 John Pridmore
John Pridmore used to be a London gangster. Having just flown in to Sydney from England, John will be giving his testimony during WYD08. He is the author of From Gangland to Promised Land & Gangster's Guide to God.
We are asked as Catholics in faith to believe in a place called Hell, which is a complete separation from God a place where there is no love, no caring, no compassion, no mercy, only pain desolation, despair, misery and hatred.
This became a reality for me as I had been living a life very much of drugs, organised crime, sexual immorality and taking from all those around me in a ruthless,selfish pursuit of ones own satisfaction and fulfilment. I came in one night having thought that I had killed someone and became aware of a voice speaking to me in my heart, I knew this voice to be God and he was telling me the worst things I had ever done and I truly felt the life going out of me and that I was going to hell for all the evil choices I had made (in my lifestyle, I had people put guns to my head and had been stabbed but nothing could prepare me for this terror).
I cried out for another chance not because I was sorry but because I didn’t want to stay in this desolation and immediately I felt lifted up by Gods mercy. I walked out of my apartment and said the first prayer I’d ever said “up to now all I’ve done is take from you God but now I want to give”, the love of God came pouring into my heart and I knew that hell existed and God had saved me from it.
Within a year of that incident I had the wonderful grace of making a complete and honest confession and this set me free by the blood of Christ from that pain and sin that had nearly cost me damnation.
I do not believe for one moment that God sends anyone to hell, I believe we choose hell by not wanting to love and serve and separating ourselves from God. A drugs community that I visited has a chapel, and on the wall is a picture of hell and there at the very doors of hell is a tabernacle with the source of all life, Jesus in the Blessed sacrament stopping anyone who wants to be stopped, entering.
Jesus died to set us free and I love the fact that he did this for me and thank him by serving him and truly giving. When I was hungry you fed me, when I was naked you clothed me. Matthew 25 31-46.
John Pridmore will be giving a testimony at Youth Festival event, Receive the Power Live.
This will be held on Friday July 18, 7 - 10pm at Barangaroo, Sydney, visit: www.receivethepower.org
To find our more about John Pridmore, visit www.johnpridmore.com
Image courtesy of John Pridmore.
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