Full Essay | Remembering Our Imprisoned Neighbours
[I wrote this article for their 57th Issue on the theme of Loving our Neighbors.]
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When I was 18, I wrote my first letter to a women’s prison in the U.S. Two months later, I received a response from Jessica*, an inmate who was serving a life sentence. She was filled with shame and regret, and was desperate to hear that someone still cared for her. She wanted to know that the world outside had not forgotten her.
Over the years, my list of unexpected pen pals has grown from one woman to over 20 incarcerated individuals throughout the US. Once a month, I dedicate an evening to responding to letters from men and women seeking friendship, hope, and encouragement. I’ve learned so much through these relationships, and God has helped me to understand more fully what it means to love my neighbours through this ministry.
Called to Remember
Many verses in the Bible speak to our calling to love those around us, but Matthew 25 specifically mentions those in prison. Jesus, referring to the judgment of those who didn’t love and serve God, says in verses 43, “I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.”
Those in prison are not below us or God. The Apostle Paul was imprisoned many times during his time of ministry, and even Jesus was detained before his crucifixion. Amazing kingdom-building work can happen in these places. Just look at how Paul and Silas were able to witness when they were detained or how God allowed for Joseph to be imprisoned as part of his plan for Israel.
It’s easy to forget the people we don’t often see which is probably why, in the passage above, Jesus specifically calls to us not to forget those in prison. If we want to walk in obedience to the call of loving our neighbours we can’t forget our imprisoned neighbour either.
Called to Care
In Matthew 25, Jesus calls us to love our neighbours by meeting their physical needs—feeding them, giving them water, clothing them, caring for them when they’re sick, and showing hospitality. These actions of love and care reveal Christ’s character. By imitating Jesus’ love, we demonstrate to others that we follow him. Our own relationships with Christ witness to his power to also meet our spiritual needs for hope, love, peace, forgiveness, and eternal life.
So how can we care for our imprisoned neighbour’s needs? For me, this means using the writing passion God has given me to write to those in prison to help them feel less alone and to compassionately receive their stories.
But that’s not the only way. There are numerous organizations and outreaches where believers go into prisons to serve practically or advocate for the wellbeing of the inmates. These organizations need volunteers and financial support. So whether you go, give, advocate for, or write to, there are ways to love and care for those in prison.
Called to Witness
Before his ascent to heaven Jesus says in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” To what end are we called to love and care for our neighbours? So that they may hear and be transformed through the message and love of God.
The aim of my letter writing is not just to help incarcerated individuals feel less lonely but to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them. I pray before I write to ask God what he wants me to say to each person, always adding scripture or a devotional to each letter, and encouraging them to pray and show Christ’s love to those around them.
One of my letter-writing friends, John*, became a believer in prison. He often writes of how he preaches openly in the prison yard and shares Bible stories in the canteen during meals with whoever will listen. I get excited when I hear John’s stories and how God is at work in his life and the lives of those around him. John challenges me to step out in boldness in my own faith.
Jessica and I continue to write to each other ten years later. God has used the stories and experiences she’s shared to soften my heart and open my eyes to the experiences and needs of others.
That’s one of the extraordinary things about opening our hearts to welcome strangers as our neighbours. Not only can we show love and help other image bearers, but in our own (often clumsy) attempts to do what’s right, there will be just as many ways that God will use those experiences to strengthen our faith and transform us.
When we step out in obedience, amazing things can happen in our communities, churches, and ourselves. Jesus says to go and love our hungry, sick, needy, and imprisoned neighbours. Our response must be to bravely and humbly try.
*names have been changed for privacy reasons.
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Interested in getting involved in a letter writing ministry? Let me know through this website's contact form in the side menu and I can send you a list of resources and organisations to partner with!
I don't just write to incarcerated individuals, but also persecuted Christians, lonely seniors in local care homes at Christmas, and children in different international sponsored programs throughout the year. There's lots of people out there who could use a friendly letter and the reminder that they are loved!