Date: Friday March, 20th
Scripture: Isaiah 40:29
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
By Micalagh Moritz, Director, Sycamore House Service Corps
In a world that often seems to value strength, power, and money; that seems to give value to these things above all, these words seem strange, inaccurate even. Sometimes it feels that the ones in power are winning. What do these words mean to those of us who struggle for justice daily, who sometimes feel weak, or feel like giving up hope? What do these words mean to someone in prison, in solitary confinement, to someone who feels powerless to do anything about their own situation?
I imagine these words from Isaiah were comforting to an oppressed people, a people in captivity. Isaiah 40 speaks of comfort and the hope of delivery to the Israelites. As people of faith, we can find solace in these promises for ourselves as well. As people called to seek justice in the world, we “wait on God to renew our strength.” And yet, we must do more than just wait. We may feel weak as individuals, but collectively, when we work together, we gain strength and our power is increased. Maybe that is sometimes how God fulfills this promise, by giving strength to us through one another.
To those of us who work on various justice issues, may we give encouragement and strength to those who are oppressed by persevering in this work. To those of us who struggle for justice and are tired of the seemingly uphill battle, may we be encouraged by the many who struggle alongside us. When we feel weary, may we be given strength, and when we feel weak, may our power increase through collective action.
Prayer: Dear God, May we find courage, comfort, and strength in one another as we struggle for justice. Amen.
Fact: Solitary Confinement goes by many names such as: Special Housing Units (SHU), The Hole, Segregation/Isolation (Seg), Restrictive Housing Units (RHU), Management control units (MCU), Supermax,
Permanent Lockdown, or Special Needs Units.
Action: On the 23rd of each month throughout the nation activists have come together to host community actions to raise awareness for individuals who spend 23 hours a day inside a cell. Take some time today to think about what you could do on the 23rd. For inspiration visit NRCAT’s website: http://nrcat.org/torture-in-us-prisons/take-action/together-campaign
Leave a Reply