Diamonds in the rough

Two interesting weeks nationally in statements and speeches coming from the Prime Minister’s office concerning Prisons have managed to prompt me into writing my first blog for 6 months. For those who watch these things, there are many resonances with the work that we do as Chaplains, especially in terms of the language of redemption used and the desire to see justice that offers a hope for those who are seeking to change.
 
Firstly we have David Lamy’s review, announced at the end of January into the over-representation of black people in our prisons. This is a really welcome development, and one which many of you will know that Joe Aldred at CTE and myself have been calling for since our symposium interrogating this social blasphemy in Prisons Week 2014 (Full article here). I have written to Mr Lamy’s office offering our assistance into the review, which has significant impact on many from Free Church traditions, as well as our support in the initiative.
 
… and secondly, David Cameron’s visit to HMP Onley and his speech on Prison reform indicating the biggest shake-up of the prison service since the great reformers of the Victorian era. Whilst part of me shudders at this, knowing the huge changes we have all experienced in the last 4 years of cuts, a large part of me hopes that the desire to readjust the focus of the mission of the prison service from the first to the second statement (have a look at the back of your ID card all of you who are HMPS), from simply 'keeping in custody' to 'leading useful and law-abiding lives', does suggest a degree of hope.
 
I think that my favourite gospel section is in Jn 10 through to Jn 17. Jesus starts in Jn 10 with a mission statement ‘I have come that you may have life’, and leads us on to an action plan ‘that you all may be one … so that the world may know that we are one and that you have sent me’. In the middle of all this is Jn 14:1-6 where, aware that the disciples were anxious because He has repeatedly told them of his death, comforts them saying:  “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.” He encourages them to have firm belief in Him because He is the way, the truth, and the life. In a time where we are facing great turmoil, our hearts may justifiably become troubled, making it even more important that these words ring around our life in practical ways. If Jesus is the way, and the truth and the life, then this must mean much more than a claim to exclusivity in religion, it must be a way in which we can understand his call to discipleship in a tumultuous world.

I Am The Way : Jesus offers unfettered access to life in His father’s house. To accept His person and His teachings means that one has accepted him as the way; our Google Maps, our OS route-finder, our Sat Nav to the father’s heart. And just as the GPS satellite knows our current location on earth and helps us to locate our intended destinations, so Jesus our physical and spiritual guide knows exactly our current physical, emotional and spiritual location. And with this knowledge, he will lead us in The Way home. I always find it interesting to see that archaeologically the earliest references to Christians are as ‘people of the way’. People who follow the one who is the way.

I Am the Truth : Jesus Christ stands as the living expression of God’s integrity. He cannot do other than keep his promises. He will never leave us, he will never forsake us … he remains the great Initiator and the great Amen. He does not tell the truth only - He is the truth personally.

I Am The Life : Through Jesus Christ we share in the life of the trinity as a fulfilment of his mission declared in Jn 10:10, and in his action plan in Jn 17. As Chaplains we have hope that life can and will change for the better for those in prison … that they will indeed have improved life chances. And we know that these life chances are found freely available to all those who follow the one who himself is The Life.
 
… and so we persevere …

So let us above all other things devote ourselves in these uncertain days to prayerfully reflect on the one who leads us through Lent to the sacrifice of the Passion, and joy of the resurrection. Maybe it is time to re-consider the ways in which we have come to know, and faithfully follow the one who is the way, the truth and the life.

David Cameron is suggesting that we need to work in order to seek the “diamonds amongst the rough”. We find these diamonds dailyy ... in the segregation unit, on ACCT reviews, in Bible studies, in tears on reception wings, in worship on Sundays. We see these diamonds shine ... and our hope is always that they will continue to do so. In the reforms that are surely to come let us not lose sight of the one who has the power, the grace and the will to lead us and them from the rough and into life in all its fullness.

Be Strong and Courageous

It has been a long ....  time since my last blog, for which I feel quite guilty (not condemned, just a touch of true guilt!) … so, as is the correct response to true guilt, I will get down to doing something about this.

The news over the last few days as the probable cause of the tragedy in Germany is being revealed has restarted a thought process which began at the start of the year. Sadly in the first six weeks of 2015 I attended three funerals, two of which were the result of friends taking their own lives. The desperation which these two young men must have felt still bewilders me, and draws me back to holding on tighter to our Lord, Saviour and deliverer. Life would be so much easier if things worked out in the way they do in the movies. But often they don’t.

I was reminded recently that Psalm 31 reflects real life, not some movie, TV show or Reality TV, but real, heart breaking life. In verse 10, David prays, considering that his life is being shortened because of grief. Perception of the world around is often changed by grief. I guess that many of the bereaved from the air disaster this week would echo the sentiments of the Psalmist here. If ever you've had difficulty in identifying with the "happy, happy, joy, joy, always happy" version of Christian faith then this Psalm is for you and me. I guess working in Prisons we are more immune to this than most, but David reminds us, as you he often does in the psalter of the value of facing reality, and still looking in hope for His help. (v17) The Psalms never overlook the darker side of life. Instead of pretending that difficulties never arise when you are following God, the Psalms show that sometimes even those "after God's heart" cry out in anguish. Life doesn't always work out with the underdog winning, the hero being loved or the bad person getting what they deserve. Holy week reminds us of this, Jesus knows this, the Psalmist knows this. As we enter this week of what can often be sombre reflection leading up to Good Friday, let us echo David as he prays;
 

 “But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, "you are my God!" My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. Let you favour shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me." (vv14-16) (NLT)

Such a beautiful prayer from one who was wasting away in sorrow. Such trust. Such faith. Our hope is that even when life turns dark and things seem to go from bad to worse we will still be able to trust our future and our pain to God. He can take and understand it, He is able. He is love. He will see us through. “so be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” (v24)

Best wishes for the Easter period … May you know Jesus’ blessings deeply this year

Come with me to a quiet place

August has seen many of my emails returned by “out of office” alerts as Chaplains take the time to rest; a good practice, commended by Jesus when he said - “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest”. (Mark 6: 31). At the end of June I too was fortunate enough to be able to take a week of rest in Snowdonia enjoying the countryside and doing a bit of climbing. Shortly before going, I changed my alert tone for texts on my phone from a fairly annoying bleep, to the sound of a steam train going “Toot, toot”!

Now I’m not a Steam buff really, but there is something quite reassuring about the sight, sound, smell, and sound of a steam train, and to see the Snowdonia Mountain train power its way across Cwm Glas on its way to the summit of Wales’ highest peak is quite a sight. When we think back to the Golden Age of Steam (further back than I can remember if I’m honest!) names like the Orient Express, The Mallard and of course the Flying Scotsman sit within our history. Each of these trains had to be fuelled by coal and fed with water. Even though they would run up and down the track, with seemingly effortless ease, their engines would work with great efficiency and determination to pull passengers to their destination. Every one of them had to rest and be refuelled. Each of them had to take time to recover before they ran out of steam.
 
Just like the steam engine, we can go about our everyday lives with seemingly effortless ease, but our spiritual engines are hard at work. A visit to the Segregation unit, a Bible Study group led well, a difficult pastoral encounter, an opportunity to share our faith. So it is in our best interests that we make time to be with God all by ourselves, to spend time resting, being restored and refreshed.
 
In this small verse Jesus invites us to take a rest with him. We cannot run on empty for too long, or we will run out of steam, eventually we will come to a stuttering halt and need more than a holiday break to get back on track. But the Prophet Isaiah reminds us: “those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint”. (Isa 40:31) “TOOT, TOOT”!

Recognising the still voice of God

I asked a prisoner recently “what changes have you seen in your day-day life since you’ve begun exploring your faith?”. His answer was simple, clear and I thought quite powerful. “I have begun to recognise and sometimes listen to the quiet voice of reason in the chaos of all the other things going on in my head”. Recognising the still, small voice of God is often the most powerfully motivating and inspiring transformation that we can experience.

So often when we look at Acts 2 with its description of tongues of fire and the sound of a mighty wind, we expect that this is the hallmark of the movement of the Holy Spirit.  We can look to see God’s activity in prison in the monumental or spectacular, the lifer turned pastor, the addict turned councillor, the steroid-abuser turned evangelist. I have often been tempted myself to try and look for this potential in prisoners I work with.  It’s as if I’m saying, ‘if the Holy Spirit is active in his life, surely that would be accompanied by sights and sounds and actions that are certain to amaze and impress.’  The logical conclusion to this would be, of course, that in the little things, the ‘ordinariness’ of our lives, the daily activity of listening to a prisoner’s grief  that the Holy Spirit of God is not active or moving. But nothing could be further from the truth.

 Of course God can move and inspire us to great heights, and throughout history God has performed great signs and wonders – we can think of things like the parting of the Red Sea during the Exodus of the Israelites when they left Egypt; or Elijah on Mount Carmel; or Jesus calming the stormy sea with a word; or the feeding of the 5000; or the apostles healing the lame man – but more often, God’s presence and the action of the Holy Spirit appear in less dramatic fashion –  the resurrected Jesus walking quietly beside the disciples on the road to Emmaus as an unknown stranger; the prophet Nathan confronting David through a riddle; or Elijah in the mouth of the cave hearing the still, small voice. We should never confuse the outward flash and show of something with its importance. 

We, or those we work with, might think that the movement of the Spirit is something outside our experience or our own ‘reach’ because, quite honestly, our lives are ordinary, or unspectacular.  In the first letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle tells us, “No one can say, ’Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.’ In other words, just the urge to pray aloud or affirm that we believe Jesus is Lord, is a movement of the Holy Spirit.  It may not seem spectacular, or feel particularly exciting, but it is a movement of the Spirit just the same. And as the Spirit moves, we are transformed.

While we may not immediately see some spectacular or dazzling result in our circumstances from this movement, there will most definitely be an influence on others around us – and it is in that influence that the Spirit continues to move outward, reaching out through us, drawing us and others closer to God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.  That is indeed something spectacular and amazing.

Blurred Vision

“As disciples, may God save us from defective vision and grant us all kingdom vision instead.”
 
What a great thought! Not long ago I was forced to succumb to my age and buy my first pair of reading glasses. So when I read (clearly for the first time for ages) the above in a thought for the day it struck a bit of a chord. We can all see things the way we want to see them sometimes, and not the way they really are. I think that this is the story of Palm Sunday, a story of excitement and progress, but of a surprising lack of vision.
 
The excitement we find in Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem can be seen in the light of similar events in the recent city history when Maccabean liberators had entered as potential conquerors.  The atmosphere as crowds came up to the feast must have been electric and heavy with both expectation and apprehension.  The land needed a liberator from the Romans! The people looked for a ruler to break oppression! Religious fervour was meeting burgeoning nationalism!  That was the vision stirring the hearts of many on that day as they cried out “Who is this?”(Mt 21:10). But even the explicit answer “Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth” (v11) seems to miss the point that the Son of David, the true Son of David comes to bring peace, comfort and salvation that is everlasting. This is the Prince of Peace, the Mighty God, the wonderful counsellor; the child of Isaiah 9, given as ruler and saviour. Blurred vision indeed.
 
In enacting the prophecy of Zechariah 9:10, Jesus was living out the “peace on earth”(Lk. 2:14) of his birth by accepting the role of the humble ruler focussed on the best for his people through glorifying God.  This is not a vision of self-aggrandisement, but of selfless service which the cross will soon put into sharp focus
 
Many whom we work with need things in their life to be sorted out … they want a vision of a ruler who will come and resolve their issues as quickly and completely as they were made. But the ruler on the colt very rarely works the way we expect him to. He is a ruler on a colt, not … as Dirty Harry would have it … the ruler with a Colt! He works in a much more effective way. As we encourage others to see Jesus as he really is over Easter, let us celebrate the fact that yes, he does bring freedom, yes he does release the oppressed, but he does it in a way that will often surprise us. and a way that will last. Let us see with his vision … a vision that goes through the entrance gates of Jeruslaem, through the trial, through the execution, and finally into life.

What a vision to follow - if it means buying better glasses, then let's do that!