This week at Marquette Branch Prison was completely different from the weeks before! The roads were a little slick on the way up but the Lord definitely helped me through that and I arrived at the prison on time. When I got into the chapel a couple men were already there so I began talking to them about there week. The rest of the men slowly filtered through and I saw a couple of faces that I had not seen for awhile. You never really know who will be in the service. The men can "ride out" which means that they are being moved to another prison for continued time or they are getting ready for parole. Sometimes the men got into a altercation and are on lockdown. So you kind of need to be prepared for anyone.
The really big deal was that the men were mostly quiet! Now to understand how big this actually is you need to read the last few blog posts. As we were going through Acts 12 the men were listening and asking a few respectful questions. It seems that the men were actually engaged in the study and were really paying attention. Towards the end of the chapter it says in Acts 12:19, "But when Herod had searched for him (Peter) and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there." One man had a question that seemed to be burning within him, he asked, "If innocent men are killed for a man that God released, how about that kid in Ferguson? That kid was innocent right?" I have not been bringing this topic up in prison for a few reasons. Some men may only see that I am white and not listen to what I say regarding my beliefs on this case. Some may see me as "one of them" being that I am not a inmate. I also have been answering questions by the men about it, but we have not gotten into a actual conversation about Ferguson. Anyway, when he brought this question up we then talked at length about it. When the question was brought up we had about 15-20 minutes left in the service time and we talked about this for the rest of the time. Men inside oftentimes feel like they are the victims rather then they are the perpetrators. The joke is that they had bad attorneys! One man said to me years ago that, "I was there and yes, I had a gun, but I didn't do it!" The men inside Marquette Branch feel the same way so whenever the news talks about a cop who was abusive and/or shoots someone they automatically believe that the cop did it regardless of the circumstances. Now I will not use this blog to get into politics or things like that. This blog is just for updates regarding the prison ministry. I am just trying to explain to you on how some inmates think.
We talked at length about what happened in Ferguson, but I think I was able to get my point across which was like it says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". We cannot look and blame everything, everyone else and God for our circumstances. We can blame sin though, but first and foremost our sin. Sin both separates you from God and others. Sin devastates. Sin kills. Only Jesus can save us! At the end of the study all of the men ( including the man that told me to shut up a couple of weeks ago) came up to me to wish me and my family a Merry Christmas and some said they are praying for me as well! What a wonderful end to a couple of hard weeks!
Please continue to pray for these men and the ministry. Prayer is definitely breaking the through the walls of that prison!
Look for another blog later this week regarding Christmas in prison, until then God bless!