In the Old Testament we read how Nehemiah, a Jew in exile from his homeland, learned about the state of the survivors. The bearers of bad news told him, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
When Nehemiah heard this news, he didn’t quickly devise a solution. He didn’t distract himself with some pleasure. He didn’t downplay the gravity of the situation. Instead, he sat down and wept. He allowed his heart to be broken and his tears to flow freely for the suffering of his countrymen.
Nehemiah’s initial reaction is a step we often skip over. In our rush to fix things that are broken, we neglect the necessary discipline of letting our hearts be broken.
The forms of brokenness you and I confront as we walk with prisoners, ex-prisoners, and families – incarceration, crime, addiction, poverty, fatherlessness, and more – aren’t just “issues” to be resolved. They are gut-wrenching problems facing people made in the image of God, and before we jump in with solutions, it’s appropriate that we should take time to weep before the Lord like Nehemiah, acknowledging the depth of need and asking for His help.
As we do, something amazing happens. We are reminded that God is bigger. He is able. He gives us courage and boldness and direction, like Nehemiah, to restore lives and communities. And we find that the time we have spent in mourning helps us do so with real, lasting compassion.
To learn what Prison Fellowship Ministries is doing to help compassionately restore lives and communities affected by incarceration – and what you can do to help – visit prisonfellowship.org.
