For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. (Romans 8:3)
As most of you may know on Sunday 11th December I had the privilege of speaking for fifteen minutes at Cardiff Prison (with the Gideons).
Although a daunting experience, walking through the inner prison’s dominating walls and barbed wire gates, surrounded by endless rows of darkened barred windows. I actually found myself far less nervous than when having to stand up at Emmanuel to do a reading. I did not know what to expect and knew no one there. My concern was with the prisoners in front of me and the anticipation that they could gain hope (even in their frightful situation) from the truth of our risen Lord.
As some of you may know, I have had friends and family become guests of Her Majesty so sympathise greatly with our Prison communities. My heart craves to work in such environments in the UK, amongst our weakest and most desperate. For me our prosperity as a nation amplifies such suffering to those in need as a better life is literally on their doorstep. It also highlights the fine line between us and the less fortunate. (“But by the Grace of God I am what I am” 1Corinthians 15:10). As we have all witnessed in recent years, many people enjoying a “middle class” lifestyle are just one credit-crunch away from desolation.
It was so surreal to meet the prisoners, many of whom are rapists and murderers. Yet on the face of it they were all more cognitive and warming than most people I walk past in Newport every day. This gave me a strong feeling of personal failure. For such men to be raised in a way to think that the crime they committed was acceptable or worse to have so little hope that they were not afraid of the consequences is surely a failure of our Godless society?
These men all have souls and none are beyond the grace of God, yet are accepted by-products of our society’s machine. Dostoevsky once said “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” In non-democratic countries you will find political prisoners, in developing countries you will find hungry prisoners and in this once Christian nation you will find needless prisoners, people that wanted more without knowing the contentment found in the Gospel (Philippians 4:11-12).
I talked on Malachi 3 1-5. Preparing for Christmas, Preparing for Christ. Making it clear how to prepare for Christ so you will not miss him as the Jews did. Sharing how God works entering our lives at our lowest points, when we are at our weakest (Romans 8:26), in vehicles that we would never expect! (Born in a manger, raised a poor carpenter and died on a cross among society’s villains). “Perhaps God is using Prison to speak to you? Embrace this opportunity and repent!”
I truly believe that the only way to reform such men is with the Gospel, for God to work in their hearts. A man truly reborn in Christ will not make the same choices and have hope for the next life.
I am delighted to report that each one of the 55 prisoners picked up a Gideon’s Bible at the end of the service. Please Pray that they will find more freedom in those divine words than what they would have without them outside the prison walls.
John Funnell
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