Priests are viewed as the representation of what God wants of man towards the poor and less privileged in the society. Richard Shaw in Naked as a Jailbird gives an account of his life as a priest and the lessons it has taught him. He narrates his experiences and expectations of the church and its leaders regarding the treatment of the poor.
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 author shines light on the lives of people, both prisoners and officers behind bars. Despite these prisoners being human, they have nothing to cover their nakedness. All their lives are bare and confined to routines. It is interesting to learn about this life as an adult despite him thinking that he has learnt everything that he is expected to learn. His encounters in prison are a new lesson in life.
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.
Poverty should be a principle that religious leaders commit to. This has been a challenge for churches and their leaders. It becomes a distraction that will cause them to lose sight of their noble role of helping the poor. The vow of poverty by priests must be maintained for the sake of the down trodden.
People rarely think about prisoners unless they have friends or relatives who have been incarcerated. Shaw presents the best narration of the experiences these people go through. In the presentation, you understand the setting and life behind bars. This makes it easier to understand what goes on behind bars. You will stop viewing those incarcerated as criminals but as people with feelings and human desires.
Jails are not made of prisoners alone. There are people working in the environment and tasked with keeping it as strict and almost in human as most people know it. Shaw gives an account of the lives and thoughts of these prison warders and the officers who come into contact with them. Read the book to know the impact this system has on their lives.
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 author shines light on the lives of people, both prisoners and officers behind bars. Despite these prisoners being human, they have nothing to cover their nakedness. All their lives are bare and confined to routines. It is interesting to learn about this life as an adult despite him thinking that he has learnt everything that he is expected to learn. His encounters in prison are a new lesson in life.
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.
Poverty should be a principle that religious leaders commit to. This has been a challenge for churches and their leaders. It becomes a distraction that will cause them to lose sight of their noble role of helping the poor. The vow of poverty by priests must be maintained for the sake of the down trodden.
People rarely think about prisoners unless they have friends or relatives who have been incarcerated. Shaw presents the best narration of the experiences these people go through. In the presentation, you understand the setting and life behind bars. This makes it easier to understand what goes on behind bars. You will stop viewing those incarcerated as criminals but as people with feelings and human desires.
Jails are not made of prisoners alone. There are people working in the environment and tasked with keeping it as strict and almost in human as most people know it. Shaw gives an account of the lives and thoughts of these prison warders and the officers who come into contact with them. Read the book to know the impact this system has on their lives.
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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