Justice and joy
The joy of justice that restores
I
within walls
these Life
by Johnathan Kana
never know exactly when or how the subject will come up. I only know that, inevitably, it will come up – over and over again. Many people are a bit
shocked when they first learn that, more than ten years ago, I commit- ted a serious offense that required me to spend two years behind bars. Until it comes time for “the conversation,” they only know me as an intelligent, happily married Christian father who works for a local brick company and moon- lights as a freelance writer and musician. Most have no idea how hard I’ve worked to build a new life for myself in the years since my release from prison, nor could they imagine the sacrifices others have made on my behalf in order for me to enjoy the life I have today. The simple truth is that going
to prison cost me nearly every- thing – my career, my reputation, and many other things I held dear. But today, I’m grateful for it. My punishment was both just and merciful, and it trained me
to appreciate many blessings in life that I don’t deserve, includ- ing my ongoing relationships with people whose constant solidarity sustained me, not only through my incarceration, but also through the difficult years of community super- vision that followed. It was when I most deserved to be abandoned that these people drew closer to me instead, helping me pick up the broken pieces of my life, make amends for the hurt I had caused, and discover new outlets for my gifts as a restored member of the community. Somewhere along the way,
God used the experience to mold me into a humbler, gentler, and more self-aware human being. More importantly, God used it to help me truly understand my need for a Savior – and that my salvation depends on the inscrutable grace of a Stranger who condescends to identify with the least, the last, and the lost (Philippians 2:5-8).
A peculiar opportunity That’s the fundamental inspi-
ration for my latest choral work, “Life within These Walls,” which received its world premiere this past spring at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center (IMCC), home of the Oakdale Community Choir. I had the privilege of being present for the concert – my first time back inside a prison since my own release – and I won’t soon forget the experience. Founded in 2009 by Dr.
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Mary Cohen, a professor of music at the nearby University of Iowa, the Oakdale Community Choir is a 60-voice volunteer ensemble comprised of incarcerated men and
January-February 2018 • WorshipArts •
www.UMFellowship.org
Photos: J. Kana (with permission from IMCC warden James McKinney)
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