"When Inspiration Comes" by Charlie Moore.
True inspiration comes but once in a lifetime. Everything just branches off from there. Inspiration is much different than simply having a "good idea". Those who are not familiar with my writing will find out I am an amateur etymologist- one who studies the history & origin of words to find their actual meaning. Such is the case here. I looked up the true meaning of " inspiration " and here is what I found: "The action or power of moving the intellect or emotions; the act of influencing or suggesting opinions; a Divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him/her to receive and communicate sacred revelation."
It's that last definition that piqued my curiosity. Can inspiration spawn an organization? Can that organization's purpose and goal convey sacred revelation? Well, if you ask Chris Johnson, Founder and President of New Hope Initiative, I venture his answer would be a hale and hardy, "Yes! And Amen!" Chris birthed the idea of New Hope 9 years ago & laid as its foundation Isaiah 61:1 as a calling to, "Preach good tidings to the poor...to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."
Now at first glance, one might surmise our sole goal is to get inmates out of prison. Wrong. That is not even in the mix. The sole goal of New Hope is…well…souls. But as I have quoted an evangelist before as saying, “It’s hard to share the gospel with someone while their stomach is growling”, needs & necessities are a top priority. Love must be served with action and response.
New Hope wants to keep inmates & their families connected and unified, then we will address the big issues & shortcomings behind the walls. This includes a wider selection of educational opportunities including accredited degrees; more diverse & personalized health & mental care; more balanced & nutritious diets; more frequent & longer, personal, dynamic contact visits; a retraining & orientation of staff to be more respectful & humane in their conduct with inmates; more yard time outside which is proven to be a more healthy environment for body, mind & soul; more frequent and personal religious services; and many other much needed applications & programs for inmates and their families.
New Hope is not a judicial entity. Only our True Justice Legal program made up of licensed attorneys will deal in the legal issues of inmates and the accused. We are a Christ centered, nonprofit organization, here to help incarcerated felons. And that help should be available to them long before their release date. New Hope’s desire is to assist newly released former felons in having a smoother and more successful transition back into a society & community probably much different and stranger than when they left it.
Let’s look at our mission verse again in Isaiah 61:1. “Preach good tidings to the poor…” First, “tidings” means “news”, then “poor” translates to “meek”, which here means “depressed; browbeaten.” So, we are to take the good news to the downtrodden & lonely, which most often speaks of inmates. “…To heal the brokenhearted…” The word “heal” means “bound up; bandaged.” I picture a person with a broken spirit that needs to be loved into healing. Again, this is many an inmate’s condition.
“To proclaim liberty to the captives…” This is not to be misconstrued as a means of freeing inmates. This means the freedom one has in knowing Christ. Freedom from the weight & guilt of sin, from the degradation foisted upon them by society, from the enemy’s darts of despair & hopelessness. Finally, “…and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Interestingly, the word “opening” here means, “to open the eyes” or figuratively, “salvation from sin”. And lastly, “bound” means, “to yoke or hitch”. That’s what sin does to you. It weighs you down in a yoke of bondage.
So…you can see in the fluidity of meanings here why Isaiah 61:1 is what our mission verse is. Sin is an attack on the heart that requires healing. And while we understand that the salvation of lost souls is the prime end to the means, we also understand that, in this particular environment, there are certain paths that must be taken to obtain that end result. When they see the love of Christ, exemplified in actions, their hearts are more susceptible to the Gospel message of salvation. That is New Hope's primary goal: Souls for Christ.
I must say, my most favorite branch of the New Hope Initiative tree lies at the very top. It's our planned Hope Town. It is as it its name implies. Let me give you a quote from our website on Hope Town: " Our final step in transitional housing in the form of a small township that will resemble any modern town in the country, except this one will be completely inhabited, ran, managed, an sustained by former felons who have graduated our programs in prison and are enrolled in our Felon's Futures program. The town will be stigma destroyer as the general public will have the opportunity to come and be served with love & respect in a safe, positive environment." And that's New Hope Initiative in a very very small nutshell. To get a bigger picture, please go to our website at realnewhope.org. Then join us in the quiet revolution to reform the current system, to make it a more humane environment, with the necessary helps in place to better prepare an inmate for his release.
So, please pray for us and our endeavors through New Hope. Chris & I are both presently inmates and we are doing all this from "behind the walls" with much thanks to a handful of outside volunteers. And if you feel led to do so, please offer us your financial support as well. Great things do not come through little effort & support? I'm sure the inmates involved and impacted & their families would deeply appreciate it. I know Chris and I will. May God bless you abundantly. We look forward to creating a more safe and hope filled society with your help.
Charlie Moore
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