Last Sunday I was unable to attend church because I was locked up in jail. This time I went on my own free will. Actually, it was God’s will.

I passed our church on the way home and saw that it was the first day of Advent. During Advent we prepare for, and anticipate, the coming of Christ.

I found it ironic that I had just talked to inmates about using their time to prepare to live the life that God had called them to live.

During Advent a candle is lit each Sunday leading up to Christmas. The candle lit last Sunday represented God’s gift of hope. Prison leaves you feeling hopeless. The only thing that pulled me through was hope. I wanted to give them hope. The hope I found in the Holy Trinity.

Hope in the Spirit. That if they gave their lives to Jesus they would become baptized in the Spirit and clothed in Christ. So, it didn’t matter what they were wearing on the outside (even if it was an orange jumpsuit) because on the inside they would be clothed in Christ and that makes them perfect.

Hope in Son. That even though they were in prison because of the blood Christ shed for their sins their chains would be gone and they would be free.

AND

Hope in God the Father, “That while they are still a long way off, He sees them and filled with compassion for them; He will run to them, throws His arms around them, kiss them and welcome them home.
I pray my story gave the inmates hope because hope is all they will ever need.

• hope