Captive or Ready

The concept of "rescuing the captive," best describes my mission in Biblical language. Youth work is what I do, my purpose in life. Most of us are captive, especially the youth. I have written about how effective poetry is as a teaching and learning method among young that face captivity of the minds and heart. Let's face it, the lack of money is enough to stop dreams. If dreams are not pursued because of captivity, purpose is delayed or denied. The following was written by a young captive as a requirement of Indiana Black Expo in 2014. Their theme for the Youth Summit and the topic of this essay was "Ready for the World." 

Am I ready for the World

by

Adell “Isaac Inman” Badgett III

I know that I’m young, still with knowledge to spare. I pledge my promise to my brothers with the same blood we share. We come from different bearings, hair straight, locked and curled.

Still I proceed to realize that I am not ready for this world.

The world is full of love, enough to increase your heart rate. Yet every day a brother is killed, adding on to the death rate. We try to ready our troops with pistols, gear and knives. Instead let’s ready our children with knowledge...take the world by surprise.

I feel like I’m an ameba in this ocean called earth. I know that I’m not ready because I still don’t know my own worth.  Maybe using rhyme, I can illustrate an image.

 I’m NOT prepared to enter the world, for I barely know what’s in it.

Notice  how white and black races seem to always be at war. You might not see the lion, yet you still can hear him roar.

I believe that I’ll be ready when I feel the time is right. Let me reflect upon my past like LIGHT, reflecting like a cleansed armor of a knight.

I’m still depending on my mom to show me the ropes. I take hold, she tries to push me, screaming “don’t you let it go!” Before I'm ready for the world, I’ll request a team of line-backers. Help me when I’m in need to bounce back, not bounce backwards.

I appreciate you taking out the time to read but before I blossom, I must be planted as a seed.

Rescue the Captive: A Work of Mercy

Having a purpose in life is one thing, having a Biblical purpose that aligns to one’s mode of operation. As a result from training received from the Devos Urban Leadership Initiative, I have learned about a concept that is as old as Christianity, the works of mercy. These works are primarily found in the histories of Calvinism, the Presbyterians and the Catholics. Works of mercy are basically acts of love that God performed and demonstrated by first loving us. There acts including —feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned and burying the dead. The first six of these works are found in the Last Judgment parable in Matthew 25:34-45. Having learned about the works, it is clear that my life has always centered on the mercy task of “rescuing the captive.” As a result, this blog will have new directive, to reflect the direction my life has taken in ministry and to share lessons learned in the process. My desire has become to empower others with the Biblical directive to rescue the captive.

Biblical examples of mercy can be found if we look closely at the Good Samaritan in the parable of Luke 10:25-37. In this passage, there was a man lying wounded along the road. This man received mercy on that day from a Samaritan willing to step into chaos and set the captive free. Showing the works of mercy often means that one must be willing to a step into the chaos of another. 

Showing mercy as Jesus demonstrated should be practiced early and often. In the middle ages, the monasteries become centers for extraordinary mercy due to the growing needs of the days: the fact that people were hungry, thirsty, homeless, without clothing, sick, incarcerated and in need of burial services. It took several centuries before becoming a cornerstone of the Christian life.As it was in the past, so too is the need ever present to show mercy. Not only should we show mercy but a discipleship process must follow. From this point onward, this blog has a new focus…All future and even some past articles will be written to reflect this new and necessary direction of entering into the chaos of orders to make them strong. But this alone is not enough. We must be willing to teach others how the process of rescuing the captive works.   

Using Poetry to Rescue the Captive

Poetry is a dynamic method that can be used to rescue a captive mind. The urban captive are all around us, desiring to be freed. Some are captive in juvenile centers and jails. Some roam the streets freely but their mind is still captive. 

Words flowing creatively are the foundations of hip hop music. Perhaps this is the reason, young people tend to listen and reflect when the right poetry is spoken.  I am constantly looking for relevant poetry that can be recited to free the captive mind. 

The below poem, “Will the Real Man Stand Up,” was written by an unnamed inmate at Marion County Jail II in the 2001 Selected Program Highlights Vol. 1 of 2001 newsletter Knowledge to Go, published by the Purdue Cooperative Extension.  

WILL THE REAL MAN STAND UP
Now the Bible says, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

But it looks like I have to take two steps back just to take one step forward.

So will the real man stand up and show me the way, show me what to do, tell me what to say.

Now the Bible says a good man obtaineth favor of the Lord. Now favor is something I need

But I definitely cannot afford.

So will the real man stand up and get on your knees to pray…put in a good word for me so I can make it through the day.

Now the Bible says a good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children. But it seems like I’m just leaving children behind, their stomachs are empty and so are their minds.

So will the real man stand up? Show me how to make my family right. Hold your children close. And tell them you love ‘em every night.

The Bible says, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things.”

Well I don’t know about you, but I’m not bringing forth anything but my hand and you best fill it upon my demand.

So will the real man stand up and show me how a heart should be?

Show me that a heart doesn’t have to be hard. Show me a heart that is set free.

The Bible says, if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body. Well I don’t know about you but I just got my mind on the next hottie.

So will the real man stand up and show me how I need to be? So I can respect my queen and she can respect me.

Now will the real man stand up? Just let me know who you are. Cause when you stand up, I’ll be watching you, even if you aint watching me.