This weekend, I made my third trip in the last 12 months to Death Row at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Eleven men sentenced to die have been working their way through the Malachi Dads curriculum, learning how to be godly men and fathers. This weekend was their graduation ceremony for completing that course.
I have been asked why in the world I would ever want to travel across the country just to visit men on death row. The answer is really quite simple … possibly even a little selfish.
I want to be right in the middle of where God is doing His greatest redemptive work. Death row in the bowels of Angola Prison is that place.
On Friday afternoon, 11 men sentenced to death, one inmate pastor, a prison chaplain, and three of us guests, all crammed into a room barely big enough to fit the 16 of us.
The men hugged each other as they came in. They shared stories about how the Malachi Dads program has changed their lives, and they cheered for each other as each one went up to get his graduation certificate.
And then we ate lunch together.
We sat around and talked about their families, and sports … and after we finished a cake that we had brought in with us, the man next to me pushed me on the shoulder and said, “This ain’t no Angola cake … this is a free men’s cake.” He wasn’t kidding … the cake was delicious, and was well earned.
These 11 graduates are changed men. You could debate me on this … but you would be wrong. You could argue that they have done such horrible things that they can’t be forgiven … but you would be wrong again. You can withhold your forgiveness, but God doesn’t, and these 11 men are living examples of what forgiveness can do.
Every time I leave death row at Angola, I realize more and more that I’m not making these trips to be a help to them. I come here because I love redemption, and there is no greater example of it than what I see in these changed lives.
Bruce Tracy
Castaic
