Read: Hebrews 13:3

Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them.

Like all the epistles, the letter to the Hebrews is best read as a letter. It’s urgent, practical, sometimes abrupt, written thoughtfully but in haste to spiritually needy people. It’s like the other epistles, too, in that it includes at least one terrifyingly hard command: “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them.” Prisoners need to be as real, as immediate to the rest of us as our breakfasts and shoes, as ourselves. How can we manage that?

When my wife was fifteen, her father went to prison. Like many prisoners’ family members, she struggled to stay tangibly present in his life and vice versa. One thing she did was to write to him almost every weekday for 20 years, till his release. Nothing fancy—just a quick rundown of her day, her thoughts and feelings, a reminder that she loved him.

There are many ways to remember those in prison: friendship, intercessory prayer, post-release support, and advocacy for better conditions and for communities mistreated by the justice system. Though my wife and I have done all these things at various times, our journey started with those humble letters from my wife to her father. They preserved her love and his sanity. And they reminded me that even the Bible’s most difficult-sounding commands can be obeyed, with a little will and imagination.

Prayer:

Lord, you were a prisoner once. Comfort all prisoners with your presence, and remind us to seek you among those in prison.

Author: Phil Christman

https://woh.org/