John Barton

From Prison Darkness to God's Light John Barton

The book is autobiographical. Itis about a man's struggle to find himself, and to know God. On January 6, 1943,never having even seen the inside of a jail, he began serving a life sentencefor murder. For eleven years in the impassioned world of the convict, he obeyedthe rules, did his time, learned nothing of any importance, except that he wasdifferent from the average convict, and he hated where, and what, he was: Adisreputable convict in prison. For 11 years he vegetated, exceptfor a short time to earn a high school diploma. Denied parole after 11 years,he realized that to earn his freedom he had to enter psychiatric therapy, tolearn who he was; and what made him tick. It was a hard, scary but rewardingfour years, during which he gained change of direction, change of personality,and insight into a man he knew little of: Himself. Along the way he is reunited tothe God he'd had only a passing acquaintance with. Importantly, he learned thatwithout God he could do absolutely nothing but mark time. From the Hell ofprison darkness to the glorious light of God's world, this book is a bible forthose beset by self doubt, self hate, self destruction. If the reader does notfind himself in the pages of this book, he has read it while blindfolded.