How can i visit the imprisoned

The first Christians were, as you know, outlaws; so it was expected that some of their number would be in prison at any given time. Jesus was a prisoner; Paul was; Peter was; and many of the saints, bishops, and teachers of the first few centuries of Christian life were.

So free Christians took it upon themselves to visit their friends, bringing food, solace, encouragement, and when possible liberation. The Works of Mercy provide ways in which we can love better. The common theme throughout them is the continuance of our journey from self-centeredness to other-centeredness.

The Reign of God is made more present as we are more attentive to others in their needs. Visiting the Imprisoned is a very challenging work in our culture. Below we will explore imprisonment metaphorically, but literal imprisonment deserves attention as well.

Vincent Rush posts:. This Holy Work has changed its meaning over time. The first Christians were, as you know, outlaws; so it was expected that some of their number would be in prison at any given time. Jesus was a prisoner; Paul was; Peter was; and many of the saints, bishops, and teachers of the first few centuries of Christian life were.

So free Christians took it upon themselves to visit their friends, bringing food, solace, encouragement, and when possible liberation. These days things are different, at least in our part of the world. Christians continue to be imprisoned and even executed for their faith in the Middle East, in China, in Pakistan, in North Korea and in other countries.

And modern prisons are not, by and large, visit-able places. So how are we to understand this Holy Work today? Nothing helps us understand someone else better than a story. Karen Imholte shares a little of her story as an educator in the prison system, and a little bit of a story of one of her students.

With a little tough love, Karen and his Grandmother empowered him to take a college level course that changed his life. Describe a time someone challenged you with tough love. How were you transformed in ways you never thought possible?

Did you regret that it took so long to enter into the transformation? Another way of journeying with the imprisoned, if not visiting them directly, is to learn about the dynamics of incarceration so that we can be aware of, and address, unhealthy systemic issues. Vin continues:. But this costs money — for addiction treatment, for education, and for other aids to rehabilitation that are too-easily disposed of in times of budget cuts.

They cage us in, stopping us from becoming children of God and from becoming the person he intended us to be. We may not have committed a crime per se, but we are incarcerated just the same. Our Lord had compassion for those imprisoned by invisible walls as well as those imprisoned by real walls. There are numerous examples in Scripture, but the one that comes to mind is the story of the Gerasene demoniac Mark cured of his affliction and released from his cell by Jesus.

Jesus and his disciples had crossed the Sea of Galilee and entered Gerasa. There, he found a man who had long been tormented by demons and lived among the tombs. No manner of restraint could keep him from causing harm to himself or to others. The people of Gerasa feared him. At their request, Jesus sent the demons into a nearby swineherd. The swine then ran to the edge of a high cliff and jumped off, falling into the water and drowning. Only then, the man was again in his right mind and made capable of living a normal, productive life.

The Gerasene man had been imprisoned by demons, kept in a jail of torment that prohibited him from living a life of love and fruitfulness with family and friends. The kids come with me when they are not in school and this is a great experience for all! For example, in our city, a local parish collects reading material for prison inmates. He asked me where my husband and I met. What I failed to tell him because I knew my husband was having a little fun was that we were in prison ministry at the same time.