“They deserved what they got.”
I read that line on a Facebook post the other day in regard to a person who committed a crime and was sentenced to prison.
I used to say the same thing when referring to the incarcerated. Then it happened to my family.
My son was sentenced to prison. The news media broadcasted his sentence and the comments on Facebook were he deserved what he got. I felt the sting of my own words come back to me.
Even if a person deserves the punishment of imprisonment, does that mean we cut them off from our love?
Too often, that is the case for many of the incarcerated. Gone and forgotten. No longer loved is considered part of the punishment.
But does God stop loving us as punishment?
God disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). There’s no doubt that we have consequences for our sins. We live with those consequences, but we are never, ever separated from God’s love for us (Romans 8:39).
Since God never stopped loving us, we should not withdraw love from those who are convicted of crimes and sentenced to prison.
“Well, I’m not a convict.”
True, However, truth be told, we all deserve the death penalty. And without Christ, that’s what we have—death, that is an eternal separation from God our Father.
God our Father first loved us, in spite of sinful nature. He knows we deserve the death penalty, but because of His great love for us He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to be born of a virgin, live a sinless life, paid the penalty for our sins by death on the cross, then rose again to life on the third day.
Jesus exchanged His life for our lives because of love.
God’s loving kindness leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). When we demonstrate the love of Christ through acts of kindness, it points others to our loving Father. Our Father desires to pour out His love in our lives and fill us full of life in Jesus Christ.
One way we can show the love of Christ to those who are incarcerated is to send a Christmas card. Most of those in prison do not receive cards or notes from family and friends on the outside. Many are gone and forgotten.
Bryan, an inmate in Texas, is one of those people. Last year, he received only one Christmas card. This past week, I received a card from him and he wrote, “I hope to hear from my family for the holidays. It gets down sometimes around the holidays.”
Bryan has accepted Christ as his Savior. (Read more about Bryan’s story here and here.) As Christians, we are all brothers and sisters with Bryan. And though Bryan desires to hear from his personal family, we are also his family in Christ. As a family member, let’s encourage Bryan with a Christmas card and an encouraging Scripture. Let’s fill his mailbox full of the love of Christ with a simple act of kindness. Here’s Bryan’s address:
Bryan Banks #01774253, Jerry H. Hodge Unit, 379 FM 2972 West, Rusk, TX 75785-3666
Next, let’s start a Christmas card list for others you know who are in prison. If you have a loved one who is incarcerated and would like for them to receive a Christmas card from others, leave their address in the comments below.
For the readers of this post, send a card to Bryan and as you read the comments if there are addresses below, pick a person to send a card to this week (even if it will be late, please send it).
This Christmas season let’s remember those who are in prison. Whether or not they received the punishment they deserved, God never withholds His love. Neither should we.
Your act of godly kindness may have an eternal impact for God’s glory.
Thank you and God bless!
