The Gift of Interruptions
By Steve Gahagen
In 1775, a 29-year-old John Howard lost his wife to illness. As he sat by her body, heartbroken over her death, he heard that a catastrophic earthquake had struck Lisbon, Portugal, and that tens of thousands of people had died. That earthquake is ranked as one of the most devastating in history. Survivors sent out an urgent call for help worldwide, and Howard made the commitment that, despite his personal grief, he would take the next boat to Lisbon and provide whatever help he could.
He booked himself on the English ship, Hanover, but en route, a French mercenary vessel seized the ship (England and France were at war at the time). Along with others, Howard was thrown into a dungeon, where he was deprived of food, water, and even sunlight. The hellish conditions in the jail utterly shocked him.
Jailers were not salaried but lived off fees paid by prisoners for food, bedding, and other items. This system meant that poorer prisoners lived in terrible conditions. Many jailers demanded payment before prisoners were released, meaning some prisoners stayed in jail even if they were innocent or had served their sentences.
In his brief incarceration, Howard’s soul awakened to the horrible conditions in European prisons and to the degradation and abuse inflicted on human beings for petty crimes. Howard found one man who had died after rotting in prison for ten years. His crime? He owed a tradesman a mere seven pounds. Howard’s heart could no longer endure the abuse without trying to change his world.
In the years to come, Howard stood before parliament and rulers and lawmakers until he changed the course of history. His concerns led to two 1774 parliamentary acts - one abolished jailers' fees, the other enforced improvements in the system leading to better prisoner health.
As a tribute to his service, his statue was the first to be placed in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. When you read his journal, you see notation after notation of his desire that his name not be exalted but that his cause never be forgotten. He wanted to be a monument to God’s mercy.
John Howard found his calling. And what led him to it? Many interruptions. A death, a terrible earthquake, a war, and the putrid jail of a mercenary vessel.
Questions to Consider:
What has been most challenging for you and your family about the COVID-19 disruption?
Are there ways in which this interruption has challenged you to think differently and could create an inflection point for something great?
How can you leverage your strengths to make a positive difference in the world?