Welcoming the masses to prison

Today was Peter's third strike.  His third time to prison in the past week.  Uh oh.  Today we were welcomed as five white faces and Luka in a sea of guests to the youth prison to celebrate the affirmation of baptism for six young people.  How hospitality is so wholly extended to so many people in such a place is beyond me.  We associate prisons, especially youth ones with such negativity, but we don't often see the faces and the life here.  There are still people growing and developing and falling for the indescribable liberation of the gospel.  The church on the grounds is perhaps the most beautiful one that we have ever seen and it was built by those ignored people who all happen to be our age.  Certainly many of them have done bad things, but is this any reason to forget about them.  No one deserves that.  I think I want to explore prison ministry when I return.  Back to hospitality, simply the logistics of it are incredible as it is usually expressed in sharing of food and life over table conversation.  There were easily 200 congregants today and before the service many of us enjoyed tea.  After the service I sat next to a teacher and had a really wonderful conversation while every single person was afforded a large plate of spiced rice, meat and vegetables and a bottle of soda.  I am still troubled by the justice of this expression of hospitality but can deal better with it since every person gets to eat, they just hold a special meal on Sunday.  

As I sat in the service and looked at the simple wooden cross at the front of the sanctuary, I could not help but think how much more meaning one could derive from it in this context.  Christians follow a Lord who was executed by the state.  A prisoner.  An enemy of Rome.  Christians follow a Lord who's death set an insurrectionist free.  A Lord who forgave thieves from his own throne of death.  As this ironic symbol of salvation hung from the front of the church, I wondered if many had thought this before from my seat.  That each of these young people is Jesus.  The least of these.  From the looks of it, the workers at this prison see it.  They seem to treat the inmates with dignity and respect.  This is rehabilitating.  

During the actual service we watched two nicely dressed young girls, a young boy in a suit, a Masai child in full dress and two inmates in their bright orange affirm their baptisms.  Such a diversity.  It really speaks to the people here and the way the gospel is understood as a leveling tool here.  We all kneel, we are all affirmed together.  Umoja ni nguvu. Na mtu ni watu.  There is so much care for all the stragers among the people here.  This is real hospitality.  It is not only the food but what lies underneath.  It is the welcoming of two inmates and a masai warrior into the adult family along with three more well to do children of God.  Hospitality is about welcome for the strangers all around.  And they are everywhere.  

Unfortunately, I was rather tired today so the rest of the service was spent in and out of sleep. Fortunately, the son of an evangelist was sitting next to me so I got to fend of the tired by poking his face through his chair and trying to quiet his laughter.  Once again, he was way impressed with the lip ring.  What a good idea.