when have you felt poor, blind, or captive?

by Amy Muia
Tierra Nueva staff member

Last month, I found myself going to the weekly women’s jail visit alone on short notice, without chance to prepare. Normally that would be a bit unnerving, but I step into the chance to stretch myself a bit and rely on the Holy Spirit instead of my own planning. What springs to mind as I pull into the jail parking lot is one of our favorite TN texts, Luke chapter 4, and I decide to offer it to the women awaiting me inside.

I come through the two sets of steel doors, to be escorted by the guard through two more steel doors into the multi-purpose room. Gathered around me are the first group of female inmates. They're dressed in their red jail uniforms, short sleeved and revealing arms scarred with the deep pits that tell of years of drug use. Some of the faces look hopeless, others defensive, and some glad to see me. One is already crying.

I start with a prayer. We join hands. I know the women around the circle have conflicts with each other in their pod--fights over an extra blanket or a bag of chips, inflammatory remarks and offense-but they never reveal that side in front of the "church ladies." But I don't want to be a church lady--I want people to feel free to be authentic with me.

We turn to Luke 4:18 and one of the women starts to read: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

"This is Jesus speaking, telling everyone what he came to do," I begin. "Can we look at each of the parts of his ministry? Let's start with good news to the poor. When have you felt poor?"

The women tell stories of having no resources--either monetary or emotional. "And we're captives," one says. "Not just captives in the jail, but trapped by drugs." Another adds, "And captives in bad relationships." "Also stuck in ways of thinking that we can't change," adds a third. "How about being blind?" I ask, after a bit. "In what ways have you felt blind?"

The women are warming to the subject. "Blind to seeing any hope." "Blind to the consequences of our actions-just doing whatever, and not seeing where it leads." We continue. "Jesus came to proclaim the year of God's favor," I say. "Do you feel you're under God's favor?" Some women nod, others remain silent. We continue discussing the ways we are all poor, blind, or captive. Our 25 minutes is almost up. "Can we pray?" I ask. They are ready.

I move around the circle, laying hands on each one, praying that God would come and set them free. By now, many are crying. They are hungry for the news that Jesus came for this--to break every power and principality, to set the captives free, to announce the good news of God's love.

The doors clang open with a loud bang, causing us all to jump. "Not done?" the guard says. "Let me say the blessing, then. The Lord bless you and keep you!"

"You can bless us," one woman mutters, "But don't keep us!"