711. Mass Incarceration: The Truth about Accountability and the Justice System

[00:00:02] You're on Pastor Phil. Welcome to Church On The Block, real talk about hip hop and church and the streets with my great co-host pastor Jay and Ruck Boy on Holy Culture Radio, Sears You're welcome to Church On The Block, you're listening to Pastor Phil, Sears XL Channel 140,

[00:00:31] real talk about hip hop and church in the streets. I and with my brothers and who I love to life who have been serving with me at North Park Seminary inside a stable prison. And one is called Calls and One is called the Effect, Calls and Effect.

[00:00:49] And they how a heart to impact the neighborhood, they are called middle God to change the paradigm that's been happening to both themselves and the others inside and out. But today, man, I just want them to share their heart, share their story, share what's on the mind

[00:01:09] that those of us who on the outside who never thought of or have forgotten about, my brother and sister is on the inside about what's really going on in their own heart of life. So brothers, what's going on cause of the fact what's going on?

[00:01:22] No, but I've just shared from your heart man, what you want people to understand it and know about about you, about the work you're passionate about doing. And what you want to tell people about them so they don't forget what's going on in the inside.

[00:01:43] We just want to know if people really understand the power of the season, the power of choices, the ideology when they are in some of the effects from our choices that we think. The influence, the phase and the nation.

[00:02:01] And what I think that we can understand is call the effect relationship of all of our actions that they're thinking. And it just allows us to make more and allow us to waste more and make better decisions. And it's all about our decision.

[00:02:17] And so what about us doing a little more so on? I think going on this fact, all of the big. What's going on? But now we just trying to reach back to the years.

[00:02:33] So that's what I understand that email when it's same, like you do not have the choice. There's always a choice in your decision, make. And that's the part of your life that you have to take control of.

[00:02:47] So you may not control your environment or how you go up or the circumstances that surround you. But you have a choice that it's decision to make as to how you respond, which is the calls.

[00:03:02] And then the effect of what's going on, how do we utilize that way. It's been official for yourself when you don't put yourself in situations that you don't want to be. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

[00:03:15] For example, what they say is shows that when most people are fired it, it's because there's nothing but nurture to all. The less fired it to all. The more violent you all, so when we see a lot of violence is because of nurture.

[00:03:33] So we know that the violence isn't the fact. The calls is the lack of nurture. Why? So the more we are, what we can nurture the less fired it that we become.

[00:03:46] And so it's all different things because what's we get into systems and the systems that I want to look at the calls and the fact. And then I want to look at this bias as a source of sub. Yeah.

[00:03:58] Then I'm going to love you and you said your actions, there was genuine. It was a genuine choice. And we want to see what it would be like not so fast. Let's understand this relationship.

[00:04:07] And the same when we understand that relationship with calls and effect, they may be good. What is it? That's understanding calls and effect. They get us out of what it calls and effect. And we definitely have to experience this stuff like that.

[00:04:20] So we want to talk about call and effect on this different city scales. Yeah, all this stuff was story in which it was well. It's saying that most people come to present. You six tabs like in the coming prison if you don't have a file, you know. Right.

[00:04:38] These are all sort of fake relationship. These are not just users, they can't be present. It's the social yields. Tell me. I didn't really have a file to come in. I didn't really have a file to come in. I didn't really have a file to come in.

[00:04:53] You know most people didn't drop out of the house, who come to prison. These are calls and effect relationships. You know sort of relationship with just getting your house will diploma or GED. If you take the out of the 90% that you're not even coming to prison,

[00:05:08] adjust the GED, you're asking the diploma. At his deeds different things. So even if you don't ever figure it out, just tell him you admit if I can get through the house, he will not go on a prison. the whole of the effect legislature, so that's how

[00:05:20] that they're tied structurally to so many different things. Yeah. So let me ask you, let me ask you like an context of your own story and before things happen to get arrested were there some people that came through

[00:05:43] that you just on a lame I ain't go hang with him. Be many because of the lack of nurturing or people may have tried to nurture. What I'm selling is for is that as people are hearing this, what folks

[00:05:54] think about the cast on the block that they work with or that they know or that they see. And as they may have pushed back right because they have not been nurtured they used to everybody be a hard and you lay not given up on that

[00:06:09] and you've got to come like here's a blanket in the town I want to come comfort too. Is it about being human being in life and talking about the gang or whatever but being able to be a nurture in that space. But whether

[00:06:20] there moments where you accept nurturing, you know, back in the day or when your moments that you just push back from it even from other people. So me we didn't really have too much archery over the guys that came through they manipulated situations and put us

[00:06:38] the situations that were less to be coming. Right. First time I had a gun to them for my hand I was Spanish oh, about 22 year old got it. Wow. So this was the first that we had and did as a child you

[00:06:52] want to be cool. You want to be accepted. Right. You don't want to look like a park. Right. Rapping these war souls and then always use the metaphor that we often didn't figure out what animal you're going to be at the junk. And that becomes your personal.

[00:07:11] You know, so we we we we we find these individuals can take advantage of this and then they prophesies over your life. As well as a culture they told us we're another literacy 16. Right. They did the 16 they say oh

[00:07:27] man you ain't going to live a sea 18. And when job is the only thing that you'll witness in a wildest. Right. And you're believing to accept these revelations about yourself and then you're making spiritual degrees upon your own life. Right.

[00:07:46] And so that a lack of hope that you have for your future was puts you in a situation to be defyingly crucified and this moment because care about not in well the nurturing aspect was never even thought that and specifically what the be it we understand that the

[00:08:08] women are naturally nurturing. And again, but I believe and the brother believe that the father has to be asked much nurturing to is true. True. True. If not more so then the luck because if you don't need to teach you or give

[00:08:26] him no out there where he's able to process what school I know with him when he's got them situations and and like the brother said earlier all his responses. But. Right. He made you made a valid

[00:08:43] point. And so I tell you the difference with coming up with my father my mother and my brother my brother my brother me and my family. I'm a mother I come home and I hear the fight while I come home with busted lip on busted notes.

[00:09:02] But mama, a hot protective against these experienced protect she ready to go up there and meet up through their touchbox hour right I mean that protective nurturing nature. The father will not answer okay let me show you how to ball the fist of the defenge yourself right.

[00:09:18] While we were so ready to protect me from the world and we're almost ready to prepare me for the world. And that in this that one too much. Yeah. And then we mentioned that one to one of the nurturing. Fun nurturing. Well I've

[00:09:32] even been nurtured on as an individual. A is the confidence. No matter what you told me no matter what to all the people told me no matter what good stuff I heard right. I did that with this

[00:09:44] uh at a discipline to execute. I could be tough on my block but I'm not tough in other other bad. Right. You know I had this I had this ability to draw. But they're about ready to go

[00:09:57] put myself on kids so people with deers the is so poor and so poor and it was about building up the confidence. While because God obviously had the biggest problem with black people is not racist as confidence. And while it's God we believe that

[00:10:12] black people are made of man. Texas alone. Wait. Yeah yes. And then theory of confidence how do we install confidence? Yeah. That's a part of nurturing how do we nurture confidence? Well we we we got the ability we got the confidence to see

[00:10:28] up through. Well we don't if we are great basketball players and we not shoot for it. Yeah. Why is this important that the brothers speaking about confidence? And we take this and bag it out back to the slave returns. The love as a

[00:10:43] natural inclination to protect her child, tall person, to lower his head and to be some mislead the nature to protect his life. And over time that has become our goal. So you see these guys and their fists and they're that and then they walk in these

[00:11:03] wrongs like the brother sandwich, probably don't have it. Right. And they feel inferior. They sink into their chairs. Right. Because that confidence is not there. Oh they made them over there talking though they might be the best artists like you said the best basketball

[00:11:22] without very many made by beat. So we out that that is extremely important what calls to say about the effect of the lack of confidence that we out to instill in each of them. The challenges that you

[00:11:41] face like you know how how people you know understand the challenges that you face even now and fighting for your own freedom. Like in the sense that the injustice of the justice system, you know the reality is

[00:11:59] you know I mean I'll one in you know we got we got church fold we got people you know Christian fold cool you know have a whole you tagged this way and you know this is it there's no there's no transformation no no reform

[00:12:15] right and so you can never you know ever have a redeemed life from from what's happened and no one as we talk about you know even in class no one is the worst thing to have a bit no one you know there's so

[00:12:30] much grace it's almost well grace but oftentimes Christians tend to forget that and I get it in some regards you know has things may have happened in some of life and they and they feel a certain way about that but

[00:12:45] that's one in that that's one aspect you know and in the context of fighting and getting that narrative right but just in the narrative for people understanding how complicated it is man when it comes to fighting this system like

[00:13:01] whatever snippet of insight the long question that you can bring down because no one's hearing your story no one's hearing the the the holistic transformation no one's seeing the fact that there hasn't been any incidents in 20 to 25 years and

[00:13:19] and the and the the certification that everybody has right and and the investment in yourself and and yet the same impact that you've had insight with people for their lives to be changed that you recognize the gift and the blessing

[00:13:37] that you can be so and one of the way you want to help people understand some of those challenges that way so quickly I've been in a concentrated 24 years now we're been on about 25 years and in that time I haven't had any

[00:13:53] this scenario issues since 2005 so I've had over 19 years of just activity when I came to press out of the other GB I'm leaving here at the very middle with my master's degree and and we both teach we both try to encourage brothers we do mentorship

[00:14:20] and and we fight against this system and it's a uphill battle and it's not even a heel of a spike in law right in for a straight up whole time to navigate a wall with no rope

[00:14:32] yeah because the system does not care about right or wrong about law or justice it is strictly punishment it can go past it's a it is it is it is especially more than they get so this proportionally applies synthesis specifically to black me but men of color

[00:14:58] yeah all the gap and I will push back against the pairs and and and say this unfortunately we live in the era where our parents are afraid of that truth that's true those is this aspect we allow a system to tell you to drink your child away

[00:15:24] that is no home for your child listen to what I'm saying about your child they just leave no bear child they convince you that it's better for your child to spend his time in a press

[00:15:38] is safe because it's better than you visit in that child in the graveyard right so do to that fear that you have about the losing your child yeah and the disconnection that goes there this greatest you in effect look at best of any solutions in your child or

[00:16:05] what's going on right it is interesting right yeah and as two words it out I want to also write I want to talk about it two words called accountability and responsibility you know those are two words yeah and I heard you two words just a jacks

[00:16:25] and just a jacks saying something that was very bad just a jacks and say the order of holes someone was something accountable we have to first be responsible you can't jump over responsibility of the whole something accountable and so come to the risk it ordered a whole

[00:16:44] on the risk of accountable for anything is doable but I say okay first let me understand to be responsible what does that mean to be responsible as we listen to me and so I say what do

[00:16:57] do I do this do I do drill and drill to lead do I do all these different things yeah if I can cut back on these different things and show that I'm responsible with it in a part

[00:17:07] old line I now can hold anything if front of me at the counter I can't be driving down the street no license no insurance did a racist cop who was me over and when the race cop who would be over

[00:17:23] I got nothing I was the responsible role but yet I wanted to try to hold a accountable down and it's a challenge to hold anything that's something accountable if I'm now first responsible so come to the risk of okay we're limited what is responsible you are still

[00:17:38] a father I can neglect my duties to be a father I still have to be a father I like education I have to give me education then I gotta be more health conscious only different things I see

[00:17:51] how could I resist and don't be chomped over that you can't stop education because even if you don't give me a GED I'm gonna sell that to keep myself yes or you can't just system don't

[00:18:01] prepare me for myself and I can't sell all these different things to system don't control over me be a responsible for me right and that's what I say at someone I can be responsible

[00:18:12] be down I look at the core rule now I understand injustice now I understand my actual what is the style of everything you're trying to be the role is all for the door to open

[00:18:25] and you'd go anywhere if you're not first responsible right but the problem with what the brother said and then this becomes a oxymorial because he is said in prison for 30 years for accountability of someone else wow yeah I'm sitting here done my time for what I've done

[00:18:51] but I got an extra 25 years to deter a free push and they could be at the crime also one else right when does it come between what's warming right what's still warm when substance all arise peep and you're going and we are helping them though are

[00:19:17] rubbers and sisters awake in these prison sense yeah I don't believe that I you fist up work fighting for we don't believe that there are walls we don't believe any of that right even lead that genocide has been committed on the black man and the black woman and

[00:19:38] metaphorically speaking spiritual and mental chillicide has been decreed upon a sensitive so what you look at now is it's similar to the walkin be wow so how do we remedy your situation right that then we be called complicit and sad situation

[00:20:04] and a far every negative scenario type being 13% of the population but have 79% of the media coverage don't you even send a proper relationship with over 54% of the prison population right we're sent just to 19.1% longer for the same exact crime than any whiter

[00:20:32] these things are not by coincidence rubby y'all understand this and not this is modern day slave right right and we are being complicit because we allowed them to make us fearful and that fear keeps the relip it right you don't see the key is done

[00:20:55] right when the key is out issues you know what they do they get them help right they address the prop right the calls right to correct the fact that it's had on the wall

[00:21:06] the fact is being addressed though it does but the calls does not be the church wow come on yeah and us as church folks us as my spokes will go whatever eventually this is not a Christian problem it's not a choice problem it's not a

[00:21:29] emotional problem this is a humanity problem right if we don't come together and put ourselves on the land by how asked if P.L. does every day so he asked respect for the East key is why you can you say they don't listen to nobody listen to

[00:21:53] that really some percent out of the flop yeah in this area is this is been a bull right you should be running two parts in the paid running two donate running to give

[00:22:09] service right right all we're going to sit back and let them control our kids kill our kids they did his only black lives about the one that pollutes do something right right right

[00:22:21] I want to look girl in the boy gets shot down the street where did it what the launch is that there what do we do right we cannot ask them to respect our lives

[00:22:32] if we don't yeah I don't make sense yeah we're back you know we back we it are causing effect in the building causing effect man brilliant young scholars man so brothers man what is the the most challenging thing in in your and this passion that you have and

[00:22:55] what what was was been unearthed and you know we'll revive in your heart to move forward in that space with the system with the justice system with folks coming in to try to support with

[00:23:10] um trying to bring understanding to people about you know what real what real what is the state say a reformation reform look like like what is the real what what was you got to that space to

[00:23:22] know this is what I'm at and they say they want that but do they really want it right did they really want it what do you see the real attention that you face I think the real

[00:23:34] tension is I think I think it's capital because I think it's off to this about money wow I think it's about but I don't want I don't want to lead a body of out of there yeah because just

[00:23:44] it's a big money thing so I guess this this this social uh this despite that and so we fight the kids a narrative but the narrative is what people make it money off of wow and I'm not as

[00:23:59] just just shit shit just a tumsha's down you know you got a lot of citizens saying this I care about my constituents I care about the jobs I care about the families only different things

[00:24:10] you like they wait a bit you know it's making it just that but I don't you making you making our lives about that buddy right so I want to understand you there's this current seat that is really

[00:24:20] about and it's less about the real meditation because they've noticed more about the real meditation I think there's a big difference so I just think that that tell them about that currency tell them what that money tell them what that job told them to echo novice people

[00:24:34] making a lot of money all people born but for his man and keep them people in prison keep it in prison this is your new modern day slavery at his house yeah and they have people that look like

[00:24:49] us black men black boys are your new face of yeah and unfortunately we black people we say to always be complicit as the brother always says and our old demise hmm got the implicit in the

[00:25:08] injustice that happens to us because we are afraid to do something different because we let other people dictate what's going on so the press is led by the oppressor and then they tell us how to

[00:25:24] respond to the press and we don't respond in their own art right in an unborn situation they'll we're considered to be sad right but like we said last time they convinced us to lock

[00:25:40] our little black boys and our little black girls away for light just like the little levy year old little girl they just locked up for murder right so we have to understand what they're

[00:25:54] going to our children what they're going to us right be able to recognize what real transformation looks like because I don't we don't believe it restored right this lead trial summation because you can restore something that nothing was yep yep yep and the reality of

[00:26:15] when you do that it created space or when restoration happens whether you created it not while you on inside you were you put to me um you're not really ready for what it is that

[00:26:26] did you say to you what okay this first of a story dad gum that we didn't we didn't think that was going to happen um so let's move the line further back you know let's let's you thought this is

[00:26:37] the finished line right here but um yeah we still can make that happen you know it's almost like an embarrassment it's almost like an embarrassment you know we never thought otherwise we'll get there you got

[00:26:47] there and all you overdid it you overdid it like you you you you you you you know and they know piece of paper you can't check and say well but uh now every piece of paper is saying what you said

[00:26:59] any more so I would you know restoration looks like but the reason that they fight it gives calls in the facts so lunch is because we destroy your sister hmm think you don't get no return

[00:27:13] on your own vest to with us hey right this little the stairs we speak against injustice the brothers try to get his doctrine agree yeah I'm a stubborn you know this the face of

[00:27:30] this looks different right then what we're saying it for it to be right which is why do you find that it gives us so much because you don't want you let us go you don't get us back that's

[00:27:43] one right right and they'll be stopped people that look like us you're coming hmm right yeah you know what you did people like that free and have right right right right

[00:27:56] right exactly barkers yep if good to be right and like you say right that calls in the fair like what they don't want to speak all ears what they don't want to speak on ears I want to speak

[00:28:10] old slavery and mass incarceration that's somehow we think they dip and I want to close this gap there's a truly understand mass incarceration one must understand slave at one must understand slavery is what you call it was pinch we had twainton or racial slave we're not

[00:28:30] third generation of mass incarceration man at a first week the more mass incarceration is going to be simple slavery right now we're at our earliest stages people can't see it people different but it has to say me greediest because I need a a cross rich with you y'all

[00:28:47] I need so a person coming in at 20 years old have a small chat throughout his concentration he would become a grandparent and a great rare pair right would be he would be a cost-ready but his grand shields with generation and his great-grand shields

[00:29:01] of generation hmm that's slave where you get threefold generations of slave of slaves that's what mass incarceration is you have read what generation's old being the cost-ready to what so to read so to understand mass incarceration rates understand mass incarceration

[00:29:19] is to understand slave and somehow we think these days are different because one is more set of times we look at it as a crime so to say we could commit a crime that it was a

[00:29:35] crime back then you black it's a crime yeah and now I can be feeling it slave you and so when you look at these two different things and you close up I think that it was clear it is right now

[00:29:47] we can't see the clarity we think slave we are old but that it is slave let's write it on us yep i mean most unlike that language i like that closing the gap that part is really really real

[00:30:02] America has never owned nothing about slavery like uh Dr. Joy from uh you know post-traumatic slaves syndrome she talked about going to South Africa and meeting with the white africanos and they were like we are so ashamed and embarrassed and mad about apartheid um we wanted

[00:30:21] she meant she was expecting months if you're like we want apartheid back like like some clan kind of conversation but she said the people she ran into were ashamed and she said one of the very

[00:30:30] obelisk was the South Africa owned we did this this was wrong and um we don't want to have this to perpetuate who we are just like in Germany i was in Germany with my sister man

[00:30:43] they didn't got more people and in germans i've got i get an officially about it because it has been millions every year of folks coming in for other countries and they just you know no passport

[00:30:52] one passport and they just letting folks in because of all the history the bad history they got of killing everybody in the Jewish folks and black folks and everything like uh they like we

[00:31:02] don't want that reputation of them for like for 10 years there was a woman who's a president whatever in Germany for i'm interested um um has just led everybody in so it's almost like in the same

[00:31:13] sense um America hasn't owned it so we not recognize and you see you see cats in South Africa own in it and they they try to open the flood gate how do we how do we rectify this how do we

[00:31:26] I say and they've done the best at it whatever cases but it's a it's a variable food you know own nothing you're all it and ever happened yeah and this is take me and Betty yeah as we spoke

[00:31:39] yeah he made better than you help you as this yeah yeah that basis yeah one of the cases right racist right right he thinks and conjunction leads to massacrispurs yeah yeah it's no it's own co-assidist that this is happening we need to stand up to gather as

[00:32:02] of people the e-bard falls we can call out to the man out there yeah stand up be men to be the fathers that you were meant to be to be the man in God and sin for you to

[00:32:17] right right right be the hardest minutes you have to be yeah we can stop what's going on all right now because you have a lack of fathers a lack of mid-tours a lack of positive

[00:32:29] identities and then looking to entities that are anything but positive as they motivation to live right right right well that's good yes yeah that's on us and we need other people to walk with

[00:32:44] cats who are living in such a way where trauma is their daily life where they can see themselves as the fathers in those spaces man causing the fact man y'all did it y'all do it every time

[00:32:54] I want to congratulate you on your own journey right and that journey that's healed of the people people watching y'all people y'all have invested in and we need that we need y'all out

[00:33:06] and loose so we can spread that in so like you say nobody goes back in because of the impactful work that you're doing on the outside we praying and knowing that that's going to happen

[00:33:16] man we know that's gonna happen one day man so thank y'all man cause and effect when we do and we go I'm doing whatever I can to communicate that to people to even with the show to

[00:33:26] make that noise happen so thank y'all man you're personally we are here right now with my man Mr. Moode who is in a pedal institution but is good for my PhD type thinking scholar

[00:33:40] was in our masters class at at this particular school and brilliantly killed it with the grades and I was just a grace with this application and how his old life was living this way anyway

[00:33:58] when we coming to class it wasn't like this was a duty this is a part of who he is and so Mr. Moode what's going on man are you doing bro? Hey how you doing fast-filled no no I'm doing real good

[00:34:08] no I mean my mood he's real good right now. Good good that's important that's important to know man so share with the people made from your heart what it is that you know the struggle

[00:34:20] I'm being on the inside the battle with the with with what life is is like with his just a system and yet I'm just trying to overcome it what God is doing in the midst of the man just

[00:34:32] just for your heart just share um whatever really whatever really is on your heart just for people to know what you want folks to know so they will not forget our brothers on the inside

[00:34:43] Erison Cuomo is I want to thank you fast-filled for allowing me this I've told me the true I truly been a true the bills of us they don't have been incarcerated not just in the penal system but in our society at large

[00:35:00] again I was incarcerated in 2004 for something that I take a lot of percent responsibility for on fire is being incarcerated you know I was just a young man trying to figure out like

[00:35:14] not understanding that I had to you know caring a lot of trauma within my body and a lot of unshelpy habits and unhealthy belief systems about myself and others around me and I never

[00:35:28] received any type of help because of the stigma of mental health and even how I grew up you know we don't talk about our problems then unfortunately one day in October 2004 all of those issues

[00:35:41] that I had suppressed and that I wasn't even aware of and someone unfortunately loves to live it wasn't just that one person but the family of that person is both my own family and it's

[00:35:53] up me down a spiral I found a spiral that I didn't know that even existed where I had landed me into the sight war the penal system for eight consecutive years and I was as such

[00:36:08] despair there wasn't a date that I did not wake up that I was angry at God because I wanted to die I really believe the long-point that that death that you see are to be only them the things

[00:36:21] that I was dealing with mentally and emotionally I could not understand how I ended up in prison it took ten years and even even the exact if the person could pass away that passed away

[00:36:33] and it was because of my own by by all the years again I had been on a cocktail of psych medication not been numerous mental health professionals psychologists psychiatrists and a lot of mental health there is I've even attempted suicide multiple times and I others just extremely

[00:36:56] extremely depressed and I even stopped talking like literally talking to people you know my family staff individuals they could see I didn't speak so people thought I thought or believe that I was

[00:37:09] in the jail of crazy all three because I never spoke well no I'm saying it it was so many it was dark for so many years in my life I couldn't see any type of light and you know the penal

[00:37:29] system is not inside to tell us it is not it is decided to wear out to us it's to break us down to be humanized us you know I need to make you believe that you are not worthy of any type of

[00:37:47] good thing and I believe that for a long time but again by by that's race in mercy after 13 years of struggling mentally and emotionally and spiritually died healing I don't say any type of medication of any kind from mental health anything because God if Jesus Christ and

[00:38:09] all those and I'm a lot of prayer from other people that I don't even know and prayer of God is made a way for me probably academic standpoint to help me understand the the some of the

[00:38:27] tribal and how it affected me mentally and emotionally as well as physically and now as I sit here 19 years up in prison I have now become a virtual and a emotional health wellness advocate

[00:38:44] because I believe so much that there are so many people that just in prison but in my neighborhood where I'm from they are suffering in silence because we have here's a stable lot of loves likely rescue by people about mental health and about speaking your truth and

[00:39:01] leaning into your emotions and now if I desire is to help people walk through that trunk and also I've worked on with the tools that they would need to learn how to better handle it

[00:39:15] and express their tremors in a more healthy and productive way I believe with the sincerity of my art if reason why we have so much violence on street because those kids don't understand that

[00:39:27] they have found and what they feel as value they just don't understand how to express it and in a productive and positive way because their household wherever they are a close proximity to

[00:39:39] they probably don't know how to express themselves in a positive and productive way so my desire is to empower and to feel the curriculum to help them with people understand because they they matter to me and I'll welcome to matter to themselves unless they can see value in

[00:39:56] the other people and maybe just maybe they stop a lot of this boundaries this unnecessary bodies in a power of people instead of trying to denascely into destroy the only wow wow when when you press through and fall through the mental health journey what was

[00:40:21] some things that turned to corner for you like what were the things that that were the tipping point where some people may not have had a tip of it like they may not have turned at the corner

[00:40:35] they may want a different direction right what was it then gave you the courage strength wisdom to move in a different way facing those mental challenges so let me be clear I said here only because

[00:40:49] of that it's this uh because they gave me some strap and they put people in a light those some are stabbed numbers over the years of my incarceration others are individuals at

[00:41:01] cost me as well as the the higher education in which I have been a part of they wanted to greatest lessons of my life is that people saw me they didn't see opportunity they didn't see

[00:41:14] that individually custody they didn't see my worst decision they saw me miss your movements and that made them the difference in my life because I can recognize that prior to been in prison

[00:41:27] I felt in this I felt like I was in a room where a thousand people is screaming at the top of my lungs nothing came out nobody saw me hmm if somebody actually saw me but you see me

[00:41:39] thousand people you saw me as a man as Mr. Moon yeah and that made that change the trajectory of my life and let's I start once people start seeing me I start believing that I am somebody

[00:41:56] and that I am worthy to be seen and I start seeing myself as I studied a word every morning that is the greatest reflection him mirror I have ever seen because I could see myself

[00:42:08] and it got a star revealing who I am it was worth it so that changed my life and it changed your trajectory of my life yeah that's powerful that's probably the the move of God is a mysterious

[00:42:23] thing man in light of where lands are different people different times was there ever like before the penitentiary was there ever any kind of connection with God before him so let me be clear

[00:42:39] I was born and raised on a west side of Chicago yeah you're in I all dead we're up in the church again I went to church as a it was more religious it's more tradition go to church I went to church

[00:42:52] so much like I don't remember having days often I went find anything I went into choir but I was always that and I never understood anything that the house was a head just it just they can connect

[00:43:05] so me and then it was more religion because I was sitting here today as a 46 year old man at God and Jesus Christ is not a religion he's real yeah he's a country real in my life because people don't

[00:43:16] come to me Bible God right right great stop happening that is so important as I think back to my younger self has somebody saw me and not the traditions and not doctrine and not religious they saw me right

[00:43:32] that's a kid that needed direction that would have been so much more powerful versus just getting out I wanted to church on Sunday for the Lord and Anne afternoon service the internet service

[00:43:44] went on Bible study prayer service like all these services but none of them actually serve me is serve the aesthetics of what church the religion is they never that came to me as a person

[00:43:57] so right yeah right right what is it that you would want to say or challenge folks in the church folks you know Christian folks about my mental health issues or about

[00:44:16] ways in which to to be awakened to change the the last hit for that what would you want to challenge folks so first first of all those I want to say this in the Bible Jesus commanded

[00:44:33] the church he to send us out not for people to come into the church because now and those people don't alone walk into a building for whatever they're easy they believe that they are here

[00:44:43] procrastinating they believe there's nothing in their form I think we need to put down take off our $5,000 and put all some jays and connect to these kids I think is so important that

[00:44:55] the message should never change the gospel is what it is but the method and how we give it see these yots to connect with them to walk with them to people into walk with them and not throw

[00:45:06] them away our society is throwing people away our church you know we have different things in church if we have coke drives you have turfy drives you know back school drive I think is an

[00:45:19] order we start empowering our people from a mental and emotional standpoint because again you know they talk about a lot of things in church that they don't talk about mental health you all

[00:45:29] have struggled with it whether it's the host the largest person the pastors that you know the deacons the mother board we all know it's called k to say that we are not okay no one

[00:45:43] healing doesn't happen in isolation right it is an possible you can to start they feel and I think it needs to start in the church because the church is the back there's the pillar and back on

[00:45:56] up the black kneel and everything that started in the church the gospel music still will right in movement you know music black music rhythm the soul why can't mentally and emotional health wellness workshops in a pound and education start with the church and move outside of

[00:46:16] the church and prestige young kids not from a viable belief in cyber things but you can express your faith and your action people tend to care more about what you do and not what you say

[00:46:29] you know I mean I just think you're so important you know I wish I prayed that that less is to be what another opportunity so walk out of this prison because that promise you this

[00:46:39] you got by this interrupters I think is in time it's hard to have a company what wireless interrupts lentil in a potion to hell with a tool you know hopefully will help wellness uplifters and encourages along with the violence that interrupters because we go hand in hand

[00:46:55] yep yep I like that I mean the the challenges the the challenges of the church has is and and and you know Krueblo God is oftentimes what will come in those stickin was as well you know

[00:47:09] you know it's as though God is not enough or the thought that God is enough and so we got to therapists and a therapist Christian therapists or non-Christian therapists are needed in our own humanity I think an individual person knowing the word of God knowing

[00:47:31] the ways in which they can grow in their own faith is is strength enough for the level of discernment that will enable them to really understand what a therapist says something you could say okay that's in this scripture I like that

[00:47:48] but I never saw it from that angle you know you don't have to have everything a person says out of their mouth therapy doesn't have to have an address in the scripture it can be

[00:48:02] a truth that is that is for you about what's going on in your life so I really appreciate you know your thoughts around this thing man one last thing you'd want to say man what would

[00:48:13] what would you would you you would a challenge or courage or notice people about you know the struggle of brothers and sisters inside there's a lot of this a lot of things I could say

[00:48:28] but I think it's important for them to see us but not always the decision maybe to see us and not the tribes in which we have they convicted on people don't wake up at a lord it

[00:48:41] is say often if throw away my life in the life of somebody else there has to be the lone tracked record of brokenness in our lives that has been compounded by so many other things

[00:48:54] people and their church we have so many resources not about buddy but we have a lot of educated people in there we just need you guys to see us it laid down a young doctor

[00:49:07] all this with you back is even jellable a nephatist laid down you're at the very court the two greatest contaminants in the world is the love that all your heart you'll like this soul

[00:49:21] and love me donate we are donate even don't we made me separated by a wall and some miles and even bars we are in your navel it we right now we all need each other to in order to feel the better

[00:49:34] to feel any when you build up people can build up to millions right here yeah and I ask them to please help us build up the community by helping us build

[00:49:46] ourselves up the we at turn window build up others around us so no one helps that looks like you and me walking in a prison has an individual cut but as a as a live and with living and breathing

[00:50:00] testimony of God's goodness in mercy in how they have been empowered by vence or help an emotional wellness advocates can buy on his interruptors and even their faith in which they are building everything up whether again it doesn't matter what your doctor needs

[00:50:20] God is the God of imp not just in prison not just the buzzable not just this is the God of all and if we understand that that will change a lot of different things we need to act

[00:50:34] and not just sitting in a higher conversation you need to act be set out that's when I want to lead I thank you so much for this opportunity to ask the bill it would probably move yeah thank you bro appreciate it we gonna get this word out man

[00:50:51] you know brothers we talked to been in prison for a long time I just wanted to know if the church is forgotten about these brothers I had the blessing opportunity to be involved

[00:51:03] in their life for several years and I always want to ask the question in the scripture in Matthew 2536 I need to close and you closed me I was sick and you looked after me I was in prison

[00:51:13] and you came to visit me you know let us not forget those who are behind locked doors and oftentimes from unjust it legal issues let us not forget let's visit and that's love

[00:51:33] thank you for listening to church on the block real talk about hip-hop the church and the streets with back here same time same day next week come with us