Wednesday, February 20, 2008

I was in prison and you visited me...

This phrase, from Matthew 25:36, is the motto for Kairos Prison Ministry, an amazing program that does intensive spiritual retreats for both prisoners and their loved ones.

It's also a phrase that has haunted me for quite a few years now, ever since I was in college and started learning about the injustices and racial disparities in the judicial and penal systems in the U.S. In my first year of divinity school, I got my first taste of prison ministry, doing CPE at Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, IL. Later, when I was still in Chicago, I volunteered for the Storybook Project with Companions Journeying Together, helping incarcerated moms tape themselves reading boks to their kids.

I hope to get involved soon in a similar project at the DC jail; I finally made contact with the volunteer coordinator at the Visitor Services Center for the DC jail, and will meet with her on Tuesday.

1 comment:

CMD said...

thanks for the props to kairos, a ministry i wholeheartedly support...have you seen the youtube called "my kairos" done by a prison inmate? it's awesome...i just posted it on my blog:

http://indyretreats.wordpress.com