What we do
Have you ever been sitting at home thumbing through your Bible and come across the following passage?
Matthew 25:35-40
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous* will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
What does this mean? Our Lord and Savior didn’t really expect us to visit prisoners did he? Yes, he did.
If you’ve ever read this passage and felt the tug to go and serve the most needy in prison, we have a spot for you in the Justice Initiative. Going to visit someone in prison can be an intimidating prospect, but really it shouldn’t be. When you make the decistion to spend some time with these men and women you will find that they are no different from you or I. They may have made a terrible mistake, they may have found themselves in a bad situation, or maybe they just didn’t have a very good environment to begin with, but they are still people. People created in the image and likeness of God. Many of them have been abandoned by family, friends, and loved ones, and have no one left to show them love. This is what we are called for. To give a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen to those who truly have nothing.
We are not there to preach to them, and we are not there to “fix” them. We are there to listen to them, to possibly offer advice, and to pray with and for them. You will begin the process by trying to offer help for someone else, but you will be surprised by what you get back in return. There is just something about men and woman who still have great faith, despite living in the harshest of environments. The reward for you will be far greater than you could have ever imagined.
So, how do you get started? Just attend an orientation, details here. After attending the orientation and filling out the necessary paper work for clearance to enter the prisons, we will assign you to a mentor to bring you into a correctional facility and meet with an inmate who we will match you up with. It’s just that simple. Try it, you will be surprised by what you learn.
