A couple days ago, I went with two of the nuns, an American priest, and Darriel to celebrate mass inside of the federal prison that is right across the street (literally) from St. Monica's.
My white skin and blonde hair already make me feel entirely conspicuous in this country...this feeling was certainly intensified by being one of the only women inside of prison walls which house hundreds of Ugandan men dressed in bright yellow uniforms. As we stepped in, I thought about the horrors that this country has known over the past 20 years...widespread rape, brutal war, mass killings and abductions...needless to say, being in there was out of my comfort zone.
My fear was melted away by letting my eyes meet theirs, greeting them with handshakes, and returning smiles. They sang and played instruments with joy and vibrancy. They prayed earnestly. They listened attentively.
Worshiping with them was a beautiful and touching experience.
They asked for me to address them, and I did with a word of encouragement....and then they asked us to send our greetings to brothers and sisters in Christ who are in America. So, I'm greeting you on their behalf....I'm greeting you with joy, and with the hope that you are able to picture their faces and hearts filled with hope and love as men who have been transformed by Christ.
love to all. Keep praying for Uganda.
peace,
E
Powerful, powerful images, Elizabeth. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for going to the prison, encouraging them with some words, and sharing this with us E.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteFollowing Jesus takes us into hard, strange places.
ReplyDeleteI thought of this post today when I went to visit a nursing home near Bahama.
It was like a horror movie. It stank like urine, every room had a TV with the volume maxed out, all on different channels, while two bodies lay in the two beds, looking like ghosts, barely any of them with open eyes, let alone coherent mental function. The hallways were full of deranged looking elderly people sitting in wheelchairs who just stared through me as I walked by, totally incoherent. It was in a way, utterly terrifying. These are the places that Jesus calls us to go.