2015 Winter - Crossroad Bible Institute

Crossroad
Journal of the
Dustin C., WY
Winter 2015
Crossroad Journal of the Arts
Senior Editor: H. David Schuringa
Copyright © 2015, CBI Publishing Center.
P.O. Box 900, Grand Rapids, MI 49509-0900
All rights reserved.
Let Justice Roll On Like a River
by Dr. H. David Schuringa
At Crossroad, we care deeply about strengthening our
students’ spiritual welfare and preparing them for successful reentry to society. But we are also concerned
about the welfare of the society to which many of
them will return.
In other words, for us, prison ministry is not only about
changing sinful hearts, but also about changing sinful
systems that are present in our world today.
One key area where we hope to see change is in our
nation’s indigent defense system. As you may know, if
a person cannot afford to hire a defense attorney, the
United States Constitution mandates that the court
will appoint him or her a public defender. The problem
is that in many states, this indigent defense system is
severely broken.
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Michigan is one of the worst culprits when it comes to
inadequate public defense for people living below the
poverty line. In fact, in some counties it is not uncommon for a defendant to see his or her lawyer for only a
few minutes prior to a hearing.
Public defenders in Michigan are also extremely overworked. A study by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association showed that part-time public defenders
in Detroit handle 2,400 to 2,800 cases each year, while
the national standard for a full-time public defender is
four hundred.
Under these dire conditions, those who are among the
poorest of the poor are not receiving a proper defense.
Without a proper defense, innocent people can be
wrongly convicted and guilty people can be over-sentenced. And we know prophets in the Bible, like Amos,
got angry when the poor did not have fair access to
the courts (Amos 5:12).
continued on next page
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However, Governor Rick Snyder recently formed a commission to fix Michigan’s indigent defense system and I am honored to be one of those he appointed to join him in this task.
As a commissioner, I will be working hard to bring Michigan’s
indigent defense system within biblical and constitutional
boundaries and praying that this commission will inspire
other states where public defense is in desperate need of
repair.
Students, I also hope you know that we at Crossroad are
working on your behalf, not only in providing you with Bible
study lessons and personal letters of discipleship, but also in
providing a biblical education to our society and its leaders.
Ultimately, we want to see hearts changed and society
changed. And we want a society in which all people, regardless of economic status, can have fair access to the courts so
that justice can at last roll on like a river (Amos 5:24).
Dr. Schuringa serves as the president
of Crossroad Bible Institute.
In Here
Ryan M., NV
I found myself in here,
Although it’s dark and filled with fear.
I was forced to stare at the face in the mirror
Every day, erasing lies that were told to me,
Wanting so badly to be free.
Then I began to see
That the lies that I most believe
Were told to me by myself
And for any hope of help,
Hope to ever escape this hell,
To break the spell,
I must trust in One I’ve never known.
I must walk a path that was never shown.
I must talk to the child within,
To him safely groan.
I must outlast the pain of my past
And convert hurt to passion to love.
The only way this will work is
Forgiveness from within,
Forgiveness from above.
Pete W., FL
Juan A., TX
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Alas Rotas
Broken Wings
Cesar R., TX
Cesar R., TX
Con las alas rotas me encuentro hoy,
Después de más de siete meses de vivir entre estas rejas—
Quebradas han sido para privar mi libertad de poder volar.
I find myself with broken wings today,
After more than seven months of living behind these bars—
Broken they have been, to forbid my freedom and ability to fly.
Manchada está mi pluma por la acusación
Que el hombre me ha hecho.
Es una mancha muy grande y quizás sea imposible de lavar.
Stained is my writing from the accusation
That man has made against me.
It is a very big stain and perhaps is impossible to clean.
Yo era un ave que volaba, tratando de cruzar un pantano,
El pantano de este mundo lleno de maldad,
Tentaciones e impurezas.
Para muchos es muy fácil de cruzar, pero yo caí, y aun de ese
Pantano no he podido salir.
I was a bird who was flying, trying to cross a marsh,
The marsh of this world, full of evil, temptations and impurities.
For many it is very easy to cross, but I fell
And still, from this marsh, I haven’t been able
To leave.
Hoy tengo mil tristezas, las cuales no me dejan dormir.
Hoy tengo un puñado de sueños, que yo no puedo cumplir.
Hoy siento que no tengo a nadie;
Siento que no tengo a nadie.
Today I have a thousand sadnesses, which do not let me sleep.
Today I have a handful of dreams, which I cannot fulfill.
Today I feel I do not have anybody;
I feel that I do not have anybody.
Pero sé que Te tengo a Ti.
Dios mío, hoy te pido fuerzas;
Dame fuerzas para poder seguir.
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But I know that I have You.
My Lord, today I ask You for strength;
Give me the strength to be able to continue.
Gary F., NC
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RonTré
Starr L., IL
Esteban P., TX
Chain Link Sky
Katherine D., CA
I’m looking past the chain link
Up to the sky
And keep telling myself,
“This is my life.”
In a sea of ignorance—
Nowhere to turn—
State-issued everything,
While inside I yearn
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For a positive future
With those I love.
I want this nightmare to end
So I can evolve.
I won’t forget that my choices
Have led me here.
I have so much regret,
But I’ll persevere.
God gave me this time
To think of everything:
The terror, the heartache
And the in-between.
When I’m on the other side
I’ll make things right,
I’ll fulfill my potential,
I’ll walk in the light.
Samuel P., FL
My son is ten years old and very smart.
He was very loving right from the start.
He lives with my mom, because I am away,
But when I go home, with me he will stay.
Did I mention my son is biracial?
He lives in Missouri, in a small town.
Some kids are mean and try to bring him down.
He is one of the few mixed kids there;
The way some treat him is so unfair.
School called, something had happened on the bus.
They called him names, but he made no fuss.
They judge him by the color of his skin
Instead of meeting the person within.
Did I mention my son is biracial?
This chain link sky set me free,
Gave me hope,
Helped my addiction,
Now I can cope.
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Untitled
Canticle
Antonio T., PA
Remi K., FL
Poet’s Statement: I write from my inner spirit, so things come out at times that not even I
understand. I didn’t have a title in mind before or after composing this poem. It’s just how
loving Jesus made me feel.
Our praise is rebellious;
You can’t arrest us.
‘Cause we can’t stop praising
The name of Jesus,
Who has called us to His choir,
Amazing, wondrous and full of marvel.
His immaculate conception,
The truest form of
Purity,
My belief in the Son
Submerged in the blood
Of His authority—
I drop to my knees
While offering up confessions.
The instruments almost play themselves.
The voices sing on into high heaven.
The angels abandon their housework,
To join us in our tapestry of praise.
The spirit transcends the body
As I visualize His resurrection.
In my painful voices
He hears the other voices—
In them, a voyage
Causing the soul to sing.
The art of mystic communication
Creates faith in His passion:
How to make madness beautiful.
Every note, a different color.
Every song, a brighter glory.
Every rhythm, a further rebellion.
Every joy, a stronger communion.
And our tapestry weaves into
A shield and a fortress found inside
His architecture forever.
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Kyle C., LA
As angels begin dancing in
The scintillating glory
Of His agape love,
The radiant stars—
In some not too distant tomorrow—
Will shine from above,
Bringing forth hope.
The dark clouds of assumption,
The deep fogs of misunderstanding,
From our wings
Will become free—
Relinquishing confusion
As bells begin to ring,
Cherishing the melody
In Christ’s voice
When the doves begin to sing.
Juan G., CA
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Tattered Threads
No More Being an Addict
Steve R., CA
Haley G., IN
Henry M., New Zealand
Every day I wake up
Thinking about the things that
Make up the life I’ve begun:
Living as a criminal,
Doing the bare minimal
To survive.
Not thinking about the effect I’ve had
On other people and their lives,
Hurting those close to me—
Those who I’m supposed to love.
Devil get behind me
So people will see
That I’m tired of making them frown,
Tired of acting out like a clown.
I’m ready to retire the active addict life
And finish out my time,
Making some lucky person a great wife,
Being a good mother to my child
And a good child to my mother,
Doing a three-sixty and completely
Rearranging the way I think.
I’m ready to be a recovering addict
And an ex-con putting smiles on faces
And getting warm embraces,
Living like God wants me to
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So I can be happy too.
Israel E., TX
Tattered threads hang all around me;
These are my life story for all to see.
I start out with good intentions, at least, I believe.
Yet when one more promise goes undone,
Another tattered thread is shown.
I miss your smile and laughter—
Your eyes bring warmth inside.
The way you feel in my arms is only for me to tell.
Tattered threads held me back from committing to you.
Now another memory, like a ghost in the attic,
Reminds me of how your love was true.
If only you can know how hard, you see,
I try to pull it together for you and me.
I kept coming up short with that lifeless person inside
Another broken promise—
Tattered threads left me blind.
Life’s not easy, but don’t be a fool like I’ve been—
Complete what you’ve started before life ends.
Then you’ll avoid these regretful tattered threads.
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Psalm of Mercy
Edward P., MO
Lord I plead to You
With tears in my eyes:
Straighten my path
Help me sort through the lies.
Father, I’m weak,
I’m aching inside.
I cry out Your name
But I feel like You hide.
I’m consumed in fear,
My future unknown.
I’m trapped in this cage,
I feel all alone.
Please, show me mercy.
Turn my night into day.
Lord, You’re my Potter,
My life is Your clay.
I do not doubt,
I know that You’re real.
I know that You love me
You know how I feel.
I need You right now,
Please hear what I say
On my knees in darkness.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
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I’m Sorry, My Lord
Perdón mi Cristo
Marcelino M., AZ
Marcelino M., AZ
The sadness that appeared on my face
Was felt deep within my heart
For having spurned Christ,
Who gave His life for me.
La tristeza que había en mi rostro
Se notaba en mi corazón
Por haber despreciado yo a Cristo,
Que por mi él su vida entregó.
For how long I walked in suffering
Without ever knowing the truth;
Because I always walked in blindness,
I could not see the truth.
Cuanto tiempo yo anduve sufriendo
Sin jamás conocer la verdad;
Porque yo anduve siempre cegado,
No podía yo ver la verdad.
On my knees I ask You, my Jesus,
On my knees today I ask Your
Forgiveness—
For having despised You, Jesus,
For having despised Your love.
De rodillas te pido, mi Cristo,
De rodillas te pido hoy perdón—
Por haber depreciadote, Cristo,
Por haber despreciado tu amor.
En mi vida ya no hay más tristeza.
Solo hay gozo en mi corazón
Porque Cristo ha llegado a mi vida
Y él me ha dado todo su perdón.
J.A., MA
In my life there’s no longer sadness.
There is only joy in my heart
Because Christ has come into my life
And has given me His full forgiveness.
Heriberto R., FL
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I have truly grown in grace and God’s loving kindness
through the years I have been working on these studies.
– Student Brenda W., GA
Thank you for letting me be a part of this awesome
program that God has blessed and grown in such
wondrous ways.
– Instructor Barbara P., MI
It is a struggle to practice being a Christian in prison, but
this Bible study helps me stay focused and strengthens
my faith. I thank God every day for the love and support
Crossroad gives me.
– Student Patrick, Australia
Call for Entries
CBI students are invited to submit artwork for the
Crossroad Inmate Art Gallery, located at CBI
headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan. CBI also
welcomes submissions of artwork and poetry for the
Crossroad Journal of the Arts, a quarterly publication.
Only submissions from CBI students and
graduates will be accepted. If you are not a student
but are interested in becoming one, please write to
us and request an enrollment form.
With your entry, include your name, ID number and
address, along with the title of your work and an artist's
statement (optional). Entries must be original. No
depictions of Jesus or copyrighted images will be
published. All submissions become the sole
property of Crossroad Bible Institute.
CBI regrets that, due to the volume of excellent work
submitted, we cannot publish everything we receive.
The views, opinions and theological positions expressed in the Crossroad Journal of the Arts are not necessarily those
of the leadership or staff of Crossroad Bible Institute.
Crossroad Bible Institute seeks to publish only original work. However, the original authorship of poems and artwork in
the Crossroad Journal of the Arts cannot be guaranteed.