The Lighthearted Calvinist

My location for most of March 11-March 14.  Approximately 40 volunteers (of whom I am privileged to serve with) filled with grace and truth, in humility will be proclaiming a message of hope, reconciliation and redemption through Jesus Christ.  Prayers appreciated.

Shortly after we were asked to start a bible study at what was then Straits Correctional Facility (now Chippewa Correctional Facility-West), we encountered a man named Richard Joiner.  He was called, as many prisoners are, by a nickname, and in his case, it was “Red.”  Being African-American, he had reddish hair and hence the nickname.  Red was on of those prisoners whom all the other prisoners looked up to – and in a good way.  He was honest, forthright and very concerned about the welfare of his fellow prisoners.  Being approximately 6′4″ or 6′5″ and because of his resemblance to Detroit Pistons player Tayshaun Prince, my mentor would frequently refer to him as “Tayshaun.”  Red attended a Keryx weekend in 2003 and continued his leadership within the Christian community the prison before receiving word that he had received his parole and would be heading home, and that was the last contact we had with him.

That is one of the trials of prison ministry – you form relationships with prisoners and then one day they are gone, transferred to another prison, in most cases never to be seen again (at least here on earth).  As a volunteer, you learn to handle this, but I always wonder how the guys are doing when they move on.  My most fond memory of Red was the night where we were discussing Job 38.  We took almost a year working through Job and chapter 38 begins with this in verses 1-3:

1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.

Other bible versions use the phrase “gird up your loins” in verse 3, so I posed the question as to what was meant there and Red raised his hand and said, “It means you ‘man up,’” to which I responded, “And tell everybody what you mean by that so we’re all on the same page,” and he did a very good job of doing such.

Today I learned about what’s happening with Red Joiner in 2010.  Red Joiner was shot and killed recently while withdrawing money at an ATM in Detroit and the story of his murder is given by WXYZ-TV in Detroit.  His brother, interviewed in the accompanying video, does indeed resemble Red.  One of my volunteer friends received a call from one of the former prisoners who was in that bible study notifying him of the murder last night, and I was told today.  Another former prisoner was at our Keryx team formation meeting today and he was aware of what had happened and he was torn up by it as I was, as was yet another former prisoner who was at the meeting.

The last I knew, Red was ready to meet his Creator and the implication from the story is that he was still ready when he was killed.  We never know our own ATM moment, so to speak, will happen so we need to be ready because as Paul says in 2 Cor. 6, “Today is the day of salvation.”

I have missed Red from afar for several years but my “missing him” pales in comparison to the loss his family is experiencing.  We pray for the Joiners, his son and his fiancee.  And that his alleged killer reconcile herself to the living God as well.

May we all ‘man up’ (biblically) in memory of Red.  Miss you, bro.