Love in prison walls
I went to prison yesterday. Just for a visit. I am still deeply moved. I spoke at a couple of services and then had the privilege of a tour round the different blocks of the prison visiting various residents in their cells.
Crime needs consequences but did you know that 70% of women prisoners have experienced major trauma and abuse before they offend? The chaplain told me that some regularly deliberately commit small crimes to escape domestic violence; at least they are safe in a cell.
Many have corrosive, family-wrecking drug addiction and such low self-esteem that they return to abusive relationships because they don’t feel worthy of anything better. Some looked like teenagers, serving life sentences for crimes that will rob them of their future. There I met one woman who gave birth two months ago to a baby girl whose photos covered her cell wall. She has already lost three children to adoption because of the drug habit that she can’t kick. No wonder self-hatred and self-harm are rife inside prisons.
At the services, I spoke about our God who so longs to bless us and two reasons why we can miss it. The first is that life can be tough and unjust. These women know that too well. I talked about how God hates injustice and designed a good world. I told them about Trev’s death and how I so love the account of Jesus seeing a widow whose only son had died and we hear, “his heart went out to her”. It sums up the gospel. God’s heart went out to us in Jesus. His only son died. So that we could live and have every tear wiped away.
The second reason is that we don’t feel good enough for blessing. At least I don’t. So, Jesus told the Parable of the Two Sons in Matthew 21 for those who don’t feel good enough and those who imagine their own efforts qualify them.
There were two sons. One day, their dad asked them to go and work in his business. The older said he wouldn’t but did, the younger said he would but didn’t. It’s a short story.
Jesus asked his listeners, “Who obeyed the father?”
“Obviously, the older son!”
Jesus then explains, “Criminals and prostitutes are getting into God’s kingdom before you because they heard John’s message to repent!” As I read that out, I saw on some faces in that prison chapel that this was about as shocking to them as to the Pharisees who first heard it.
Here is a new measure of worth. Despite false reports, repentance doesn’t mean beating yourself up. It’s simply changing direction, handing over the running of my life to the one who loves me best, trusting God to make me worthy.
The older son first disobeyed then changed direction. Here is hope! It tells us that my decision NOW is what matters.
We finished our morning with my friend Paula’s story. She described living with drugs and violence – a darker prison that any Her Majesty provides. It struck me again that is a miracle that God has brought her to where she is now, daily choosing God even when it’s tough, holding down a good job, starting every day with prayer and worship. She was brave and vulnerably honest and we heard afterwards that many women had been moved by it.
Please join us in praying for the women we met. Praise God who gives us a freedom that no walls can contain.
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With thanks to Matthew Ansley for the image.
