Homecoming

On the fifth of January of last year I posted Freedom. I was writing about my brother, Mark. After 17 months in prison, Mark was released this very morning. I am writing now to ask you to lift up my brother in prayer. Please pray for his wife Rachael, their three sons, Sam, Adam, Matthew, and both of their extended families. This is of the utmost importance as I know that expectations and magical thinking have the shot at sabotaging their best intentions. My brother is sober right now and he has been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ; that is certain. I need you all to pray that Mark BELIEVES the truth of his new identity in Christ and, most importantly, that he truly grasps the nature of forgiveness and grace.

Finally, maybe I am the only one who will "get" this, but I wanted to print the final verse of "This Hard Land" by Bruce Springsteen. I was listening to this in the car and, because I was thinking about my brother, this closing line really brought tears to my eyes. This one is dedicated to you my brother . . .

Hey, Frank, won't you pack your bags
And meet me tonight down at Liberty Hall
Just one kiss from you, my brother
And we'll ride until we fall
We'll sleep out in the fields
We'll sleep by the rivers
And in the morning we'll make a plan
Well if you can't make it
stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive if you can
And meet me in a dream of this hard land