priSONerS &
DAUGHTERS of GOD!
“…A worship that
isn’t irritated by visiting hours or prison doors…�
photos taken from LIFE mag. are very similar to prison we visited
…A worship that
brings tears to your eyes when they, the SONS & DAUGHTERS of ABBA, are
the ones leading you into HIS presence. A walk through the prison for the first time was quite the experience, to witness so many men crammed in one cell and still willing to pull out a guitar to lead us in WORSHIP was humbling. How quickly in my weSTERN mindset I
wanted to write them off as just prisoners, as just mere men and women who’ve
messed up, who deserve a consequence for their actions. I’m not sure what the qualifications are
for a worship leader nowadays, a background check maybe?
If not, there should
be and PRISON should be a prerequisite! But why you might ask; in the secret
place of solitude GOD pours into the hearts of HIS priSONer’S, we have too many “un-imprisoned worshippers” who’ve skipped bail because they don’t want to pay
THE PRICE and miss out on an encounter that endues them with POWER and
AUTHORITY!
Peering into the eyes
of priSONerS and studying their appearance allowed me to make a distinction between
them and the rest of us, their MARKS are visible, in plain view for all to see!
How visible are your marks, your weaknesses your story?
Since when has the
POWER of “Created in HIS image�
been weakened by our MARKS: how vulnerable we become, the choices we make or
the situations we find ourselves in. Does HIS image lose color or fade when we
decide to rebel? Yes, maybe through human eyes, but since when have we been
able to see clearly through our “plank� filled physical eyes. Will you refuse
to let the APPEARANCE of a man or woman decide for you whether or not they have
a deep desire for something, someone GREATER than they! Look deep for HIS
image, not the poorly pixilated image we tend to ignore because it doesn’t strike
our fancy.
It’s time for us, the
church to find the IAm.age SOURCE in people! WE FAIL when we examine faces not
hearts, when we find comfort in our own social class or UNmarked group of
acquaintances we call friends, when hellos, handshakes and smiley faces suffice
because relationships and community take time and effort, when LOVE is solely
expressed with ink pens and checkbooks and not blood and tears.
I’ve been MARKED!*
