Surprising Grace

Our guest writer is Afra fcJ, who lives in Manila. Read her last post "To Be Humble and Not Know It!" here . TO HOPE MEANS... When the destruction is so overwhelming –           from smoky mountains of garbage and plastics,           to floods and uncontrollable forest fires,           and global warming – When divisions intensify (in families, work places, schools, the Church, and all around us),           radicalism is getting stronger and more powerful           and terrorism, violence           and harsh and doubting words even from those closest to me fill the air –   To hope means           to choose not to be paralyzed by the size of the problem           not to close my eyes to the reality – both local and global –       ...

 Some time ago, I visited a prison with a few other volunteers from a chaplaincy team. The experience was not quite what I expected. As we approached the prison riding in a tricycle, what impressed on me first was the land: it was hilly and dry, with the long grasses going brown under the summer sun, a sign of resilient life. The prison complex itself was surrounded by two layers of barbed wire fencing. After being checked by security, we were shown to a large, open-air visiting hall. Many people were there visiting their family members, enjoying time with each other over baskets of food, almost as if they were at a picnic. A tall, young inmate came in as we were there, and was hugged immediately by a little girl of around 7, who looked to be his daughter. I felt a little guilty, as if by looking we were interrupting a private moment. A few inmates then led us into the prison proper. The complex had many buildings: some were residential, but there were also small food and pro...