Before becoming a military chaplain I spent many years involved in prison ministry. Reflecting back on those years, one thing has been clear. It changed me. The countless men and women I was privileged to meet changed my life. I would not be the same person without them.
They have taught me about the raw edge of life that I so often try to ignore. They have shown me a resilience in the face of suffering, abuse, loss, pain, and abandonment that I have never seen before. They have instructed me on the art of transparency and honesty with other human beings. They seem able to put the fig leaves down more willingly and quickly than myself. They have taught me what it means to come to God with empty hands.
They have shown me what it means to trust in God’s grace alone through Jesus Christ for my rescue and salvation. These men and women have wrecked my view of sanctification and progressive transformation as we follow Christ. In this vein, they have helped me see that going forwards often feels like and even looks like going backwards. They have helped me come to terms with the messiness of becoming like Jesus. My clean, ordered, triumphant view of the Christian life has been obliterated.
They have taught me that the life of a disciple is one of continual daily repentance. They have demonstrated to me how a witness for Jesus can and must be reckless. So many of these young men have spoken things into my life that have touched me and changed me. Many of them feel like my own kids. At the same time they feel like my brothers. They are my family.
I have come to deeply love the work I did behind bars. To be honest, sometimes I felt more at home there than anywhere else. Sometimes I felt more like myself. I did not feel the need to front or pretend with them and I don’t think they felt the need to do so with me. The only thing that distinguished us was the orange jumpsuits. We both stood with empty hands. We both stood in desperate need of God’s grace in Christ. I am thankful to Christ for ordaining that my steps would find their way into many jails and detention centers. What a kindness.