We felt shocked and empty. Out of breath. A member of our congregation, a drug dealer? We had received a call that he was in jail on that very charge. He was fairly new to our church, but not new to the community. He was considered a pillar. Part of a well-respected family that owned a longstanding local business.

When he became a Christian and began coming to our church, God brought him under conviction about the sinful parts of his life. He told his drug suppliers that he was leaving that business, making them fearful; so they leaked information about him to police so he would be caught redhanded. He was sent to jail, convicted, and spent a couple of years in prison.

I was in my late teens then. Suddenly prisoners weren’t just those other people; prisoners had a face and a name and a family. I wrote to him, but I think his letters to me were lengthier and more encouraging than my letters to him. He continued to grow in Christ while at prison, and I began to see an odd grace in the plan that included his incarceration. Though prison was a dark place in many respects, I could see that it was not bad luck that had sent him there on his last drug deal.

Decades later, the staying power of God’s work in this man is evident. He’s still a pillar, but even in the spiritual sense now. He’s an integral part of that same church congregation he entered where God was gently prodding him about leaving his sinful lifestyle behind.

Just a few months ago, my minivan broke down while we were visiting my hometown. My wife and children were with me, and we were in a bind. It was a holiday weekend, and help would be scarce. The first phone call I made was to this longtime friend, this friend who knew the inside of prison and the freedom of living in Christ. I knew I could count on this friend. Not only was I not disappointed, I was astounded by his generosity and grace to us.

The example of the Lafayette prison ministry that is featured in this issue of the Witness is just one of several such ministries among RP congregations of which I’m aware, and no doubt there are many more.

Thank God for the people who count on God’s promises even when they cannot see the bigger picture of His redemption at that moment. Thank God for those who, while not bold or brave of themselves, follow Christ into the jails and prisons.