The world views priests as the mouthpiece of God on earth. They are supposed to be close and take care of the poor and less privileged. Naked as a Jailbird is an attempt by Richard Shaw to demonstrate how the church, its leaders and the society should view persons in jail. In this narrative, he shares his expectations and experiences as a chaplain in jail.
The first focus should be on the title. There is a reason he uses the imagery of jailbirds. When one is thrown into prison, he is stripped of everything he owns or calls his. This includes his cloths, freedom and dignity. One does not even enjoy privacy. This is the nakedness referred to in the title and used to represent emptiness or lack.
The book focuses on the lives of people behind bars. Though they are human, there is nothing in them that can cover them. This is why they are regarded as naked. The experiences described are drawn from his time and responsibilities as a prison chaplain. Though he was ordained as an adult, he has a lot of growing up to do based on the experiences he encounters in prison.
Another interesting perspective to get from this narrative is the treatment of church and religious leaders on wealth. In his words, the author says that churches and their leaders should have a maximum of 85cents in their accounts. They must agree to be used as vessels to alleviate the lives of the poor in society. Amassing wealth should not be part of their attribute in whichever way.
The vow of poverty that priests take should remain as the guiding principle. Amassing wealth means that they can no longer identify with the plight of these poor people. Wealth becomes a distraction. It is upon priests to take on the human side and become easier to relate for the poor in society. The priest will alleviate the lives of poor and needy people in the society.
It is rare to think of prisoners unless you have a friend or relative incarcerated. The method of narration by Richard Shaw is a sharing of the experience behind bars. It becomes easier to understand the life and experience behind bar beyond considering everyone a criminal. There are humans with feelings and desires like me and you.
Jail is not made of just the prisoners. There are workers of different classes who are affected by the conditions behind bars. How does this environment affect their human side and interactions with other people? All this information is captured in this narrative by Shaw. You have a chance to read into their thoughts and experiences. You will develop a different idea of prison life.
This is one of the most entertaining and enlightening books about religious and prison life you will ever read. Once you get hold of it, it will be difficult to put it down. It also shows the passion that Shaw has for his vocation as a priest. You have an opportunity to appreciate the role played by different people in alleviating the lives of less privileged people in the society.
The first focus should be on the title. There is a reason he uses the imagery of jailbirds. When one is thrown into prison, he is stripped of everything he owns or calls his. This includes his cloths, freedom and dignity. One does not even enjoy privacy. This is the nakedness referred to in the title and used to represent emptiness or lack.
The book focuses on the lives of people behind bars. Though they are human, there is nothing in them that can cover them. This is why they are regarded as naked. The experiences described are drawn from his time and responsibilities as a prison chaplain. Though he was ordained as an adult, he has a lot of growing up to do based on the experiences he encounters in prison.
Another interesting perspective to get from this narrative is the treatment of church and religious leaders on wealth. In his words, the author says that churches and their leaders should have a maximum of 85cents in their accounts. They must agree to be used as vessels to alleviate the lives of the poor in society. Amassing wealth should not be part of their attribute in whichever way.
The vow of poverty that priests take should remain as the guiding principle. Amassing wealth means that they can no longer identify with the plight of these poor people. Wealth becomes a distraction. It is upon priests to take on the human side and become easier to relate for the poor in society. The priest will alleviate the lives of poor and needy people in the society.
It is rare to think of prisoners unless you have a friend or relative incarcerated. The method of narration by Richard Shaw is a sharing of the experience behind bars. It becomes easier to understand the life and experience behind bar beyond considering everyone a criminal. There are humans with feelings and desires like me and you.
Jail is not made of just the prisoners. There are workers of different classes who are affected by the conditions behind bars. How does this environment affect their human side and interactions with other people? All this information is captured in this narrative by Shaw. You have a chance to read into their thoughts and experiences. You will develop a different idea of prison life.
This is one of the most entertaining and enlightening books about religious and prison life you will ever read. Once you get hold of it, it will be difficult to put it down. It also shows the passion that Shaw has for his vocation as a priest. You have an opportunity to appreciate the role played by different people in alleviating the lives of less privileged people in the society.
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