Ariel Castro and Paul

This week shocking news came from an Ohio prison cell that Ariel Castro, the man who had imprisoned and abused three young women in his home for ten years, hanged himself after one month of jail.  On the day news came out, I read this quote about Roman jails written in Christian History by John McRay:

Roman imprisonment was preceded by being stripped naked and then flogged—a humiliating, painful, and bloody ordeal. The bleeding wounds went untreated as prisoners sat in painful leg or wrist chains. Mutilated, bloodstained clothing was not replaced, even in the cold of winter.

Most cells were dark, especially the inner cells of a prison, like the one Paul and Silas inhabited in Philippi. Unbearable cold, lack of water, cramped quarters, and sickening stench from few toilets made sleeping difficult and waking hours miserable. Because of the miserable conditions, many prisoners begged for a speedy death. Others simply committed suicide.

That last line made me think of Castro and my thoughts then went back to Paul.  In that awful place, Paul and Silas were singing hymns at midnight (Acts 16).  Paul went from beaten, bleeding, powerless prisoner to saving a jailer's life in just a few minutes in the aftermath of an earthquake.  The jailer was saved from suicide and began to follow Christ.  When he writes back to the church in his letter to the Philippians, there is no gloom or darkness, but joy and love.  God had redeemed that entire situation.

Now back to Ariel Castro, he and Paul, when he was called Saul, were both guilty of imprisoning people.  Both men were people who wanted to control other people.  Castro caused the death of perhaps several unborn children in the women he held prisoner.  Saul helped cause the death of Stephen.  Saul and Castro have some things in common.  But when Castro went to jail he took his own life.  When Saul, now knowing Jesus and being called Paul, went to jail he saved a man from taking his own life and helped him find eternal life.  The two men stand in contrast to a life lived in the flesh and a life lived in the Spirit.

Everyday you and I make decisions about following the flesh or following the Spirit.  Those decisions cause us to have an impact on others and they cause us to become who we are deep down inside.  We are becoming someone who takes life or someone who, even in their darkest moments, gives life.  This week, which one have you been more like?

For the journey...

Tim