I am in the middle of spending the weekend with murderers, rapists and drug dealers. It’s great. I feel no fear or even social discomfort. In fact, I feel very much at home. I know saying it like that makes me seem very heroic or very much in need of therapy. How about this. I am spending the weekend with sinners who are struggling with their walk with God, some of them are residents of Angola and some are not.
That may be the better way to say it. I am continually amazed by the inmates that come through our Kairos program. Almost without exception they are gentle, well-manner, willing to listen and hoping for change. I wish I could say that about the folks that show up at church on Sunday. No doubt these guys have made some terrible choices with often life long consequences, but haven’t we all. I have no trouble identifying with the inmates my age and thinking about “there but for the grace of God…” I can’t help looking at the younger ones, their lives incredibly turned down a bad path, and think of my grand children.
One of the great problems in modern society is the disconnect between action and consequences. It seems we have someone else to blame for every bad thing in our lives. These guys don’t have that. They have a state-certified connection between their bad circumstances and something they did. If they had become more aware of consequences earlier, this bad situation may have never occurred.
We owe it to those we love and serve not to minimize consequences, not to “protect” our young ones from the natural results of the things they do. That may be “tough love” but it’s real enough love. For the second half of our weekend, please continue to pray that we will notice that God is showing up and pointing a way out of difficulties for those who live here and those who are just blessed for visiting.
In His Love,
Nick
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