Between Two Criminals

“Christ was not crucified on a cathedral altar between two candles but on a garbage dump between two criminals.” ~ Prison Ministry Brochure

Tonight I gave a talk at the Way of the Cross on the Prison Ministry that my church has been doing over the years. Here is part of what I said:

When preparing for this talk in the context of doing the Way of the Cross, I could not help but think of the slogan printed on the prison ministry brochure:
Christ was not crucified on a cathedral altar between two candles but on a garbage dump between two criminals.

The cross is a symbol of our faith. It points to hope, an assurance of God’s love and mercy, and proof of forgiveness. As Jesus is crucified, he is placed between two criminals. In Matthew’s Gospel, both men revile him. In Luke’s Gospel account, we see where one is repentant and open to Christ and the other hurls abuse at Him. The repentant one takes responsibility for what he has done and says they deserve to be there but Jesus does not. Sometimes in this ministry we encounter both types of men: One who is willing to admit the mistakes made and is looking for forgiveness and a new life; another who is not yet ready for change.

This ministry is primarily a ministry of presence. We are not there to evangelize or convert people. We are there to be a merciful, loving presence to men who have carried a cross and created crosses for others to bear, who have humiliated and been humiliated, and who have felt deserted and deserted others. Many prisoners do feel abandoned and forsaken as Christ did on the cross. They may have no support systems and few or no visitors. They may carry internal crosses that are challenging to see behind tough exteriors. Our volunteers stand at the foot of their crosses and listen to their agony some days. Other days, our volunteers need to be wise because some of these men do revile Christ and are not to be trusted. Some of these men have done horrible crimes for which they have not repented or show any remorse. Some of them will play mind games with our volunteers. I have been there. I have been conned by some of these guys. However, after a decade of doing the ministry, I believe that it is never too late to turn to Christ. The criminal who asked to be remembered in the Kingdom had only a few hours of life left. Each of these men deserves that chance.

Visiting these men in prison is not easy for many reasons, but it is the work of the kingdom and a blessing. I have seen both types of criminals. I remember one man who shot and killed his wife said he deserved to serve time. He never once took a stance of denial nor did he shift the blame elsewhere, despite being a victim of the violence of the residential schools which drove him to alcohol to block out the pain and eventually in a drunken rage he shot his wife to death. I know another who never tells that he hired someone to kill his wife. Both men deserve God’s love and mercy. Both men need to have someone show them the road to hope and forgiveness. Both men need someone to help them carry their cross until they realize that the road they walk on can offer healing. Please pray for the ministry and the inmates.

Peace,

Suzanne