The powers of the Ad Seg (The Hole) world control the doors. They open and close at their wills. No resident of the hole has any control over the opening and closing of the doors, but the residents do play a part in the process. Let me explain. In order to go through the door, the resident must first go through the small door.
Safety and high security are at the top of the agenda in the hole. No inmate steps outside his cell without being cuffed first. This is a must, no matter the distance that inmate needs to travel. From going to visiting, which takes about five minutes, to going to the shower (which is literally three steps from my door), I am cuffed. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
The choice to go through the door is mine, but the choice to open the door is theirs. The process is very clear, and the willing benefit greatly through it. The schedule of events outside my cell are known by the staff ahead of time, but we are only given a few minutes' notice. If I am part of that event, an officer will come to my door. He will tell me about the event, for example a visit, by saying, "You have a visit. Do you want to go?"
Of course I can say, "No," and the door will not open. But of course, I jump off my bunk with a smile from ear to ear and say, "Yes, sir!"
The door is made of heavy steel, and it runs on complicated motors and electronics. Behind a cage, down the tier, another officer controls the movement of the door with his space-age control panel. With only the strict orders of the officer at the door will the officer in the cage open it. But before the order can be given, I must do one more thing.
My door has a tray slot that can be slid open by the officer outside the door. The tray slot is tiny compared to the size of the door; it's just big enough to push in a tray of food or other items that will fit. Once I acknowledge that I do want to go to my visit, I must then commit an act of obedience by turning around, giving the officer my back, then giving him my hands and wrists. The officer then cuffs them securely. Once I'm cuffed, the officer gives the order for the door to open. With the door now open, I'm taken to what is for me a heavenly place-visiting.
This process is similar, but not quite the same, as the gospel being offered in order to have eternal life. It all revolves around The Door.
As sinners born into a dark and fallen world, we have no choice but to live our lives without access to the Creator. We can imagine, meditate, and even read books about how beautiful Heaven is. But those activities do nothing to grant you personal access. There is only one Door, and that is Jesus Christ the Messiah.
Perhaps someone in your life has invited you to go through that Door by sharing the gospel. We must ask the Father to grant access to that Door-not the wide door the world chooses, but the narrow Door. When he answers our request and opens the Door, we become bondservants to the One Who holds the key. By going through the Door, we will have access to the Father and all He has to offer.
My analogy is not exact, I realize; but one thing is dead on. Without our surrendering our lives to Christ and receiving Him as Lord and Savior, the Door remains closed.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Are you ready to accept the invitation? The offer will not always be available; time is running out.
Adrian G. Torres is incarcerated at California Institution for Men. He has written the book, The Walls Talk about walking with the Lord in prison.
