John Thompson from Springfield

From the window of his prison cell John Thomson watched the eight-to-fivers carrying their lunch boxes to and from work each day.

"Why can't I be like that? Why can't I have a normal life on the outside?"

Hopelessness answered. "Because you're no good. This is all you'll ever have. You've spent most of your life locked up, and you'll probably die behind bars. too."

At the age of 33 John Thomson had spent 17 and a half years locked up in one prison or another. Alcoholic father, broken home-John's was the typical background of delinquent boys. First arrested at the age of seven for shoplifting, John couldn't stay out of trouble for more than a few months. Burglaries, armed robberies-from reform schools he graduated to federal prisons.

Nothing seemed to matter to John, even when his rebelliousness sent him for weeks at a time to the "hole"- solitary confinement where prisoners were often stripped, left without so much as a blanket, subsisting on near-starvation rations. John deliberately hardened himself and nurtured his anger, bitterness, and rage. He never thought much about
God, and he certainly didn't expect anything from him. The truth is I never thought about God at all.

Then the unexpected happened: Some of those "outside" folks came inside. John was serving a 12 year sentence for armed robbery and had been sent for tests to the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. God had recently led a small group of Christians to start a prison ministry there.

It wasn't exactly religious fervor that led John to attend his first chapel service. The unusual presence of women visitors and the chance to escape Sunday boredom sparked his interest. But what John didn't bargain for was the message he heard: "God loves you and wants you to love others."

Everything in John punched back. "Love others? In this place? Love my enemies?" What happened, during a church service was that I stood up and denounced the bible instructors teaching on free will, I felt I was a product of my environment.

John decided never to go back to church again, and settled it - that is, until Mom Carter, (Nita Colbaugh's mother) an elderly volunteer, approached him. Undaunted by his anger, she said, "Jesus loves you, and even though you don't understand it he has a plan and purpose for your life."

John remembers the deep embarrassment he felt when this little old lady met his hostility with the loving response. He tried to shrug it off, but he simply didn't know how to deal with this woman's concern for him. At the time John could never have dreamed how true her words would prove to be.

The next day John met Mary Lipscomb in the learning center of the prison. Mary, one of the Christian volunteers at the service the day before, was also a full-time school teacher at the prison.

"It was good to see you in church yesterday, John."

"I go every Sunday, but its not doing me any good," he responded coolly, sure that this "prim and proper" young lady could never understand. He turned brusquely away.

As the day went on, John couldn't get away from the vexing memories of the service, Mom Carter and Mary. That night he found himself plagued with worry over having offended the school teacher - and even more bothered by the fact that he even cared. It was so totally unlike him to care about anything or anyone. John could only find peace when he decided to go and apologize to Mary.

Again God worked in a powerful yet very subtle way through Mary. She confronted John with the gospel.

Now John was really angry - angry because this "girl" used the opportunity again to get the best of him, angry because she didn't even realize how costly her "good news" was to to him. How could she be so naive as to tell him he could have hope?

Still the thought persisted and nagged at him, "Why not try this?" I really wasn't trying anything, the key here was that Mary said "God could change my life." If what she was saying was true then she meant God could change my life, not me. If I was expected to have anything to do with my change - follow the ten commandments, turn over a new leaf than this wasn't going to work. It had to be totally God's changing. At that point I did not know about the scripture where God takes out the cold stoney heart. Old reform school tactics, progressive penal reforms - nothing else had worked.

Three days later, following two sleepless nights, much thought, and a few more intense conversations with Mary about Christianity. John came to a decision. The decision came about based on the truthfulness of what Mary had said, if she was right, then I owed it to myself to give God the chance. The Holy Spirit had en-kindled a small spark of hope in him, and he prayed to accept Jesus if what Mary said was true. That was on June 19, 1972. No cannons went off, John recalls now, but in a short time he did get a sense that God was real in his life.

Over the next six years John grew as a Christian while serving time in three institutions. Although things were never easy, John found Jesus true to his promises, changing him in ways he never thought possible. Church activities and Bible studies became a regular part of his life. He also became involved in constructive activities in the prison, like editing the prison newspaper.

John's friendship with Mary Lipscomb continued while she worked in the medical center. In 1974 she moved to Reba Place Fellowship, a Mennonite church community in Evanston, Illinois. John kept in touch through letters and occasional visits.

Once labelled completely incorrigible, John now saw his life taking a dramatic turnabout. In March 1978 he was granted a parole and sent to a halfway house in Chicago.

The halfway house provided minimal support for John in his new life. He found his real support when he began relating to the brothers and sisters at Reba Place Fellowship. Each morning at five a. m. he would board the public transportation and travel across-town to take part in devotions. Then he would set out on his job hunt.

The environment of love and acceptance in a Christian community were important for John as he began to experience the struggles of being a Christian on the "outside" - learning to trust, to be patient, to develop self-control. As a prisoner he never needed to worry about having a job, food or shelter. Now he had to learn to pray and trust God for these provisions. He found the support of fellow Christians crucial. What is not evident here is that Reba Place Fellowship was a communal church where everyone lived in common, most notably sharing in a common treasury similar to the disciples in Acts 2. They also live in households. The household that I lived in consisted of an elder, his wife and a couple of single women. In a months time after arriving the household added 3 more single women. Not where you normally place a man fresh out of prison. But this was God's doing.

Paul writes, "if any man is in Christ he is a new creature, the old things have passed away; behold new things have come." (2 Cor. 5:17). John Thomson's life shows how true that scripture passage is. By believing in Jesus Christ he has been transformed from a career criminal to a fruitful husband, father, employee, and member of a Christian fellowship. Blessed be the works of our Lord Jesus Christ!

During the time John and Mary's relationship progressed from friendship to romance. Again there were the rough times as they went through counseling at the fellowship. Yet God honored and blessed their perseverance and faithfulness. On April 12, 1980, they were married in a joyous wedding service.