Source: (2001) In Restorative justice: A Christian perspective, ed. Rod Carter. Kingston, Ontario: Restorative Justice Program, Queens Theological College. Pp. 10-11.
Michel Giroux recounts the experience of Paul in meeting the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. In this encounter Paul became a new person, entrusted with the message of reconciliation with God that he had experienced through Jesus. Giroux, a prison chaplain in Canada, observes that inmates suffer essentially from a spiritual disease. Many seek reconciliation. Many want to leave their old world and experience a new reality. Hence, Giroux compares the prison environment to the road to Damascus – it is a place where a person can meet the risen Jesus and undergo profound transformation. This is the environment out of which the ministry of reconciliation springs. This is the challenge facing the prison chaplain. In this context, Giroux identifies key elements in this pastoral, helping relationship with inmates.
Your donation helps Prison Fellowship International repair the harm caused by crime by emphasizing accountability, forgiveness, and making amends for prisoners and those affected by their actions. When victims, offenders, and community members meet to decide how to do that, the results are transformational.
Donate Now