And now abide faith, hope, love, these three:
but the greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13:13
Today I answered a letter from my friend Glenn who lives in Los Angeles, California...
but the greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13:13
Today I answered a letter from my friend Glenn who lives in Los Angeles, California...
In his letter, he told me about a meeting he had to attend which had been set up by the California Department of Corrections concerning a program he belongs to called PACT (Parole and Community Team).
Glenn is a lay minister who, along with other ministers and community leaders, is participating in an innovative program in which civilian volunteers work hand-in-hand with parole, police and prison personnel in order to try to find housing, jobs, or provide job training for those who are coming out of prison to rejoin their communities.
Glenn's specialty is in trying to find housing for parolees who have no place to go. As a Christian, he said it's a good way for the churches in his area to get involved in helping men and women find Christ and develop a personal relationship with Him, too.
I especially like the concept Glenn told me, about which he likes to put forth whenever he attends one of the PACT meetings: "These ex-cons need the gospel, and they need a job." I agree. Both are needed.
I believe that the big challenge is not with getting men and women out of prison, but keeping them out. I also believe those who work with parolees can attest to this. The challenge is to keep these individuals focused and positive, so they do not revert back to their old ways and return to a criminal lifestyle.
In addition, I say this, because, oftentimes those who are re-entering society may find themselves in a hostile and unforgiving environment. And these negative forces, to include contempt for the parolee and rejection, are real and powerful. Unfortunately, they're members within a given community who will go out of their way to make the parolee feel unwelcome and unwanted.
Therefore, if not for people like Glenn, the world would quickly become a place of hopelessness for the ex-offender. Thankfully, though, God has raised up beacons of hope and compassion who are willing to step out in faith and take risks in behalf of those who are less fortunate than themselves.
Faith, hope, love. All three are needed. But the greatest one is love, which ties them all together.
D.B.
Glenn is a lay minister who, along with other ministers and community leaders, is participating in an innovative program in which civilian volunteers work hand-in-hand with parole, police and prison personnel in order to try to find housing, jobs, or provide job training for those who are coming out of prison to rejoin their communities.
Glenn's specialty is in trying to find housing for parolees who have no place to go. As a Christian, he said it's a good way for the churches in his area to get involved in helping men and women find Christ and develop a personal relationship with Him, too.
I especially like the concept Glenn told me, about which he likes to put forth whenever he attends one of the PACT meetings: "These ex-cons need the gospel, and they need a job." I agree. Both are needed.
I believe that the big challenge is not with getting men and women out of prison, but keeping them out. I also believe those who work with parolees can attest to this. The challenge is to keep these individuals focused and positive, so they do not revert back to their old ways and return to a criminal lifestyle.
In addition, I say this, because, oftentimes those who are re-entering society may find themselves in a hostile and unforgiving environment. And these negative forces, to include contempt for the parolee and rejection, are real and powerful. Unfortunately, they're members within a given community who will go out of their way to make the parolee feel unwelcome and unwanted.
Therefore, if not for people like Glenn, the world would quickly become a place of hopelessness for the ex-offender. Thankfully, though, God has raised up beacons of hope and compassion who are willing to step out in faith and take risks in behalf of those who are less fortunate than themselves.
Faith, hope, love. All three are needed. But the greatest one is love, which ties them all together.
D.B.
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