The Ring of Truth

Bible credibility, Ebola, and chow hall Charlie.

Prison is a daily superspreader event. Not of corona or Ebola but something even worse….despair. Hopelessness permeates the very molecules of the cinder block and is written on the folds of every face.

The moment I arrived reality took on a surreal quality that was dreadful. Satan must have felt the same the day after he was cast out of Heaven, gazing around a shattered world and knowing with absolute certainty that nothing would ever be the same. Like me, his hubris had finally caught up with him. The devil chose to embrace hate when he came to Earth, but right here, my path diverged from his. By God's grace, I was given something that the devil didn't have: bitter regret.

Regret for the things I’d done turned out to be a blessing and its weight pushed me to my knees.

Oddly, entering prison I was a solid skeptic about Christianity and God in general. However, within a week, I found myself surrendering my life to Christ - out of pure desperation! It’s interesting how being in terrible trouble can quite those skeptical voices.

I know prison conversion stories can be seen as a bit sketchy, and after being in prison, I get the sentiment. Most prison converts are hoping God will turn out to be a wish-granting genie, and truth be told, I was hoping for a little divine intervention myself.

As a new Christian, I looked around for guidance and found nothing. Unless I wanted to convert to Islam, but that’s fodder for another story. Ultimately, I was faced with the elusive task of getting to know, and supposedly love, a being I couldn't physically see or interact with in a normal way, all within the least loving of environments.

I wasn't concerned about religious doctrines or denominational traditions; what good would they do me in prison? I didn’t pray about eternal life, I prayed about today.

You need Jesus in your life when you're learning the ropes of prison life. Where to go, when to go, how to dress, and most importantly, who to avoid. Some days, making it through the day felt like a miracle, especially when confronted by chow hall Charlie who would dress you down for wearing a baseball cap while wearing one himself. Some officers managed to retain a degree of compassion, but the majority, like the inmates, were just counting the days until their release.

To start my journey, I turned to the Bible, a book I confess to never having studied thoroughly. While I was familiar with some of the highlights from my Methodist upbringing, I realized I didn't know much about it.

Soon enough, doubts began to creep back, and I realized that I needed to confront a fundamental question if I wanted to move forward: Is the Bible truly the infallible word of God to humankind, and was Jesus really who He claimed to be? It would be impossible for me to rely on God's promises in the Bible if they weren't actually His promises. If the Bible isn't God's word, then He wouldn't be able to help me much since He couldn't even keep His own book straight.

Determined to find answers, I made my way to the prison library. Looking back, I'm still amazed by how certain things seemed tailor-made for me. I stumbled upon a little book tucked away in a corner that I wouldn't normally have picked up. It was an old yellow-paper book covered in cloth instead of the typical paper cover. The book, titled "The Ring of Truth" by J.B. Phillips and written in 1967 by a Bible translator, presented a well-reasoned argument for the truth of the Bible. Its common-sense thoughts and arguments resonated deeply with me.

At that point, I wasn't seeking evidence for the existence of a creator; the intricacies of the universe had never made sense to me without the presence of a guiding creator. However, I wondered if the God of the Bible was that creator. It was an enormous question because it would mean that over five billion people on this planet had it wrong.

What I discovered left me awestruck. When I set aside preconceptions and examined the facts objectively, I come to the conclusion that the Bible is the most unique book ever written. Does God announce His authorship in a thunderous voice every time you pick one up? No, but that doesn’t make it any less true. It’s mind boggling, but logic ultimately led me to believe in the truth of the Bible. The same logical reasoning that always tried to pull me away from Jesus, applied objectively, steered me towards belief. 

Since then, I've delved into many books on this subject, and the more I learn, the more convinced I become. The Bible and its teachings ring true, and there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that supports it as God's word to humanity.

Still skeptical? In John 7:17, I discovered a verse that shocked me and felt like a personal invitation from Jesus Himself. He said, "Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or merely my own." It was as if He was challenging me to test Him and promised to reveal His true identity and purpose if I would just have the courage to come on board. So, I took up the challenge, and to my surprise, He proved Himself to me.

Experiencing the weight of truth after a lifetime of following a lie is a humbling moment. I had no choice but to pursue Him wholeheartedly.

It was a game changer. How could I possibly come to truly know Him if I hadn't actively sought His presence? It's like trying to fall in love with someone you've never met. And love for Him is the only thing that will sustain us on the path in this hard place. It's this love that prevents people like me from straying over time. I'm no theologian, but I believe we are all on a trajectory, either drawing closer to God or moving further away. 

Reflecting on my own experience, I shudder at the thought of where I might be if God hadn't bestowed upon me the yearning to truly know Him. It's a transformation that's not easily explained, but as time goes on, He begins to shift your desires and priorities. The deeper your knowledge of Him becomes, the stronger your craving to know Him further.

This gift is not exclusive; it's available to everyone – all one needs to do is ask. Time and time again it comes back to this, simply asking. It’s a wondrous day when a Christian finally realizes that all these things you desire - faith, wisdom, belief, assurance - are there for the asking.