Continued from page 11 Of course, trying to follow Jesus didn’t mean
violent prison in the U.S., it helps dads behind
there were no obstacles. “I definitely had a
bars take responsibility and break the cycle of
major issue with white people,” Dave said.
incarceration. He learned that his children
“I felt a lot of them were against me. I would
were seven times more likely to end up
hear the term ‘the white man is the devil’ and
incarcerated because he was, unless he could
felt a lot of white people were operating more
make dramatic changes.
like the devil. That they were a stumbling block to the African-American race.”
Randy was alone in his cell the day he hit bottom. He didn’t know much about faith, but
But while he was in prison, Dave began to
he got down on his knees and prayed. “God,
look beyond skin color. “I saw that they were
please give me something I can see the end of,”
lost. They didn’t have a relationship with
he began. “If You help me survive prison, I’ll live
God,” he said. “I knew Randy’s gang was led
my life for You.”
by hate. I saw them out in the prison yard, doing what they do—mostly intimidating people, selling drugs, and gambling. I knew I could not have a conversation with him.” While Dave was hanging out with his “God gang,” an inmate asked Randy to try the Malachi Dads program. Started in Angola, the most
12
Making Changes Despite Randy’s new-found hope, there was another reality to consider: he was still leading a gang. “I realized that the same people who followed me to hell would follow me to heaven if I had the
