Published: June 21, 2009 12:45 am      

JOHNSON: Watching is not doing

I don’t watch much TV news these days. I find the shouting, crosstalk and general rudeness to be less than edifying. The content has also become thin at best and blatantly inaccurate at worst. Opinion masquerading as news doesn’t do much for me either. Once upon a time, editorial content was clearly labeled as such. Reporters, editors and anchors gave us the news and kept their opinions to themselves.

On the entertainment side of television, there’s little I’m interested in there as well. We’ve got more than 500 channels here at home, but there’s hardly anything on them worth watching. Television has become a mind-numbing wasteland, with an occasional oasis of intelligent and entertaining content.

Perhaps one of the reasons I find television so dull, and TV news so uninteresting, is because my life is anything but dull. As most of my readers should know by now, I am the founder and director of a small nonprofit organization whose purpose is “to create a safer community, one changed life at a time.” We teach recently released offenders how to stop offending.

One of the frequent questions I hear from new acquaintances is: “How are you able to work with those people?” Some seem to ask it as if I were some kind of saint.

First, let me assure you that I am no saint. I put my pants on one leg at a time like everyone else does. And if you really want to get the straight info, just ask the people who live with me and put up with my occasional curmudgeonly behavior — my wife and adult kids.

As to how I can work with “those people,” well, I don’t always know. I have good days, bad days and so-so days. I have days when I’m really encouraged, and days when I just want to quit. But in the end, what keeps me in the game is simply this: As a follower of Jesus Christ, it is my calling from the Lord to do what I can to facilitate positive change in the lives of people whom most of us are angry with. And I would do it even if I were not an ordained minister of the Gospel. When God calls, it is hard not to answer.

I’ve found ordination to be useful. It opens doors that might otherwise be closed if I were a “civilian” Christian. It gives me professional standing with other ordained ministers and provides me with opportunities to serve them. It is good for pulling rank if I need to — and it is very good for parking!

When I visit a prison or jail, a clergy sticker on my windshield is often the difference between parking my car in one of the professional visitor spots right by the front gate — reserved for lawyers, social workers and clergy — or having to park out in the weeds where all other visitors must park. It’s a nice perk and very much appreciated.

Last Saturday and Sunday were good days. The volunteers who normally conduct our classes at Henryville Correctional Facility and Floyd County Jail were unavailable, so I got to do it. Perhaps it seems strange to you that someone would enjoy going into a correctional facility to spend a few hours teaching offenders the ways of God and how to live life on the legal side. Well, if that makes me strange, then so be it.

Some of the best questions I have ever been asked about the Christian faith, the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ or life in general have been asked by men who have committed crimes ranging from driving under the influence to rape and murder.

These men are not asking just to gain knowledge or acquire information; they are looking for real answers to questions that perplex them. They are tired of offending and are looking for a solid foundation to build a new life on. They are looking for the power to change.

So-so days occur when I find myself sitting in court for hours at a time. TV dramas may make it look exciting, but brother, in real life court is as exciting as watching paint dry. I don’t know how judges manage to stay awake and focused.

Then there are the bad days, such as when someone I’ve had high hopes for unexpectedly goes off the rails. This usually happens with those who struggle with substance abuse. The lure of street life, an encounter with a family member or friend who uses, or a sudden emotional jolt gets them started and away they go.

Some people do not survive. Their addictions do them in. This was a very bad day, for I learned today that someone I tried to help — and was unable to help — died of a drug overdose. It’s happened before and will happen again, but that doesn’t make it any easier, especially for his family and others who knew and loved him.

I am sorry for your loss.

In the end, I suppose I’m not that interested in television because it is a shadow medium without substance. It is all image and easily manipulated. It is a passive medium, in the sense that we just sit there and watch it while our lives slip by. They don’t call us viewers for nothing. I hope when it comes to life, you won’t settle for being a spectator.

On the other hand, if you are interested in really living, to make an impact on the lives of real people with real issues, then let me invite you to put down the remote — an aptly named device — and come volunteer with us or any other nonprofit agency serving our community. We can all use the help, and I’ll bet that you can use the exercise.



Richard Johnson is executive director of Christian Formation Ministries. His organization has numerous volunteer opportunities available. For information, e-mail richard@christian-formation.org or call 812-945-0886.