“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’
“Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’
–MATTHEW 25:34-40 Common English Bible
Earlier today we learned that the Riverbend Maximum Security Prison is without heat due to a boiler failure. It is unclear how long it will take to affect a repair, and the inmates there are struggling from the extreme cold.
We at City Road know something about HVAC failures, having struggled with our own facility malfunctions. We also know a little about God’s call to love the prisoner, as we have had connections with the correctional system on a variety of levels. As United Methodists, we remember that our founder John Wesley regularly visited prisoners and that the call to love our neighbor includes all people, including the incarcerated.
We were made aware that there was a need for extra blankets in the prison but a friend in the community, and so we (along with other partners) began to collect these blankets today to be taken to the prison for distribution. We are also encouraging folks to make financial donations to our Help Fund for this effort by visiting www.cityroadchapel.org/give.
This is a simple and easy way to help alleviate the suffering of those whom Jesus called “…the least of these.” We hope you will consider partnering in this ministry.