Thin Places

Last Friday I got to visit my mentee at the prison in Bledsoe County near Pikeville, TN. It was my first time there since before my heart surgery six weeks ago. It was good to see my friend.

It may seem like a strange thing, but almost every time I go into a prison it feels like I am in a holy place.

The Celts speak of thin places. A thin place is where the distance between heaven and earth shrink and one can connect with God, as though "there is no barrier between heaven and earth."

Some people find thin places in grand catherdals. Some find them walking in the woods or standing by the seashore. I find thin places in prisons.

In prisons I find men and women who are honest about their sin, recongize their need of grace, wholeheartedly repent, and fervently reach out to God for mercy.

I find men and women filled with God’s Spirit, full of joy, who love others, and serve them for Jesus' sake.

In prisons I smell a whiff of heaven and feel the presence of the divine. I often think I should remove my shoes because I stand on holy ground.

I am humbled and grateful that I am allowed to know these great saints.

Much love, Barry