EDDIE'S STORY
“I have never experienced love!
God’s love is meaningless,” Eddie confessed to me.
As a child, Eddie (not his real name) experienced physical, emotional and sexual abuse. He has been in prison for over 20 years for crimes he freely confesses that he committed. He is a loner and has erected very high walls so that no one knows the real Eddie. It is only after years of pastoral counselling that I have come to know the real Eddie. In prison ministry, it takes a long time to build trust.
He presents as a strong, independent and confident individual; physically strong and can easily
defend himself. He is intelligent and can easily best other inmates in arguments. But inside, he is filled with shame, guilt and self-loathing. He has responded to the gospel message by making a profession of faith and seeks to live a life of obedience to Jesus. But the gospel message of God’s love has not fully penetrated his heart.
In my conversation with Eddie, I pointed out that in English, we have only one word for love. In
Greek they have three words for love. “Eros” refers to "passionate love" or “romantic love.” “Phileo” means “friendship as a kind of love.” “Agape” refers to “unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance.” Eddie admitted that he has had several girlfriends and has experienced
romantic love. However, he doubts that he has experienced either friendship or unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance.
I prayed aloud that God would open his eyes so that he could see that he could experience both “phileo” and “agape.” Eddie challenged me that these simply did not exist in prison. When I asked
Eddie what he thought motivated me to come into prison for the last fifteen years, he was speechless. He had never considered this. When I told him that I was motivated by both “phileo” and “agape,” he stopped and thought during a prolonged period of silence. He admitted that he had experienced in our relationship both friendship and unconditional love. But that these experiences were outweighed by his experiences of hatred and animosity.
Please pray that Eddie will recognize both “phileo” and “agape.” Pray especially that God’s
unconditional love will penetrate his heart. Our prisons are full of Eddies. However, I recall that God raised Jesus from the dead and has triumphed over despair and death. Nothing is impossible for God. God is at work through the Holy Spirit to will and work for his own good pleasure.
Thank you for your support in both prayers and financial contributions that make this ministry possible. It is because of your support that I am able to reach out to inmates like Eddie.
Dwight “Rip” Van Winkle