HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

Jail probably isn’t the optimal location from which to pen a letter. If I were to write one from jail, it would probably say, “Get me out of here!”

Paul’s Message

However, Apostle Paul writes from jail often and exudes no panic. In Philippians, while chained in a Roman prison, Paul tells the believers in Philippi to rejoice. He doesn’t throw it off as an aside; in fact, he uses the words “joy” or “rejoice” at least twelve times. At one point, he even repeats himself on purpose: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 NIV).

High School Writing Prompt -- Read these letters from jail that Paul and Martin Luther King Jr. wrote. Then write your own as though you were writing from jail. What will you focus on?

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Message

Martin Luther King Jr. is another famous writer from jail. He was arrested on Good Friday, April 12, 1963, in Birmingham, Alabama, following a peaceful march to protest the unjust segregation laws and attitudes in the United States South.

You can read the circumstances surrounding this arrest here and the copy of the Letter from a Birmingham Jail here. Although the letter is addressed to “My Dear Fellow Clergymen,” it really is written to the whole nation.

Now it’s your turn: 

  1. If you were to write a letter from prison, what would you say? To whom would the letter be addressed? What would be your focus, your main message?
  2. Read Paul’s letter to the Philippians and/or King’s letter to the Birmingham clergy. Respond to the letter. Write back to Paul or King.
  3. What problems is King addressing in his letter? What is he telling the Birmingham clergy and the rest of the country? Write a brief synopsis of his letter and his message.
  4. How has the church benefited from Paul’s letter? What can we learn from it? How has the country benefited from King’s letter? What have we learned since then or because of him. Answer any of these questions with a paragraph of your own.

To be inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and to write your own dream of the future, click here.

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The Informer Fall 2014Does the word “outline” send your students into a tailspin? Worry no more! Click here for my latest article in The Informer about an unorthodox method of organizing an essay that really works!

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