And the Prisoner Was Me
Dear Family and Friends,
I’m excited to share my 14th original song, created from a blend of personal reflection, Scripture study, and the surprising beauty of AI‑curated instrumentation. The song is titled “And the Prisoner Was Me.”
In 2024, I wrote an unpublished book called Love Lessons: My Evolving Pursuit of God. On page 101, I quoted Christian author John Eldredge, who wrote: “Forgiveness is like setting a prisoner free, and then discovering the prisoner was you.” That line has stayed with me for years, and eventually it asked to become a song.
As I revisited the theme of forgiveness, I found myself returning to Matthew 18:23–35 — the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. Jesus tells of a king who forgives a servant an impossibly large debt, a sum so great it could never be repaid. Yet that same servant immediately refuses to forgive a fellow servant who owes him almost nothing.
Then comes the piercing moment: “I forgave you all that debt… Should not you also have had mercy on your fellow servant?” (Matthew 18:32–33)
The message is unmistakable: those who receive mercy are called to extend mercy. Forgiven people must become forgiving people.
This song touches several dimensions of forgiveness — God’s forgiveness of us, the difficult work of forgiving ourselves, the mutual forgiveness we extend to one another, and the one‑way forgiveness we sometimes must offer when the other person will never say, “I’m sorry.” The Bridge leans into that last reality. It gives the listener permission to release someone who may never acknowledge the hurt. It reminds us that bitterness is a prison with a self‑locking door — and that Christ can turn the key even when the other person is gone, unreachable, or unaware!
As you listen, I hope you feel the release — the weight lifting, the accumulated bitterness loosening — and God's grace, especially as the Rabbit Ridge horn section and lead guitar rise in the chorus and crescendo through the final moments of the Outro.
With gratitude, Kevin C. Moore October 9, 2024
And the Prisoner Was Me
(written by Kevin C. Moore, October 9, 2026)
Verse 1 — The Weight
I carried a burden that was breaking me down,
A quiet storm rising, with no place to drown.
I tried to hold steady, but the cracks ran deep,
Till truth hit me hard… and it woke me from sleep.
Verse 2 — Self-Forgiveness (Confession, Clarity, Humility)
I saw my reflection in the mess I made,
A heart running hot where Your grace should have stayed.
I bowed my head low, said, “Lord, let it be…”
’Cause the hardest chains breaking were the ones on me.
Chorus — The Revelation (Triumphant Freedom)
Forgiveness is a freedom song rising in me,
Breaking every chain that I carried silently.
I thought I’d set you loose, but your grace turned the key,
And when the doors swung wide… the prisoner was me.
Verse 3 — The Exchange (Mutual Two-Way Forgiveness)
You offered me mercy when my pride ran wild,
I opened my heart like a long‑lost child.
We laid down our burdens at the foot of the tree, And grace filled the space…
where the hurt used to be.
Bridge — The Deep Wound (One‑Way Forgiveness and Bitterness as a Prison)
Some chains were forged by ghosts from long ago,
Wounds from a voice that never said, “I know.”
I carried that weight till Your mercy showed me—
I don’t need their apology to set me free.
Outro — The Benediction (Christ Turns the Key)
In the hush of Your mercy, I finally could see,
Every lock on my heart had a key only You could be.
I stepped through the doorway You opened for me…
And the Light whispered soft, “You’re forgiven! You’re free!”
