This week is Prison’s Week – when we set aside time each day of the upcoming week to pray for all things ‘prisons’ – and in normal circumstances, this would have been the main focus of our Sunday Morning Service in the Prison Chapel. But life isn’t normal at the moment, as we all know!
Over the past months, because of ‘lockdown’ many have felt lonely, especially those who live on their own as they had not been able to have contact with friends and family. Yet I would venture to say that we have all felt a degree of loneliness over the past few months.
On Thursday, I took part in a Zoom Conference for Chaplains and the one message that seemed to come across loud and clear was the problem of loneliness. You’ve heard the phrase, ‘you can be lonely in a crowd’ – and we all know what that means, yet many, particularly in our Prisons, which are full, are feeling very isolated and lonely.
I was reminded of the account in Genesis 39/40 when Joseph was falsely accused and ended up in prison. Yet for me, the tragedy of the story is that the butler, whose dream Joseph had interpreted, when he was released, forgot all about Joseph (40:23). How lonely must Joseph have felt? Abandoned by his brother’s; sold as a slave into a foreign country, in a foreign prison for something he didn’t do and now spending more time in prison than he should have – and all this time his own father thought that he was dead!!
But God hadn’t forgot about him, and God hasn’t forgot about you and your situation either!
Can I encourage you to listen to the You Tube Clip of a beautiful song by Kari Jobe, ‘I am not alone’?
Here are words from that song (see Isaiah 43:1-3):
When I walk through deep waters, I know that you will be with me
When I’m standing in the fire, I will not be overcome
Through the valley of the shadow, Oh I will not fear
I am not alone; I am not alone
You will go before me; You will never leave me
I am not alone; I am not alone
You will go before me; You will never leave me
In the midst of deep sorrow; I see your light is breaking through
The dark night will not over take me; I am pressing into you
Lord you fight my every battle; And I will not fear…
‘You are not alone’ is the theme for Prisons Week, please pray that it brings much encouragement to many men and women serving sentences at this time; and remember, whatever your situation ‘YOU ARE NOT ALONE’…….