A Jordan Holm Story

It wasn’t how it was supposed to end. In my mind, it can’t possibly be over—where was the Hollywood-style finish? The final redemption? The happy ending? All I can think is how utterly unfair it is.

I’ve known about Jordan Holm for years. I remember when he went to prison—heard about it through some family friends. His family always believed he was innocent, wrongly accused. Because I knew members of his family, I believed them. I only recently learned there was a website—freejordan.org—that details the case. I read the entire site start to finish in only a few hours, entirely engrossed in the injustice. I read all of the letters Jordan sent his brother while in prison; I read them through misty eyes, completely in awe of this man’s faith and attitude. I had no idea how someone innocent could spend so many years in prison and not become bitter.

Of course, by the time I found the website a month ago, Jordan had already been released. He had returned to wrestling and was working toward making the Olympic team. He had trained hard in prison—wrestling gave him a goal and something to do. Before prison, he had aspirations of medical school.

The writer (and Christian) in me could see this turning into a great story. Because he had never graduated college, he never pursued medical school. If he hadn’t been in prison, he likely wouldn’t have trained so much to become an Olympian. This would be his reward for unjustly spending close to a decade in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He would get to wrestle in the Olympics!

Last weekend, he lost at the trials. He didn’t make the team. His Olympic hopes were dashed in only a few minutes. There was no reward—no redemption. And every time I think about it, all I can think is how much he has suffered, how much he has had to endure—all while keeping his faith. It’s just so unfair. 

The life of the Christian does involve trials; that’s basic Sunday School fodder. But I can’t help but question God on this one. Why is he blessing me—my life is fairly trial-free—when my faith is nowhere near Jordan’s?  

This weekend, I cried for Jordan—a man I’ve never personally met—as I read about his defeat.

I hope and pray that his appeals will be heard and he will be exonerated from his original charges. Maybe that will be his redemption story. My story had him winning gold in London—redemption on the world’s biggest stage. I envy Jordan’s faith. Because he didn’t need my version of the story. He knows he’ll just have to wait a little longer for his gold.