Healing Feet

The residents filed into the room led by a security guard. Many were excited for this break from regular prison life. I noticed her right away. She was smiling, outgoing and willing to engage in a conversation with just about anyone. As the women took seats at various tables, I found myself gravitating to her. Of all the residents in attendance that day, she was one of the most engaged. I could never have imagined what she would later reveal to me as her story.

At a recent retreat inside a prison, there was one resident in particular who taught me what it means to trust in the boundless love and mercy of God and to never give up. As mentioned, she was an extrovert – outgoing and pleasant. Our volunteer team organized an activity of “Washing of the Feet” as Jesus did to the disciples at the Last Supper demonstrating how to love and serve one another in this life. An incredible, elderly gentleman from our team gently washed one foot of each resident then lovingly kissed the foot by holding it to his lips with both hands. When he got to my new friend – the outgoing one – I noticed her tears and intense emotion. I would later learn that the foot which was washed had a story of its own.

You see, not all people have the luxury of being born into a happy home life or marriage. This resident lived in an abusive marriage and when she found the courage to get out, she landed in a situation where her new boyfriend took advantage of her. She was human trafficked for years. And to prevent her from escaping, her captor crushed her foot so badly that she could not walk. She endured years of drug and alcohol addiction in order to cope with all the pain. But that suffering does not define her as a person. She is a survivor. She said that coming to jail and meeting God saved her life because she experienced His unconditional love through the people she met in ministry. Now she knows that she is a good and worthy human being and that her past does not define her future. More than anything, she knows that, “With God all things are possible.” (MT 19:26)

Hosting a retreat inside a jail is not something which comes up in casual conversation. But for me, it is one of the most important privileges of my life. As I watched my new friend’s broken and scarred foot being washed, I could literally feel the healing power of the Holy Spirit permeate the jail. She later said, “After my foot was washed clean, I felt free from all the past abuse in my life.” I think her story is a good reminder that no one is beyond the love of Christ. We must put our prejudices behind us and learn to see all people through the eyes of Christ. When we do, we can love as he does and this world will certainly be a better place to live. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5:13)