Matt Clarke's Morning Messages

The Man in Black Sparks a Revival

Written by Matt Clarke | February 3, 2026

On January 13, 1968, in a lonely prison about 20 miles northeast of Sacramento, a man dressed in black sat down in front of a crowd of inmates. He had been struggling with drug abuse, legal issues, a spiraling career, and a life that kept bouncing off a rocky bottom.

Desperate to get clean and turn things around, he picked up his guitar and tapped into the souls of the Folsom Prison inmates. "I hear the train a-comin, it's rolling 'round the bend". The train symbolizes their lost freedom, and the repetitive torture of time dragging on. In doing so, Johnny Cash revived his career and brought joy and momentary respite to over 2,000 prisoners. 

When Johnny Cash recorded his "At Folsom Prison" album, it wasn't his first show at a prison, as over the years he advocated for prison reform, but by recording and releasing the performance, he sent a message. It was a message that sometimes, where we are needed most is where we least want to be. And when we step into that, we will not just deliver, but receive a blessing. 

"Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself." (Hebrews 13:1-3)

Jesus was called to set the prisoners free. 

He stepped into the uncomfortable and dangerous and brought peace and healing. He showed a new way of thinking and eternal hope, even for the prisoners on the cross next to Him. We should remember those in prison as if we were there ourselves. After all, we are only a few bad decisions away. When we do, God multiplies the blessing by delivering hope through you and reciprocating hope to you.

Sometimes, we are the ones in prison. Our prison is in the comforts of our own homes and our cushy Americanized lives. It is in our tendencies, our habits, our minds, and our hearts. We are captive to so much, and time keeps dragging on.  It is in the repetitive mundanity of life, and we need a pattern interrupt. A dirty amp turned all the way up and a man in black with an electric guitar ready to snap us out of it and turn our minds towards the things of heaven and what's possible instead of the perpetual train full of passengers we envy continuously rolling 'round the bend.  

Step into the prison, whether somebody else's or your own, and bring a change. Bring a pattern interrupt that reveals the hope of the one who came to set the prisoners free. Drive the train that welcomes everybody who chooses to get on and believes in the hope of its heavenly conductor. Sometimes, where you are needed is where you least want to go. That is okay, the inmates are waiting, and by stepping in, you just may spark a revival for them and for you. 
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