While I was still studying theology I worked at the Prison Service in Pretoria during the nights to pay for my studies. I had the wonderful opportunity to work permanent nightshift from 1992-1994. The nightshift started at 22:00 and ended at 06:00 which meant that we had very little contact with the inmates. Me and one of my friends decided that we wanted to share the gospel with those around us. The problem was that the inmates was not interested in talking to the guards and especially not about religion. Then one night we realised that if we were busy talking to one another in hushed voices while standing in the hallways outside the cells, the inmates would press up against the bars to try and listen in on our conversations. We then came up with the idea to move from the one cell to the next standing outside and sharing Romans 5 with one another. We would make turns to tell the other in a hushed excited voice: “I have read the most amazing piece of scripture” Then we would take out a Bible and read Romans 5 in a hushed voice. We could see how inmates where pressing against the bars straining to hear. After finishing we would move to the next cell and start again.
Sunday the 1st of August 2010 I had the privilege to preach the Meditation Service at our church. The text was Romans 5. Romans 5 is such a powerfull scripture and if you have the opportunity to read a peace of scripture to someone in need of redemption, then this is it. In the beginning of the sermon I told this story to accentuate this fact. At the end of the sermon as I was handing out the Communion I realised that the man taking the bread from me was standing there with tears streaming from his eyes. He went back to his seat and when the service was finished he has left before I could talk to him. That evening before I had to preach at the evening service I received a phone call from Henri, the man from the communion. He told me about a miracle.
Today I had the privilege to spend time with Henri and we talked through 4 cups of Coffee. This is the story as he related it to me:
I grew up in a house where my Dad was absent. He was always busy with a scheme to make money, and to make money fast. He was in and out of the jail up to a point where my mother could not go on anymore. They got divorced when I was twenty five. Our whole family backed my mom, no we encouraged her, we were all fed up with my dad. In 1990 he was sentenced to ten years in Pretoria Central. We did not go to visit even though we were close enough because we came to the point where we could not trust him anymore en did not believe he was capable of love or change. In 1996 he was released for being a model inmate. We could not believe it! He came to us and immediately we realised something has changed. We did not trust him but there was definitely something different. He told us that while he was in his cell one night in May 1992 two wardens was standing outside his window and as he scuffled closer to hear what they were saying, one of them started reading Romans 5. He listened and while listening he experienced a intense need for this grace, this loving God. For the next few days he read Romans 5 over and over again until he came to a point where he asked a Christian inmate to help him give his live to Jesus. Then the miracle happened, he made peace with God, with himself and then he started to focus on the needs of those around him. He always said “I was set free by being jailed”It took a while for us to really accept that he has changed, but with time came the reassurance that this was real. Slowly but surely he won us over one by one. He became a beacon of faith and hope for our family. He lived the rest of his life focusing on those around him, serving Christ. Henri said that he gave his life to Christ because of his dad. Early this year his dad died of cancer. At his funeral Romans 5 was read and Christ was glorified.
By now I was sitting in the Coffee shop with people staring at me in horror. A big ugly man like me crying of joy. I am sure some thought I have lost my mind, but I was past to point of caring what others was thinking. What a miracle! The Word of God changing lives, and than I recalled Hebrews 4
What a amazing miracle that Henri ended up in my service 18 years later when I was telling the half of the story I know. I truly believe that this miracle was for me. God does not need me to come up with wonderful sermons, He want me to share His Word, He will do the rest. I also realised that it is my task to proclaim the gospel any way I can. It is in our nature to always look at the outcomes at our results. In moments like these I realise it is not about my results but about God’s results. He wants me to live Christ, proclaim Christ and to realise that Christ is doing the rest. He is the God of miracles. When Henri left he took my hand in both of his and said with tears in his eyes: “Dankie, my pa het gelewe, hy moes gevang word sodat God hom kon vrymaak. Dankie.” “Thank you, my Father lived he was set free by being jailed, thank you”
Tonight I am saying thank you Lord for this miracle and that you have blessed met with the other side of the story.
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