up preaching the Gospel he was arrested and spent the next twelve years in prison during which time he started work on the book which has been translated into a number of languages, made into a stage play, an opera as well as TV and film productions.

It is possible to study for future Christian ministry

John Sung is an outstanding example.  He was a brilliant Chinese chemist who went to America to study where he achieved many degrees taking only about half the time which others took.  Searching for “religion” he was wonderfully converted in a little mission hall run by a lady.  His immediate enthusiasm was such that the university thought he had gone mad and placed him in a psychiatric ward from which he escaped a couple of times.  Finally he agreed to remain in the ward if he could have a Bible, paper and pencils.  In 200 days he read through the Bible an amazing 40 times and the time proved to be his “Bible College” preparation for a remarkable evangelistic ministry when he returned to China.

It is possible to have a deeper experience of Jesus

Today there are many Christians who have been unjustly arrested for their faith.  Wang Min Dow was one such person who spent 23 years in prison.   Following his release he described those years as “a 23 year honeymoon with Jesus”.

Trevor Knight:  retired Director of Yong Life(NYLC)™