Learning To Sing In A Strange Land [Hardcover]

Description: Prison is a strange land, a land of deep heartache and sadness. Over two million people are serving prison time in America. Millions more are carrying the mark of prison as those who were formerly incarcerated, including large numbers of men and women who have been released on parole. In the midst of such human misery, when loosened tongues are freed to sing of God's redemptive love, grief is diminished and the prison loses its power. Endorsements: Prison in our society is just another word for abandonment and loneliness. But Wes and Marilyn Stevens refused to abandon their daughter when she went to prison. In this poignant and profound book, we are allowed to witness how the Psalms shaped their lives and their daughter's life as they learned to overcome the loneliness of being separated by prison. Hopefully, this book will be read, not only by those who have experienced what the Stevens family had to endure, but by anyone who wants to see the power of the Psalms for our lives. --Stanley Hauerwas Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics Duke Divinity School I can recommend Wesley Steven's book, Learning to Sing in a Strange Land: When a Loved One Goes to Prison, without any reservations. Wes Stevens speaks out of his agonizing experience with the imprisonment of his loved one. The book walks the reader through a father's experience with this strange land of dark shadows and broken hearts. This book will resonate with families who have gone through this difficult time, as well as provide help for those who try to rebuild their broken lives with hope and heroism. For those who have never experienced such sorrow it makes valuable reading, so that we can begin to understand what such sadness must mean. Reading this book will be a modern experience of how Paul and Silas sang at midnight in the Philippian jail. It will remind us that in this darkest place on earth, some hope can be found. --Richard L. Morgan Associate for Pastoral Carl#)