This Missional Community periodically offers a course featuring videos by author Dominque Dubois Gilliard, reflection sessions, and guest speakers that explores the profound tension in the United States—and in its churches—between the idea of incarceration as punishment and the spirit of rehabilitation. In his book "Rethinking Incarceration" Gilliard powerfully argues that God’s justice is relational, and inherently restorative. Examining the secular and church history through which we have ultimately arrived at having more people incarcerated than any other country in the history of the world, Gilliard illustrates how Christians have been complicit in constructing a justice system that is anything but.
From Discussion to Action: Towards a Non-Zero Response
Recognizing that our time, resources and expertise are limited, our hope is that each participant will walk away from this group with a non-zero, specific, doable action item. We want to respond to Jesus’ declaration that when we serve the prisoner, we serve Jesus (Matthew 25:34-46).
