I really did not know what to expect as I slowly walked up to the casket that held the body of my little brother, Wayne. I was only twelve years old and this thing called “death” was new to me. Only days earlier, I was playing army in our neighborhood with my little brother, who was seven, never once thinking that soon I would be looking down on his lifeless body.
After the shock of his death started to subside, bitterness and hatred began to set in. The pain of that loss was overwhelming. I started shutting down my emotions because if I ever lost another loved one, I did not want to endure that kind of pain again!
It was at this point I started my career in drugs, alcohol and violence. I also began to dislike my own mother, maybe even hate her, because deep down inside, I blamed her for not protecting my little brother. If the truth were known, at the time I wished I were looking at my dead mother, instead of my dead brother. Based on things I had seen her do up to that point in my short life, I felt like she probably deserved it more. I was positive my little innocent brother did not deserve to be lying in this big lousy casket. I was mad and things were going to get worse.
Eight years later my mother was murdered. She was shot in the head while sitting at a stoplight in her car. By the time I got to her funeral, there was nothing left inside of me to mourn her death. Drugs, alcohol, and violence had already taken over my life and it was just a matter of time until I got my turn in the casket. I think deep inside, I was silently looking forward to it. My brother and mother looked so peaceful in death. Maybe it was not so bad.
About the Author
Jack “Brojack” Williams is a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a graduate of Liberty University, and an ordained minister holding both a Certificate of Ordination and a Certificate of License. He is licensed to preach and teach the Gospel, perform marriages, administer the Sacraments, and lead other functions of ministry.
Earlier in his Christian journey, Jack served as an associate pastor until God called him into evangelism. Stepping away from the pulpit, he followed God’s direction into the unknown—trusting that each step would be guided by divine purpose. That path led him to the most active death row in the United States, where he ministered for three and a half years to over 200 inmates. From those encounters, BroJack Ministries was born, with a mission to share the good news of Jesus Christ wherever God leads.
Jack’s life has been marked by profound loss. His younger brother was killed when Jack was just twelve. Eight years later, his mother was murdered. He later discovered his stepfather dead from a heart attack, buried the grandmother who raised him, and lost another brother to heat exhaustion. Surrounded by death, Jack wrestled with God’s call to minister to convicted murderers. The trauma of his past made the assignment feel unbearable—but through obedience, he found healing, purpose, and a deeper understanding of grace.
His book, 18 Doors, answers the hard questions born from a life of tragedy and redemption. It’s a testimony of how God can use even the most broken story to bring light into the darkest places.