You can't spell penitentiary without p-e-n..

"Remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body." - Hebrews13:3

How many times have i glossed over that scripture and assigned myself to a classification of christian that wouldn't really be good at or do something like that. In fact i have often interpreted that verse to "remember those in prison" as almost an existential reflection empathy exercise. We are just supposed to dwell on what it would be like to be in prison and suffer the torment that those individuals go through...

Mack Webb (#00610078) projected release date (4/14/09) serving a 25 year sentence for theft. Ronald Coleman (#01276070) projected release date (11/05/08) serving 7 years for drug trafficking. Chris Sanders (#01061543) 23 years old serving a 12 year sentence for indecency with a child. These are all men you most likely will not meet but none the less exist and breathe the same air you and i do. They can smile and cherish pictures of family like me. They enjoy the fellowship of friends and like to take a load off after a long day of work like me. However they live in Connally State Penitentiary in Kennedy, Texas. This is a maximum security prison, one of only eight in texas, that houses almost 3,000 inmates.

I got to meet these gentlemen and more last weekend at a prison ministry outreach called "Bill Glass's Weekend of Champions". Aside from the particularly cheesy nature of some of this Christian "outreach", i was able to get into the lives of men who were rapists, murderers, thiefs, pedaphiles, and plain ole bad dudes.

We seem to far too easily create this us/them mentality which quickly dissociates us from any of their problems or fears (dare i say need for the gospel). I think Jesus reccomends that we visit those in prison not only to deliver his Saving message of truth, but that we might in humility note that we ourselves are not one step removed from anything these men and women have done. We are all in the same sinking ship in desperate need of a savior.

Your the only Phar-I-See

So i think i know now what it is like to be a 1st century pseudo-religious-zealot of the type that Jesus had such strong words and compassion for. It wouldn't even surprise me if the joke about Tennesse and girls wasn't started some 2500 years ago deep in the recesses of some horny pharisee. I think the modern day sect of these types of people (i am speaking as one who claims unintential allegiance) look scarily similar to their distant relatives. But maybe not in the way you and i think.

It's true you don't have folks in the church wearing boxes of scripture on their heads and competing for who has the most verses memorized. Instead we have tshirts and bracelets to let the world know that we wear Christ on our body but not in our hearts. But a shirt alone isn't enough to make a modern day pharisee. The unifying concept of ancient and modern pharisee is the degree of fervor with which they strive continually after vanity. The very thing they know doesn't provide or bring life they pursue more passionately than anyone else on the planet. There is some kind of pride at least in our minds that somehow, someway, against all odds our intensity will count for something in the end even if its in err.

The hardest thing a pharisee can do is admit that all his efforts and striving have been completely useless. Worse than useless even, completely pushing him in the opposite direction further than from where he started. But yet this is the very thing God does throughout the scriptures starting with Israel and into the present era. Turn, change your ways, don't just think different be different, follow, be transformed.

Maybe maturity in being a sincere follower of the Lord means quickness to yield to turning away from my own pursuits and acknowleding the better way.