A film every parent needs to see:
For years, Jonathan has been in prison. As a result, he has missed milestone moments with his family. He wasn’t there for his daughter’s first day of school or a thousand little experiences with his wife and as a father, he is devastated to be separated from those he loves most.
What’s striking about this story, is that FREEDOM in and of itself is not what drives Jonathan, but the opportunity to be a father. You see, as a parent, freedom is never in the cards. You’re tied to these little ones until they reach adulthood – often longer.
I used to joke that each time we became pregnant, 18 years was added onto our sentence, but in truth, I knew I was in it for life. Now, imagine how you’d feel, locked away from your children, knowing they could only see you through glass, or in a public visitation room.
Sure, you can criticize him for landing himself there in the first place, but that’s not what this story is about. It’s about a man who recognizes he needs to change, if not for himself, then for those who need him. Those who look up to him. Those he’s been given the charge of raising.
If you’re stuck on the messages of faith in the videos, I’d ask you to set aside your bias, and look into the heart of what’s being shown: A Dad, striving to heal, to love, and to lead.
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More About The Film:
For years, Jonathan has been in prison. As a result, he has missed milestone moments with his family. He wasn’t there for his daughter’s first day of school or a thousand little experiences with his wife and as a father, he is devastated to be separated from those he loves most.
Jonathan has been looking forward to his release from prison for over a decade. So many life events have been missed and he is now ready to be with his wife and kids again. Of course, this transition isn’t going to be easy. The odds are against him: with over half of prisoners returning to prison within two years, Jonathan is aware of the challenge set before him.
Still, he is determined to take the skills he has learned into the world outside of incarceration and stay there, helping build the community that he is part of for years to come.
Prison Fellowship presents The Restoration Series: Jonathan’s Walk, a 5-part
documentary film series following one man as he re-enters his community after 15 years in prison. It demonstrates in imagery, powerful storytelling and social interaction what it means to be human and the shared need of all people to see communities restored.
Though America is home to only 4% of the world’s population, we house more than 20% of its prisoners. Recidivism–the tendency of a criminal to re-offend—is out of control. The Restoration Series tells the story of men and women who have experienced The Academy, a revolutionary in-prison program that is combating incarceration and recidivism head on.
Christian Lee
Christian has had many roles in life. He’s been a minister’s son, a poor student, a computer geek, a bible college dropout, a corporate suit, a traveling comedian, and a failure at much he’s tried. But he counts two huge successes in his life. He is husband to a wonderful wife, and father of two exceptional kids he wanted, a third ‘surprise baby’, and a In 2015, they met yet another surprise, as their fourth (and prayerfully last) child defeated birth control with her sheer will to exist.
Christian hosts a daily web series, the ‘After School Show‘ and the ‘What Are We Watching?‘ podcast with his son Carlin, as well as, DadSews, where he learns (and fails) to sew LIVE on camera.
