Going To Jail

 Part 1

So I went to jail today to visit a friend.  Before I got to see him, a text message came in from another friend Brian telling me he had posted a new blog.  This is always a joyful time for me as he writes really good story blogs.  So in my response to him, I told him where I was and what I was doing there.  Brian’s response was that he wanted to visit jails, as it was very Jesus.  I started to think that it was indeed pretty cool.  Back in the days of reading the Bible without actually thinking about what I was reading, you know, the youth group days, I remember reading Matthew 25 and began to think about the check list.

 

            Jesus was hungry and I fed Him

       
    He was thirsty and gave Him something to drink

       
    He was a stranger and Invited Him in

       
    He needed Clothes and I clothed Him

       
    He was sick or in jail and I visited Him

 

So having covered the others on the list, I was feeling very “Jesus Like” visiting someone in jail.  I just might get off the “Goat” list yet.  But the more I thought about what I was doing, two thoughts came to my mind.  One was very comforting and brought a deep joy to me, the other wasn’t so happy and made me feel like the phony I often can be.  Let’s jump into the good stuff first.

 

When Brian told me it was very “Jesus Like” to visit someone in jail, it  hadn’t occurred to me that I was doing such a noble act.  Truthfully, the guy in jail is my friend who simply made a mistake.  He’ll be out in 20 days, but pretty much said the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person (someone with a badge) and is now in jail.  Now my decision to go to visit him wasn’t at all inspired by my wrist band with the letters WWJD on it.?  (Actually, my red plastic wristband has “Life” imprinted on it.  As in “Life” is sacred, as in end abortion AND equally as much abolish the the Death Penalty.)  No, I didn’t go visit my friend because that’s “What Jesus Would Do”.  (In fact Jesus said that if you go and visit someone in prison, you do it unto me, yet Jesus wouldn’t even go see his own cousin John the Baptist who was soon to be beheaded.  But that’s a story for another blog.)  No, I didn’t go to the Clark County Detention Center to score brownie points with God, that aspect of it actually hadn’t even occurred to me.  And the journey down there wasn’t an easy one either.  Naturally it’s downtown, so there’s the travel time, then finding parking (which is metered and charged in 15 increments), the metal detectors and unloading of pocket stuff, showing up at least an hour ahead so I could be logged in and then of course the waiting.  So why go through all of this if it wasn’t inspired by “What Would Jesus Do?  Simple, he’s my friend.

 

Now you may be thinking, “Oh good, I’m clear, I don’t have any friends that would do things that I would need to go visit them in jail.”  To that way of thinking I say, keeping it G rated, shame on you. To clarify my point, there is a passage in your Bible were Jesus said, “Why do you trouble the woman (who had just poured purfume on Jesus’ feet during a party she clearly wasn’t invited to)?  For she has done a good work for Me.  For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.” 

 

Now many (by no means all, but many) affluent people use this as an excuse to not assist the poor.  They use this verse as justification that Jesus himself said the problem will never go away, “So what can I do?”  And so they do nothing.  But their interpretation of the verse is wrong.  They don’t want to help the poor so they find scripture to justify their actions, or lack of action in this case.  Too much of scripture has been misread and misinterpreted to hear what someone wants to hear, like this one about the poor always being among us. But this isn’t what Jesus was saying.  It was a fact that the poor WERE all around Jesus. But far from saying it in defeat that we should not worry about the poor since they are always among us, Jesus is pointing the church to her true identity, that the church is to live close to those who suffer.  The poor will always be among us because the poor will find a home in the church, the true church.  The poor will always be among those the call Christ “Lord” because they will always be welcome and feel safe among those who call Christ “Lord”. Gandhi would often reply, when asked if he was a Christian, “Ask the poor.  They will tell you who the Christians are.” 

 

So the question comes back to you, if you have no friends who would ever need a visit in jail, maybe you need to widen your circle of friends.  Maybe those who might find themselves needing a visit while they’re in jail are the ones who need to feel safe and welcome in your company.  There is more to this blog, but as I read what I’ve written thus far,  I think I’ll give a few days for the reader to digest this part  before going on.  It will also give me time to look at my own desperately wicked heart and hold myself to the same standard that I’m challenging you with.  See you in a few days.

 

Peace,

 

~ Rafael