Encountering God's Presence in a Prison

…I was in prison and you came to me… Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord… when did we visit you in prison?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’…

– Matthew 25:35-46

I had never visited a prison. It never crossed my mind that I would ever be involved in meeting, chatting and sharing stories with prisoners. Never did I ever think I’d be sharing the love of Jesus to them!

It’s been over a year since I’ve been involved with a non-profit organisation involved in transforming prisons inside the prison and when they are released. I initially got involved volunteering my skills in tech and helping the organisation. Over the next few months that followed, I felt the urge to be more involved on the ground after I heard many stories of how transformative the mission has been to the people in prison and when they are released.

I got involved in the Alpha course that was run in one of the prisons in the city. It eventually turned into a small Bible study. Every Monday, about 2 or 3 of us go into the prison with a prayer that “God, let us be the signposts to you”. Leaving behind all our keys, phones, electronics, we go past the security checks to a small room in the prison near the chapel of the progression unit. As we get set up, a small number of men from varied ages and backgrounds from their cells start arriving.

Soon after greeting them, having some casual conversations, we dive into our alpha series and having deep discussions on topics of faith. Who is Jesus? Why does it matter? What is the purpose of it all? Justice, Holy Spirit, morality, what is sin, etc.

It’s always been quite interesting to hear what the guys think. How they process the idea of a good & righteous God who cares about fairness and justice. I’m always surprised to hear their insights and points of view which also helps me in my faith.

I remember once when we were talking about sin and how we can be enslaved and can be prisoners to sin. It really hit me hard to realise that we are all prisoners under the rule of sin in our lives. We are all rebels against God, imprisoned by our sin and rebellion. We need Jesus to set us free. I’ve heard this picture of us being prisoners or slaves so many times. It never had hit me like that day. When I was really in prison and meeting prisoners to be able to relate to what that really means – the feeling of being imprisoned and the joy of being set free.

There have been many incredible moments of insights and joy to share the love of Jesus. I remember another day where we were praying for the Holy Spirit and the choir downstairs who were practising started singing at the same moment – a Christian song about the love of God if I remember correctly. Maybe it was a coincidence or maybe, just maybe, something planned by God. Regardless, we all felt the presence of God as we prayed for each other.

During our sessions, the guys share their own stories and experiences as we share ours also. It’s a time of fellowship. The guys appreciate us for taking the time every week to come and see them. They know that we aren’t paid and we don’t have to be there like social workers or their counsellors. But we still keep coming back because we really want to be there to spend time with them. Likewise, we are thankful to them for coming to our sessions. We know that they only have a short number of hours outside their cells each day and they have chosen to spend that with us.

At times it feels like we aren’t making any difference. But when I look back, It’s hard to miss how we have gotten to know people, listen to them, share our stories and hear theirs. From our last batch, there were 3 guys who said they have started their journey to know Jesus personally. They called themselves Christians in prison and to their families when they rang home. Something really did change for them. They started reading their bibles and praying every day.

Not just because of any of us going in to the prison. We are but just privileged signposts to God.

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.

– Hebrews 13:1-3