"I was in prison and you visited me."

      The following message was given at the 2006 M-2 Banquet to Man to Man (M2) visitation volunteers.  The M2 program is a prison visitation program at the State Prison located in Sioux Falls, SD.  The volunteers, individuals and married couples, at the banquet were honored for up to 30 years of visitation with men in prison.

Matthew 25: vs 36-40
36I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'
37"Then the righteous will say to him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you something to eat, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40The king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, in that you did it for one of the least important of these my brothers, you did it for me.' 

     One of the first jobs I took after college was as a juvenile corrections officer for the Department of Social Services in North Dakota. My understanding of my job was pretty clear.  I was to "rehabilitate" juvenile offenders - keep them from spending the rest of their lives behind bars.  I decided that I would befriend them - "love them out of trouble."   It wasn't as easy as I thought, however.  Some were simply not lovable.  Others were, but they were caught up in events that they couldn't seem to control.  Staying out of trouble seemed impossible for them.  

     What I learned over the years was that many of these children were already living behind bars, not bars they could see, but bars in their heads, and in their hearts.  They were bars of perceptions and attitudes born out of years of pain and sorrow. 

     Every time a child is hurt, or scared, the shadow of a bar of protection is created - to keep away the pain or the danger.  It's like the callous that protects a cut.  The bars that these children, and the adults who were these children, live in were created as a protection.  This protection is so effective, and the space between the bars is so narrow, that very little is allowed to penetrate.  Very little can hurt them, and very little can help them, because very little touches them.

     Most people who are spending their lives in prison have done bad things.  You know that.  They have been judged and are being punished.  What we can do by befriending them is to help them trust someone enough to open the door of their bars, even a little bit.
 
     I'm telling you what you already know, here.  We normally see Christ through other people.  The offenders can see him in you.  You can see him in them.  We can't change much about the reality of the life that prisoners live. We can, however, help one prisoner see that he has value as a human being.  If he can see that, he may trust enough to open those bars even a little bit.  After that it's up to the Holy Spirit. 

God, thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you in this M-2 program.  Help us as we carry out your command to visit those in prison.  Thank you for the glimpses we have of your Spirit at work with and through us.  Amen.

Gary Nesdahl
Executive Director
Association of Christian Churches of South Dakota

If you would like to learn more about the M-2 program, click here.