Sunday, December 30, 2007

A Prayer for Prisoners and Jailers



For Prisons and Correctional Institutions


Lord Jesus, for our sake you were condemned as a criminal: Visit our jails and prisons with your pity and judgment. Remember all prisoners, and bring the guilty to repentance and amendment of life according to your will, and give them hope for their future. When any are held unjustly, bring them release; forgive us, and teach us to improve our justice. Remember those who work in these institutions; keep them humane and compassionate; and save them from becoming brutal or callous. And since what we do for those in prison, O Lord, we do for you, constrain us to improve their lot. All this we ask for your mercy's sake. Amen.
(from the Book of Common Prayer)

This last week, as I mentioned, I found out while chatting with one of my buddies from the camp that two of my close friends had been arrested by the IDF. Two days later (see the comment posted on my last blog entry) I found out that that same kid I was chatting with was also arrested! He was also a close friend who I played guitar with a lot when I was there. Today I chatted online with his brother. They don't know why they took him and he isn't even able to call home to tell them what's going on. I can't imagine. "it's ok" his brother told me, "we are all in one big jail anyway." I promised we would be praying for him and his family.

According to B'Tselem. an Israeli human rights group (http://www.btselem.org/English/Statistics/Detainees_and_Prisoners.asp) there are currently 8,800 Palestinians held in Israeli jails, furthermore there are an additional 850 held in
administrative detention." This is a fancy word for arrests that take place without trial. Individuals are held indefinitely and are not informed the reasons for their arrest. This is most likely what my most recent friend is under.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Israeli occupying forces launched a friend after they spent time 30 2000 shekels