A Beacon
of Light on a Dark Street Corner Near You
For anyone who wants an amazing book,
you should read Trish Jenkins’ story, Treasures
of Darkness. It’s a memoir about her prison journey – and to me, it seems
allegorical about life. Matthew 24:12 says in the last days, “Because of the
increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.” In the end times, much of what Trish endured and
experienced in prison will be the norm. We are headed there now, like a frog that
is slowly brought to the boiling point unawares—the dysfunctionality of our
country, the threat of war in the Middle East, and the compromise in morality
on many fronts.
When you think of anti-Christ – the
opposite of Christ—in order to survive in prison, the guard and other inmates
try to break you and convince you that you are no different from the others and
your faith is the problem. They attempt to pit you against your convictions by flipping
your world upside-down – seeing Trish throw her pearl (Jesus Christ) before
swine was heartbreaking. What would I do if I found myself in a similar
situation—would I have the courage of my convictions? Would I be willing to
pray for those who wanted to hurt me?
I will let you read Treasures of Darkness to see what
Trish’s story is about and how she landed in such a horrible place. Think of
working for someone like Bernie Madoff unawares and getting in over your head –
it could happen to any of us. Trish’s testimony and how God used her in the
lives of her prison mates left a lasting impression on me—one of those books
that will stick with me for life.
I am reminded of the words spoken by the 1600th-century evangelical preacher and martyr, John Bradford, “but
for the grace of God, go I.” Would I be able to endure this trial and still
love my Lord and Savior, not the same, but even more? You won’t see your
relationship with God or the opportunity to be a shining beacon despite
persecution or hardship in the same way after reading Treasures of Darkness.
