With a fervor born of passion
and a desire to reach his fellow man
the preacher took the stage
and spoke with great élan
He talked about his childhood
on the wrong side of the track
A ghetto wrought with poverty
where he had to watch his back
Born to a 'working' mother
and the father who was her pimp
Drugs caused a birth defect
that left him with a limp

Through hardship he was hardened
All emotion buried deep
His face a mask of anger
only softened in his sleep
In teenage years his fury
led to a life of crime
He'd terrorize his neighbors
if only for a dime
A gangster and a thug
feared by all who knew
Nobody could stop him
not least the men in blue.

But one day he robbed a store
and a clerk pulled out a gun
He took a bullet in the leg
and yet still he tried to run
He was arrested on the street
and hoisted off to jail
And in court it was decided
that he should get no bail
Labeled as habitual
with a record that would show
that the only place for this young man
was the place that he'd soon go.

In jail he was attacked
and left bleeding and near death
was taken to the infirmary
and there breathed his dying breath

The preacher paused and waited
until a hush fell on the crowd
Then he looked to heaven
and began to pray out loud
"Father open up their hearts
Let them hear what I will say
and help them to believe.
With all my heart I pray."
The audience grew restless
Not sure how to respond
to the man who stood before them
Afraid they would be conned.
Yet in his eyes they saw
something that gave them hope
their own lives out of kilter
were headed down the slope

Finally he began
to tell them what he'd seen
A passage that had led to hell
the place that he had been
His life replayed before him
he feared the judgment that would come
He bowed his head and waited
for it all to come undone
Instead he felt a presence
of unconditional love
It surrounded him with light
and pulled him back above.

In the infirmary, the staff
were shocked by what they saw
The corpse that lay before them
came to life once more
Instead of bitter features
his face took on a glow
A man had died that day
but another man would grow
Soon he was released
changed in all respects
And made an oath to God
that he'd pay back all his debts
He knew he couldn't undo
all the damage he had done
but by touching other lives
perhaps the battle could be won.

Those prisoners in the hall
were silent for a while
and then they burst into applause
each face a shining smile
His testimony shared
and his past exposed that way
The preacher knew his prayer
was answered on that day.

© Chanti 2006