Monday, August 28, 2006
'The Brothers in White'
Recall, y'all, that a good friend of mine spent some time awhile back on a prison ministry effort, through Kairos Prison Ministry International. Very, very Jesusy.
He wrote me about the experience ans gave me permission to post it here. May all of us who claim the name of Jesus follow his -- and His -- example.
--ER
Hello ER,
Made my first trip back to the prison today since Kairos weekend, and I just wanted to thank you again for remembering me in prayer. And please remember the Brothers in White.
Here’s a little more about what I’ve been doing in Kairos, a loving Christian community that sets aside denominational differences for what we hold in common: the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Participants on the “free world” team range from charismatic Pentecostal to Roman Catholic and everything in between. Might even be a Baptist or two.
Here’s the concept: In the prison, the brothers are serving a sentence. They’ve been judged. They know all about the law. But many of them have never known or understood love in the way that Christ loves. Kairos volunteers demonstrate that with homecooked food, prayer and more prayer, all forms of Agape that include posters and messages of support from Christians around the globe.
The weekend is based on talks by lay and clergy on the fundamentals of living a Christian life. Kairos also ministers to correctional officers and prison staff, who recognize that an inmate with a changed heart makes their life better, too.
Most people who are locked up will return to society at one time or another. Studies show that prisoners who have been through a Kairos have a lower rate of recidivism.
In fact, one of the most moving things on my Kairos weekend was some of the correctional officers who volunteered to spend extra hours working Kairos weekend because they see the benefits and they also have hopes that the prisoners will have changed lives.
“I hope now you see that the REAL church is loving,” one of them told the Brothers in White as we all feasted on fried chicken last Sunday.
That’s another thing: The food. An outside support team cooks food and prays constantly. In fact, someone is in prayer for these guys throughout the entire weekend, day and night.
Kairos is not a Bible study – though it is biblically based. It is not a place to work out big theological problems. It is about sharing and demonstrating the love of Christ, and some call it the best example of the New Testament Church in existence today.
Many of the men have had dramatic changes in their outlook, their demeanor, everything about them, since the first day they came in. A brother named Kevin, who has been in and out of institutions since he was 14 and used to do dope with his mom, says he’s never felt this way before.
“This is a better feeling than you can get in any crack house.,” he said.
Another guy came into the weekend known as Angry Al. He announced on the first day that he wouldn’t be hugging anyone and no one would hug him. He now hugs anyone who comes near. I turned around during our service this morning just to see him in the back wearing his wide, toothy grin. Some of the guys now call him “Angel Al” or “Happy Al.”
I could fill a page with these stories.
This was the mountaintop. They have since returned to the valley of real, everyday life in the correctional institution, and we try to prepare them for that. As the brothers grow in their faith through “share and prayer” sessions that we model for them, we volunteers decrease what we do. They build their own Christian community inside the prison, leaning on each other and on Christ, and that is what it is all about. It is all about helping them know and understand Christ’s love.
As you know, just being involved in this for the short time that I have has been a tremendous blessing for me. The fact that anyone really loves and cares for them, and particularly the God of the universe, just blows them away.
One of the Brothers said this: “If you get 100 guys in a room in a prison, and they’re smiling, IT”S GOT TO BE GOD.”
Peace
GP
He wrote me about the experience ans gave me permission to post it here. May all of us who claim the name of Jesus follow his -- and His -- example.
--ER
Hello ER,
Made my first trip back to the prison today since Kairos weekend, and I just wanted to thank you again for remembering me in prayer. And please remember the Brothers in White.
Here’s a little more about what I’ve been doing in Kairos, a loving Christian community that sets aside denominational differences for what we hold in common: the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Participants on the “free world” team range from charismatic Pentecostal to Roman Catholic and everything in between. Might even be a Baptist or two.
Here’s the concept: In the prison, the brothers are serving a sentence. They’ve been judged. They know all about the law. But many of them have never known or understood love in the way that Christ loves. Kairos volunteers demonstrate that with homecooked food, prayer and more prayer, all forms of Agape that include posters and messages of support from Christians around the globe.
The weekend is based on talks by lay and clergy on the fundamentals of living a Christian life. Kairos also ministers to correctional officers and prison staff, who recognize that an inmate with a changed heart makes their life better, too.
Most people who are locked up will return to society at one time or another. Studies show that prisoners who have been through a Kairos have a lower rate of recidivism.
In fact, one of the most moving things on my Kairos weekend was some of the correctional officers who volunteered to spend extra hours working Kairos weekend because they see the benefits and they also have hopes that the prisoners will have changed lives.
“I hope now you see that the REAL church is loving,” one of them told the Brothers in White as we all feasted on fried chicken last Sunday.
That’s another thing: The food. An outside support team cooks food and prays constantly. In fact, someone is in prayer for these guys throughout the entire weekend, day and night.
Kairos is not a Bible study – though it is biblically based. It is not a place to work out big theological problems. It is about sharing and demonstrating the love of Christ, and some call it the best example of the New Testament Church in existence today.
Many of the men have had dramatic changes in their outlook, their demeanor, everything about them, since the first day they came in. A brother named Kevin, who has been in and out of institutions since he was 14 and used to do dope with his mom, says he’s never felt this way before.
“This is a better feeling than you can get in any crack house.,” he said.
Another guy came into the weekend known as Angry Al. He announced on the first day that he wouldn’t be hugging anyone and no one would hug him. He now hugs anyone who comes near. I turned around during our service this morning just to see him in the back wearing his wide, toothy grin. Some of the guys now call him “Angel Al” or “Happy Al.”
I could fill a page with these stories.
This was the mountaintop. They have since returned to the valley of real, everyday life in the correctional institution, and we try to prepare them for that. As the brothers grow in their faith through “share and prayer” sessions that we model for them, we volunteers decrease what we do. They build their own Christian community inside the prison, leaning on each other and on Christ, and that is what it is all about. It is all about helping them know and understand Christ’s love.
As you know, just being involved in this for the short time that I have has been a tremendous blessing for me. The fact that anyone really loves and cares for them, and particularly the God of the universe, just blows them away.
One of the Brothers said this: “If you get 100 guys in a room in a prison, and they’re smiling, IT”S GOT TO BE GOD.”
Peace
GP
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