Columbia, SC (WLTX) - A former gang member turned preacher, clothing line designer and Christian rapper has turned his life around and is now helping others do the same.
Shawn Green describes the night he was saved.
He says, "I dropped to my knees and I'm just crying, and I'm just crying you know. I love you lord, I love you, thank you. Then I felt that hand on my shoulder and I was like is this God?" It wasn't God but the hand on Green's shoulder was the hand of his cell mate in the Richland County jail after Green was arrested for trafficking drugs and possession of a firearm in 2007. He prayed with him that night. And Green made a deal with God to serve him. He Tells News 19, "My family was gone. my life is gone. Everything that I had sold drugs for, the gang all these years, are gone."
They were gone because Green had been selling drugs and moving up in the gang since he was 13-years-old. Green says he was angry with God that night, but he explains his salvation. He says, "Light from the prison door was shining in right on the Bible and I was just angry with God. I just said what are you trying to tell me. I picked up the Bibile and I said I promise you if I open this book and put my finger on something and it don't make sense, I'll never open this book again."
That moment changed Green's life for good. The page he opened to was 2nd Corinthians 7-8. He says, "And it said, I did not put you in this situation to make you sad. But I put you in this situation to turn you from your sins. For worldly sorrow brings death. But Godly sorrow brings repentence. It was like a breath of fresh air and it was like my chest opened up. And I just could breath and just got on my knees and started crying because I felt the love of God."
Green now spreads that love through his own ministry called Christ Hop. He explains what Christ Hop means saying, "Christ has risen inside the hearts of people."
Through Christ Hop Green and two other preachers go to different church events spreading the Word. He and other Christian friends came up with the idea in prison. He says "I want to start a Christian gang. I want to bang for Jesus. I want that same intensity I want to have the same aggressive manor but with jesus in it."
To help relate to young people, he's also created a clothing line and is turning to a music ministry recording his Christian rap song, "God is my Plug." He says, It will soon be for sale on itunes. He copyrighted the phrase and the logo for his shirts.
With his creativity, the hope is to connect with young people and plug them into faith and rewrite what they think their life could be. He says, "You gotta understand how great God, how perfect his pen is, when he's writing your life story."
And he says it's bigger than we can ever imagine. He says who would have imagined that someone who served two years and eight months of a three year prison sentence would now be where he is. And he hopes others see the light too.
Green's next event is the "Who Stunts the Hardest" 2nd Annual Car show on June 4. Admission for Spectators is $8.