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NATIONAL CHAPLAINS' CONFERENCE
Winnipeg 26-30 August 1991
PROCEEDINGS
LIBRARY SOLICITOR GENERAL CANADA
OCT 5 1993 9nAr,knUE. CANADA 01 [f iPi4TARM KlA OP8
Ce document est disponible en français de la Division de l'Aumônerie, Serivce CorreCtionnél du Canada, 340 ouest, Avenue Laurier. Otta wa, Ontario, KIA 0P9- (611)99'6-9580. TABLE OF COMENTS
Preface 3
Introduction 4
Plenary Speakers
Rev. Dr. Pierre Allard 6 Rev. David Gustaf son 12 Rev. Fr. Rosaire Lavoie, csv 19 Mr. Mario Dion 37 Worship Music 39 Ecumenical Corporate 40 Optional 55 Personal Stories and Insights
Rev. Fr. Michel Beauchamp 56 Rev. Orville Andres 58 Sr. Agnès Léger 60 Rev. Lloyd Withers 65
Workshops
Pastoral Counselling with Men 68 Grief, Shame and Institutionalization . 69 Practical Issues on Restorative Justice 76 Media - Restorative or Antagonistic . . 82 Celebration of Reconciliation 82 Sexuality and Spirituality 89 Role of Chaplain in the 4th and 5th steps of 12 Step Program 91 Justice Resource Centre 93
Appendix 93 NCC PROCEEDINGS 'PREFACE These proceedings are made up of the original presentations of the speakers and committees. When this has not been possible, they are made up from notes taken by Vern Redekop or workshop rapporteurs. The theme is developed through different "genres": primary speakers, worship, personal stories and workshops. In addition chaplains shared some of the ministries they were involved in a "Festival of Ministries". The material in these Proceedings is presented according to these different genres, rather than chronologically. Likewise, all of the material from one speaker is presented as a whole even though there may have been two separate presentations. We sincerely thank • Vern Redekop for suggestions about the format and for help in drafting the Conference Declaration which is published separately; • Marion Houle, Administrative Secretary of NHQ Chaplaincy Division, for preparing the text for publishing; • and several volunteers who did proofreading. For a complete overview of the National Chaplains' Conference 1991, the reader should also consult: • the Conference Program; • the Conference Songbook;
• the book by Rev. V. Mackey, Restorative Justice - Towards Nonviolence, Presbyterian Criminal Justice Program, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Louisville, Kentucky, 1990, which was distributed to all participants; • and The Conference Declaration.
3 MRODUCTION
At the 1991 National Chaplains' Conference the Chaplaincy Division reflected about its particular mission in terms of a theology appropriate to the criminal justice system, the biblical history, and the Mission of the Correctional Service of Canada. The Conference took place on the campus of the Mennonite Brethren Bible College, Winnipeg, from August 26 to 30, 1991. It was co- sponsored by the Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy and the Correctional Service of Canada.
Who Participated?
147 people participated in the Conference:
Roman Catholic Chaplains - 43, Protestant Chaplains - 36, Jewish Chaplains - 1, Community Chaplains - 10, Interfaith Committee - 13, Spouses - 11, Men - 98, Women - 36, Speakers, Musicians, Resource People and Guests - 24. During the opening session, participants were asked to stand in the following order - if it was their first conference, their second, their third or more. Large numbers stood up for the first two categories and a much smaller number for the third - a visible demonstration that an overwhelming majority of chaplains had been recruited within the last five years.
Why 1991?
The gathering occurred two years after the previous national gathering of penitentiary chaplains. In his opening remarks, Director of Chaplaincy, Pierre Allard indicated that this biennial timing was deliberate: it allowed for regional gatherings to occur during the off year. This signaled the desirability of a strong regional identity among chaplains as well as the willingness of National Headquarters to relinquish a large measure of control to the regions. Relationship to Previous Conferences This conference could be seen as building on the final declaration of the 1989 gathering. That conference came on the heels of the release of the CSC Mission Statement. It attempted to define a unique mission for chaplaincy which could affirm and yet go beyond the more general CSC Statement. In fact, the 1989 Final Declaration had no fewer than five references to some form of Restorative Justice, the theme of this year's gathering. If the 1989 gathering could be seen as a time to lay out a broad vision for chaplaincy, that of 1991 gave the opportunity for development and reflection on one important dimension of the overall agenda.
4 This sense of continuity was emphasized in the opening remarks of the Director Chaplaincy, Rev. Pierre Allard. He quoted the general principles of the 1989 Final Declaration and he pointed out that the present event was based on a careful evaluation of the 1989 gathering.
5 PLEMAYMMEM
"CELEBRATING OUR MISSION - RESTORATIVE JUSTICE"
The Rev. Dr. Pierre Allard Director Chaplaincy To ourselves as chaplains: "WE AFFIRM:
our commitment to the ministry to which God has called us, a ministry that goes beyond our individual institution. WE COMMIT OURSELVES: • to make our vision a reality; • to find creative ways to increase opportunities for sharing, fellowship and communication; and • to widen our concerns and to be aware of broader justice issues both locally and internationally." (Conference Declaration, National Chaplains' Conference, Aylmer, Québec, June 19-23, 1989).
Welcome to the 1991 National Chaplains' Conference. How good it is to be able to come together as chaplains and members of the Interfaith Committee! How providential that we can meet nationally during these times of fiscal restraint! Where are we, spiritually, professionally, corporately, as we come together "beyond our individual institution"? An important year
1989 will remain a most important year in the history of the Correctional Service of Canada in general and in Chaplaincy in particular. In February 1989, the CSC Mission Teias published. The Mission set a high ideal. Its core values and guiding principles talk of deep respect for offenders and call upon staff to bring the best they have to help offenders become 'law abiding citizens.' In June 1989, the National Chaplains' Conference was held in Aylmer, Québec, under the theme: Vision for Mission. Together, we reflected on what vision was needed to truly help in the implementation for the CSC Mission and we captured the essence of our deliberations in our Conference Declaration. In our Declaration (rich and prophetic in many ways), we first stated a number of principles. They are worth repeating because they reach to the heart of Chaplaincy.
6 1. Each person is created in the image of God which nothing can change. "Each person is a sacred story." 2. Evil is a reality. Each person is capable of destructiw2. behaviour, even if this seems in contradiction with thc., Ir creative potential based on the image of God in them. 3. The full biblical concept of justice is the core of Chaplaincy ministry. 4. There is always the possibility of reconciliation: within oneself, between persons, and between groups in society. Chaplaincy is committed to activating this dynamic of reconciliation within the CSC. 5. Chaplaincy is committed to a role of service in its relationship both to the powerful and to the powerless. Following these basic, fundamental principles, we address the people that are part of our Vision/Mission: the offenders (first as it should), volunteers, CSC, Churches and Faith Groups, the wider community, and of course, ourselves. And in the closing words of the Declaration, "we commit ourselves: to make our vision a reality." Has this happened in the last two years? Is our vision increasingly rooted in" our commitment to the ministry to which God has called us?" It may not be perfect - it never will be - but clearly the answer to these questions is an unequivocal 'yes'. The theme of this conference is one of the many proofs.
The 1991 Conference On November 6 1990, the Organizing Committee (IFC+CSC Chaplains from National, Regional and Institutional levels) met for the first time. The day was spent reviewing the strong and weak points of the 1989 conference and brainstorming about the '91 conference. Let me quote from the minutes re Content of the Conference: • we want input from some main speakers in both languages; • we want "Telling the Story", more of it and followed by small groups for sharing;
• we want workshops dealing both with issues relating to the theme and with personal issues; • we want better worship/prayer;
• we want a banquet although we may choose not to have a guest speaker, but music, theatre; and • we want one day to focus totally on celebration.
7 Slowly but surely, two convictions emerged with great power: our chaplaincy mission, properly understood, goes far beyond the CSC mission, and, although challenging, tough and often overwhelming, the chaplaincy mission is worth celebrating because it is truly a privilege to be part of God's redeeming action among some of the poorest of people. So our theme emerged with clarity: Celebrating our Mission: Restorative Justice. Celebrating our Mission How do we dare 'celebrate' anything related to prisons? Are we just trying to legitimize a system of oppression? To quote Thomas O. Murton, an ex-warden from the USA, "The chaplain, as a pseudo- reformer, is handy to have around the prison ... and his presence on the staff serves the primary purpose of creating the illusion that God has recognized the validity of the prison experience by dispatching his emissary to minister to the prisoners." I are so often places of darkness, pain, despair. We Penitentiaries do not celebrate prisons, we do not 'celebrate oppression, dehumanization. But we do rejoice that there is no darkness thick enough to resist the movement of God's Spirit, that God's deliberate and final decision is on the side of mercy over condemnation, that the God we serve is a 'suffering God'. Our presence amidst all our penitentiaries speaks with certainty of God's involvement with us in the suffering of humankind. Charles Taylor, one of our great pioneers in prison ministry, says: "... it has been as I have experienced the suffering of those in our prisons that I have sensed most deeply the presence of Christ." 2 A warden recently told a regional chaplain: "The way these two chaplains have accompanied this inmate through a slow death process has radically changed the way staff are now seeing inmate." A chaplain told me recently: "I am tired tonight. I left the prison exhausted. I do not think that I could have listened to any more pain today." Truly our mission brings us into the depths so that people can discover that out of the depths they have a God to cry out to. "Out of the depths, I cry to you, 0 Lord." (Psalm 129:1). Our mission speaks of movement from the deep anger of the final verses of Psalm 137: "Happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us - he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks" to the reconciliation of the final verses of Romans 12: "Do not take revenge ... if your enemy is hungry, feed him ..." and the unbelievable challenge of the final verse "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." This verse is now the official verse for the CSC.
Thomas O. Murton, "The Prison Chaplain: Prophet or Pretender?, "The Reformed Journal, vol. 29. no. 7, July 1979, p. 12
2The Christian Council for Reconciliation Newsletter, March 1991, p. 2
8 We chaplains are as much involved in this pilgrimage toward the triumph of good over evil as the prisoners are. Karl Barth, in one of his many sermons to prisoners, spoke eloquently about this truth: "Let me tell you quite frankly: we are all together'great sinners. Please understand me: I include myself. I stand ready to confess being the greatest sinner among you all; yet you may then not exclude yourself froin the group! And we are prisoners. Believe me there is a captivity Much worse than the captivity of this house. There are walls much thicker and doors much heavier than those closed upon yoU. All of us, the people Without and you within, are prisoners of our own obstinacy, of our many greeds, of our various anxieties, of our mistrust and in the last analysis of our unbelief. We are all sufferers. Most of all we suffer from ourselves. We each make life difficult for ourselves and in doing so for our fellowmen.° Our mission does not allow us to hide behind any ecclesiastical apparatus. It brings us in our vulnerability, powerlessness in the midSt of tragedies, sufferings but also incredible miracles of what God can do in broken lives. The deeper the darkness, the more we can measure the quality of our light. In focusing on the immeasurable needs of those we seek to serve, we are bound tO join hands, héarts and minds together in seeking creative ways of planting pockets of light in our penitentiaries. The way we treat each other is the greatest witness or counter-witness of the validity or non validity of our mission. Our mission calls us to spiritual growth. In the words of Bonhoeffer: "When Christ calls a mail, he bids him come and die."4 Our mission calls us to prayer, theological/biblical reflection. It is a very difficult discipline to conquer while working the trenches of our penitentiaries, but we must. Otherwise, we will start 'doing time', we will start seeing the problems as problems and not as opportunities. It is God!s ministry, God's mission, Our essential service is to be able to see people as God sees them, to love them as he does, to accompany them as he accompanies us. As Jacques Loew expresses so clearly: "We have to understand that our first duty and greatest usefulness is in constant, prayerful supplication to God so that He may work in the depth of hearts,"' and, it is so important that "We pray as a baker kneadS dough for bread, as a doctor takes x-rays of a patient, as a mother nurses her child." They do not question why; how could they do otherwise?
3Karl Barth, Deliverance to the Captives, (New York: Harper and Row, 1959) p.37
4as quoted in Watson, David, Discipleship, (Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1983 ed.,), p.19.
sJacques Loew, Comme s'il voyait l'invisible, (Les éditions du Cerf, Paris, 1965), P. 73 (translated from French).
9 And so it should be with us: we pray because we must so that God will visit us and change hearts. "It is a necessity, a law". 6 We do not celebrate prisons but we do celebrate 'our mission within prison': a mission that is intimately linked to biblical justice, restorative justice, as this week will allow us to discover together. What lies ahead? The next few years will bring even greater attention to the chaplaincy's first priority: quality chaplains. As the extensive 1985 Carcajou study demonstrated clearly; chaplaincy rises or falls on the quality of its chaplains. We will improve on our already very good system of advertising, pre-selecting and selecting. Our orientation program is second to none. Our evaluation programs serve us very well. Our decentralized approach will continue with some fine tuning. Chaplaincy will be called upon to play a more important role in the interdisciplinary approach to corrections. We will succeed in bringing our spiritual perspective to corrections as we learn to help each other more in building authentic communities of prison chaplains. Our hearts and minds will be challenged to expand as religious pluralism becomes a more concrete reality for all of us, as the partnership with the faith communities, churches and volunteers increases. The 'Community Chaplaincies for Ex-Off enders' will mature and play an increasing role in helping offenders reintegrate into society and faith communities. As chaplains' individual gifts are developed, many specific initiatives dealing with families, victims, substance abuse, sexual offenses, etc. will emerge and enable chaplaincy to contribute to the overall objectives of the CSC Mission while authentically remaining faithful to its own spiritual mission.
Internationally, Canadian chaplains will be invited to play an increasing role both with the International Prison Chaplains' Association (IPCA) and the International Prison Association of Catholic Chaplains Generals. There is even the possibility that the next IPCA meeting will be held in Canada in 1995. The co- operation with Great Britain in producing material for Prisoners' Sunday/Week will most likely increase. Prisoners' Sunday/Week should become an international event within the next ten years.
At all levels - institutional, regional, national and international - the challenges are there. Together, we can meet them as we share more among ourselves, as we allow God to mix with us more and more and as we rededicate ourselves totally to him in the midst of our problems, questions, failures and successes.
6 Ibid., p.78 (translated from French)
10 May we make Dietrich Bonhoeffers' words our own: "Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine. Whoever I am, thou knowest, 0 God, I am thine." 7 May this week be rich in dialogue, prayer, theological/biblical challenges! May this week renew us and recommit us to "the ministry to which God has called us", a ministry so unique but rich and beautiful!
7Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison, p. 347
11 RESTORATIVE JUSTICE Rev. Dave Gustafson Fraser Region Community Justice Initiatives Association Langley, B.C. (from notes taken by the editor) (Tuesday) INTRODUCTION Mr. Gustafson began with a story about a poor, newly wed Scottish couple named Jimmy and Meg. In due time, she found herself "with child," and instructed Jimmy concerning his childbirth related duties. When the time came for the main event he peddled frantically into town on his bicycle to fetch the doctor who came straightaway in his "motor". Arriving moments behind Jimmy, the doctor took charge: "Here Jim, take the light. Go out and boil some more water. I'll stay here with Meg and call you when I need you." Momentarily came the call for the light. Jimmy snatched it up and rushed in and soon a first born was in his arms. "Fine wee baby girl. Take her out, give her a bath, put her in her crib and I'll stay here with Meg," instructed the doctor. It wasn't long and the call for the light came again. This time a baby boy was placed in the young father's arms. Again he was told to bath and look after the baby. When the third call for light came, Jimmy emerged with the light behind his back. "Doctor," he cringed. "Doctor" said Jimmy, "do you suppose its the light that's attracting them?" Stretching "a metaphor a long, long way" the speaker likened himself to "a babe that's been attracted to the light of this Restorative Justice vision". Among his mentors, Mr. Gustafson pointed to Australian Justice John Kelley (formerly of the Supreme Court) who is devoting the remainder of his days serving God "by challenging the Criminal Justice System wherever (his) travel takes (him), to become an 'agent of healing' for both victims and offenders."
Mr. Gustafson spoke from 12 years of testing the Restorative Justice notions. Success and failure have taught some "remarkably effective and beneficial ways to bring a human dimension to attempts to do justice". A Vision of Shalom Central to the presentation was a definition of shalom. As in the Garden of Eden, life was to be seen at work "bringing all of the elements of creation into right and life-giving relationship to God and to one another". Dominion meant to nurture the fragile ecology of the garden, to maintain peace, harmony and right relationship.
12 To enlarge the definition of shalom, the speaker quoted Walter Brueggemann: "That persistent vision of joy, well-being, harmony, and prosperity is not captured in any single word or idea in the Bible, and a cluster of words is required to express its many dimensions in subtle nuances: love, loyalty, truth, grace, salvation, justice, blessing, righteousness. But the term that in recent discussions has been used to summarize that controlling vision is shalom. Both in current discussion and in the Bible itself, it bears tremendous freight - the dream of God that resists all our tendencies to division, hostility, fear, drivenness and misery." He also quoted Rabbi Steven Schwarzchild:
"Shalom was never a word denoting merely the absence of war or even of private violence, but the presence, and continuous growth of all creative human powers." - Mr. Gustafson a decade e‘rlier had written: Shalom is a state of being community together in which joy and liberty are freely expressed, in which covenant is honoured and where the values of justice and equity are not notions void of content, but where they are coupled with obedience and compassion to create true community - the Kingdom of God. Recognizing how quickly and frequently the dream of shalom is shattered, he suggested that there is in each of us, some vague recollection of Eden. He gave the example of an inmate who connected the pain of his own childhood sexual victimization with the pain that his own victim daughters must be feeling. The inmate told Mr. Gustafson, "maybe the best way to describe what I feel is homesickness" - a longing for cleansing, restoration and a return for each member of his family to the purity and innocence of the garden.
Leadership in bringing about restorative justice is important. "If the leaders will lead the people will follow" (Dave Hildebrand). The vision of shalom was kept alive by prophets and sages: eg. Isaiah 42:1-9 and II Corinthians 5:17-19. Elisha and Mary the Mother of Jesus were cited as examples of people who made themselves available for the Spirit of God.
STORIES OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE Mr. Gustafson told two stories to illustrate what restorative justice can achieve.
13 Colleen's Story
Colleen had been a victim of incest from the age of six. On the occasion of her daughter's sixth birthday she fell apart because it brought back the memories of her past. She had been the black sheep of the family and for years could not pray the "Our Father." Counselling brought the truth out into the open. The father was contacted and a meeting was set up. At that meeting, confronted by the pain of her experience, he admitted that she had been the truth teller and he had lied through the years. As Colleen began to be healed, she started singing - for the first time in 17 years. Aaron's StorV When Aaron was eight, he stole a lure from a store in Glacier National Park. It got stuck in his pocket when he sat down so he went to his father for help. His first response when queried about the lure's origin was to say that it was a gift from a friend. On further questioning his jaw began to quiver as he confessed "I took it from the General Store." His father, being a mediator in a Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) asked Aaron if he knew what had to be done. Aaron began to wail, "Oh no Dad, do we have to do a VORP? C-C-Can't you just spank me?" Assured that punishment would not solve the problem, they went to the store. Aaron protested, sobbing, "There's a sign ... SHOPLIFTERS WILL BE PERSECUTED." After confessing to the store manager she informed Aaron that yearly losses to shoplifting amounted to $3,000 and that he had been the first to make restitution. Aaron had known the law but it did not deter him from shoplifting. The human interaction with the victim, however, has been powerful motivation to refrain from stealing in the future.
Mr. Gustafson referred to a comparative table developed by Howard Zehr to explain the distinctions between the restorative justice paradigm and retributive justice. Copies were made available and a copy is included in the appendix. (Friday) On his second talk, Mr. Gustafson continued to use the story- telling style (like Robert Bly) - myths of pain and loss of innocence, stories of hope and healing, parables of justice and mercy all rooted in the tragedy and comedy that is the human condition. In restorative justice the overall organizing principle is a liturgical flow from confession to great thanksgiving and benediction. Confession must not be done lightly, in fact, all could learn from the Jewish prayer of confession presented by Chaplain Rabbi Barry Schneider, "We have sinned against you by insincere confession."
14 The hermeneutics must be dynamic; the transformation of justice from Moses to Jesus must be evident. God's justice is active. Drawing on the analysis of Clarence Jordan, the speaker suggested a sustained metaphor going from childhood to maturity, from the unlimited revenge of Lamech, through a limited vengeance (only an eye for an eye) through love of neighbour to love of enemy. To exemplify the difficult struggle of victims Mr. Gustafson referred to Wilma Derksen's story as told by herself. Her daughter Candace was killed by an unknown abductor: "Soon after the funeral, when I was still raw with grief, a friend came over. The tea was good, the room warm and quiet, and she said: 'Wilma, I know that you have forgiven. I sense no vengeance. But knowing that, if you could let yourself go, what would satisfy justice for you? Would it be execution?' Till that point I had never allowed myself the question but I felt safe, so I decided to explore my inner feelings. I was shocked when my answer was, 'Ten child murderers would have to die ... and I would have to pull the trigger.' In my mind's eye I saw 10 hooded figures lined up against a brick wall and I pulled the trigger 10 times. The feeling was delicious. But the camera of my imagination continued to roll and I saw the 10 hooded figures fall. I saw the blood and desecration. I saw the hoods fall loose and their faces vulnerable in death. I looked up and saw the mothers mourning the losses of their sons. And being still so close to my own grief, I could identify fully and felt their losses as keenly as I felt my own. And even worse, I saw that one of the men had left no one to mourn his death. He had never had any love and I had just snuffed out his last opportunity. Coming back to reality I was devastated. I had learned two things out of the experience. The first was how quickly a call to justice could become vengeful, and how vengeance, like any other sin, is wonderful at the moment but leaves one feeling decidedly sick."
What should our response to victims be? Certainly it is not fair to imply that pain, anger and desire for vindication and vengeance is illegitimate and that victims must move quickly to love, maturity and faithfulness. Rather, through his ministry to a victims of violent crime, he had learned the importance of a ministry of presence - of validation, support, and listening. This may involve lament as is evident in the Psalms of the Hebrew Bible and experience of Native peoples. In its absence, the feelings of vindication, frustration and anger grow.
15 Scott Peck has said: "listening involves the bracketing, a setting aside of the self, it also temporarily involves a total acceptance of the other. Sensing this acceptance, the speaker will feel less and less vulnerable and more and more inclined to open up the inner recesses of his or her mind to the listener ... " This knowledge that one is being truly listened to is frequently in and of itself remarkably therapeutic.
Presently, victims do not have the chance to work through their conflicts with those involved. 40% of criminal cases involve people with prior relationships. Some of these end up asking, "Who stole my conflict?" Those who minister to the prisoner have a great challenge. In the penitentiary it is desperately difficult for ideas of listening and restoration to become incarnate in the lives of real flesh and blood men and women. They must be both pastoral and prophetic, ministering to "Les Misèrables" while questioning their own processes and systems. More and more people are troubled: prison terms are distributed unevenly across the social spectrum: one justice for the rich and powerful, another for the poor and the marginalized. There are transparently large numbers of women and men whose rage can be traced to their own childhood abuse and sexual victimization. Signs on the Way The CSC Mission Statement shines a light in the field, from its tenets and core values to its strategic objective. The Mission should be a challenge to transform the whole system to make CSC an agent of healing for victims, offenders, communities and Canadian society, and not merely a means to bring about minor change.
Our vision should go far and wide. In the words of M. Kay Harris "We need to begin picturing the new order in our minds, fantasying it, playing with possibilities ... An exercise in first stepping into a desired future in imagination, then consciously elaborating the structures needed to maintain it, and finally imagining the future history that would get us there, is a very liberating experience for people who feel trapped in an unyielding presence ... (S)ocieties move forward what they image. If we remain frozen in the present as we have done since World War II, society stagnates. Imaging the future gives us action ideas for the present." (Boulding, 1987)
16 Indeed, we need to question and rethink the entire basis of the punishment system. Virtually all discussion of change begins and ends with the premise that punishment must take place. All of the existing institutions and structures - the criminal law, the criminal-processing system, the prisons are assumed. We allow ourselves only to entertain debates about rearrangements and reallocations within those powerfully constraining givens ... We may remain convinced that something is needed to serve the declaratory function of the criminal law, something that tells us what is not to be done. We may conclude that there is a need for some sort of process that holds people accountable for their wrongful actions. We may not be able to think of ways to completely eliminate restraints on people who have done harmful things. But we should not simply assume that we cannot develop better ways to satisfy these and other important interests as we try to create our desired future.
As a sign of just how much can be accomplished through taking an alternate approach, •Mr. Gustafson told a current story of murder within a family. The family had four daughters. The husband of the first got involved with the third daughter and eventually killed her. Convicted of the crime, he was sent to a penitentiary for eight years and was recently released on parole. It is possible in the process of healing that eventually the remaining children will want to make contact with their father. Actually the extended family lives in fear for his appearance - not because of fear for their physical safety but rather fear about the emotional impact of seeing him. After spending long hours with the various family members in a ministry of presence - listening to buried feelings about a husband, son and brother-in-law who is a murderer, about a sister and daughter who was a victim - Mr. Gustafson feels at this point they are almost prepared for a face to face encounter with a man who holds the key to much emotional healing.
In over 700 cases processed in the Langley, Surrey, Burnaby and New Westminster programs the human dividends have been enormous. What's the magic? What sets this process apart? In the theatre production, "The Quiet in the Land", the following incident occurs which may shed light on this question: "In a German Mennonite community just before the war years in the 1940's, army recruiters signed up the son of the spiritual leader of this pacifist community. Arriving home afterwards, he hopes to be reconciled to his father. On the set, both are on opposite sides of a door, immobilized. The son cries out, "Dad, oh Dad, you were right ... One night we were advancing through enemy lines, and the shells started to fall all around us. I saw a fox hole in the distance and sprinted for it, and there, huddled in the bottom of it was an enemy soldier. I killed him, Dad ... I stabbed him through the neck with my bayonet.
17 He lifted his face and I saw he was a boy, younger than me. I held him, and pleaded with him not to die, and he answered me, 0 Dad, Dad, he spoke German too...." It is only possible to make another person into an enemy by diminishing their humanity. One of the most destructive and demonic of all possible powers is dehumanization. It mars the image of God in the other. To bring empathy, healing, and restoration back into the victim-offender encounter the process must be reversed. That is where restorative justice begins - and that is why its outcomes so frequently satisfactorily address human need. Conclusion Mr. Gustafson concluded with a tribute to the people involved with nearly a thousand cases in B.C. He has been astounded at the ability of the human spirit to triumph and to heal - like the case of truth telling after a twenty year denial so a victim of sex abuse could be vindicated, with healing coming to a whole family. Elderly women victims of purse snatching have taken back the night after meeting with the real offender. The hundred portraits of reconciliation in his head argue for its effectiveness. It restores. It does justice.
18 THE SAVING JUSTICE OF GOD IN THE BIBLE
Rev. Fr. Rosaire Lavoie, c.s.v. Directeur des Associations pour une liturgie engagée We will undertake in these conferences to show that God's justice in the Bible is a salvific justice. This concept of justice is fundamental to the faith of Israel, because it roots ethics in theology. The root sdq denotes the conformity of things or people to that which is expected of them. In the case of humans, "justice" as it is understood in the Old Testament involves a relationship. It evokes loyalty to a link between two people. This link has diverse natures depending on the circumstances of a person's life and includes economic exchanges. God is just toward humans not because he submits to standards, but because he remains constant in the relationship that he has chosen to create with his people and with every believer. Consequently, his justice is always salvific and never simply vindictive. God does, of course, punish his people, but this is only so that they will change and progress in this relationshie. What is primary in this concept of God's justice in the Bible is the relationship that God establishes with the people. It is God who initiates this relationship, establishing it as a gift and a promise. God's gift to his people is always primary. It is not the Law that is primary, but God's gift. Otherwise the Law would become intolerable. The Law thus becomes the response of humans to this initiative of God. It is the means by which humans adjust to God. But the God of the Bible wants a relationship with free humans. This again is the meaning of the Law and of the admonition: to reveal to humans their freedom. We will therefore try to show in these conferences that God is constant in his relationship and that he always uses the disruptions that humans cause in this relationship to lead them toward a future, toward salvation. In this conference, we will refer to several books and articles that deal with God's salvific justice9 .
s This idea is well developed by J. Lévéque in Cahier Evangile 53 (Gospel Notes 53), page 39, and in his book Job et son Dieu (Job and his God), pages 272-278.
9 In particular, we will refer to W. Zimmerli's book Esquisse d'une théologie de l'Ancien Testament (Outline of Old Testament Theology), Collections Loi et Evangile (Law and Gospel Collections), Fides, Montreal, 1990. This book was originally published as Grundriss der Alttestamentlichen Theologie (Outline of Old Testament Theology), Verlag W. Koklhammer (W. Koklhammer Publishers), Stuttgart, second edition, 1975. 19 I GOD'S SALVIFIC JUSTICE IN THE TRADITIONS .AND HISTORY OF ISRAEL God's salvific justice in the J tradition
In the Yahwistic account of Creation (Gn 2:4b-25), the author emphasizes God's gift to humankind. God wants the man and the woman to be happy. But in Gn 3 we have the story of the fall. Let's look at what this story means. Its main purpose is to make us understand that the rupture between God and Adam and Eve does not come about because God turns his back on Creation. It comes about because the man and woman try to blame God for their sin: "It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it" (Gn 3:12).
According to Gn 3, the break in the relationship between humankind and God is the result of God's gift not being recognized. The rupture comes about because God, the giver, is repudiated. Humankind rejects God. Humans want to be the giver, to appropriate God's gift. This can be seen in the first chapters of Genesis. Humans reject the order that God has established between Heaven and Earth, as illustrated in the story of the Tower of Babel (Gn 11:1+). Why do humans refuse to recognize God's gift? Because they turn the admonition in Gn 2:17 into an en-soi. Influenced by the serpent, they turn the interdiction into an unacceptable en-soi because they forget God's gift, which is that humans should be free. Gn 4 shows the consequences of this break with God in relationships between humans. And Gn 3 reminds us that sin is in no way inevitable. Humans are responsible for the break, which is so serious that God says he "regretted having made man on the earth" (Gn 6:6). Damnation is the result of this rupture.
Despite this damnation, God does not reject humankind. The man and woman were threatened with death if they ate the forbidden fruit (Gn 2:17), but God keeps them alive. Cain despairs after murdering his brother, but God puts a protective mark on him, "to prevent whoever might come across him from striking him down" (Gn 4:15). When the flood comes, even though God regrets having created humans, he saves Noah's family and a large number of animals of all species so that life may continue. Finally, in the story of God's calling on Abraham (Gn 12:1-3), God decides to bless the world that had deserved damnation. Abraham becomes the mediator of the divine blessing. He is the symbol of Israel and the subject of the promise. This is how the Yahwistic author understands Israel's existence. His mission is to bring this blessing to a world damned by the judgment of God, whom it had rejected. God's salvific justice in the P tradition
The priestly account of Creation ends with the words "God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good" (Gn 1:31). But in Gn 6:11, the priestly author writes: "The earth grew corrupt in God's sight, and filled with violence".
20 The universality of the fall is well illustrated in the story of the flood. In the priestly account of the flood, the foundations of the world created in Gn 1 are threatened. The flood marks the return of chaos. In short, this author goes farther than the Yahwist, speculating whether the corruption of humankind and the world can cancel out Creation by allowing chaos to swallow up the earth. Not only does God save from the flood Noah and his sons, as well as representatives of all the animal species, but he concludes a Covenant with them: "See, I establish my Covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; also with every living creature to be found with you" (Gn 9:9-10). Thus is the world once again blessed with fertility. The list of nations in Gn 10 illustrates this blessing. In Gn 17, God sets Abraham apart. Abraham represents Israel, set apart to offer up true worship to God. The rest of Genesis is dominated by God's great promise to Abraham (Gn 12-50). God's salvific justice in the history of Israel The basic creed of Israel is: "Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Ex 20:2). This creed shows that God's gift is still primary. It is through the exodus from Egypt with Moses that Israel becomes God's people, and it is in the Sinai (Ex 19-24) that it becomes the people of the Covenant. But the people lack faith in God. As early as the crossing of the sea during the exodus from Egypt, the people disapprove of the whole project (Ex 14:11-12). In Ex 16, the people are hungry and want to go back to Egypt, where they could eat their fill. In Ex 17:3 and Nb 20:4, they accuse Moses of leading them into the desert to die. Despite the people's rebellion, God honours his promise of salvation. At the end of Deuteronomy, the people stop on the doorstep to their country, and they take possession of it in the Book of Joshua. Yahweh holds firm in his plan to save his people. God's wrath does, of course, vent itself against the sins of the people. In Ex 32:10 and Nb 14:11-12, God's wrath reaches its peak and he decides to exterminate the people. Both times, the prayers of Moses make him reverse his decision. A reminder of his promise to the patriarchs (Ex 32:13) and of his own proclamation that he is the God of tenderness and pity, slow to anger (Nb 14:17-19), prevents God from annihilating the people. According to Nb 20:12, God's wrath strikes Moses himself because he did not act as God wished. He was not to enter the Promised Land. Dt 1:37 blames the people for the punishment that God has visited on Moses. Thus Moses shares the fate of those who died in the desert. There is a profound solidarity between those whom God sends and those who suffer God's wrath.
21 Once they have entered the Promised Land, the Israelites begin again to disobey God's will. The most serious shortcoming is that of idolatry. Even Solomon, at the beginning of the monarchy, loses part of his kingdom because of idolatry (1 K 11:14+). In 1 K 12:1+, we learn of how the kingdom was divided. Israel's faults bring on the judgment of God: the fall of Samaria in 721 and the fall of Jerusalem in 587. For the deuteronomist historian, Jehoiachin's return to favour opens up a new future (2 K 25:27-29). It is an act of mercy on Yahweh's part. For the chronicler, the history of his people ends with the edict of Cyrus ordering the reconstruction of the temple of Jerusalem and allowing the exiles to return and worship at Zion. God thus shows his "concern" for his people, a concern that exceeds the catastrophe which resulted from his judgment.
II GOD'S SALVIFIC JUSTICE AND THE PROPHETS OF ISRAEL
The God of the prophets is essentially a just Godw . This justice manifests itself in the judgment which he applies to the people, often presented as a trial". First there is an accusation. The main fault the prophets denounce is idolatry (Am 2:4;5:26, Ho 2:10;3:1, Is 2:8, Mi 5:12, Jr 7:6...), which they call adultery and prostitution. It breaks the relationship between God and the people, and Israel is no longer the people of God. The prophets also reproach the people for their failure to uphold justice (Am 2:6;8:6), and especially for their sins against the poor, meaning the small landowners, widows and orphans (Am 4:1, Is 1:22;3:14...). After the accusation comes the verdict in the true sense of the word. The best example is in Jr 7:1-15: the temple of Jerusalem will be destroyed as was the temple at Shiloh because the people have broken the Covenant by disobeying God's laws as set down in the Ten Commandments. After God's judgment comes its execution. God sends war (Is 10:5;15). Samaria falls in 721 and Jerusalem in 587 (Jr 16:4-7). Will God's salvific justice continue to manifest itself? A remnant will survive and there will be another exodus. Let us look at how God's salvific justice manifests itself in the accounts of Israel's main prophets.
mA point well developed by H. Cazelles in La Bible et son Dieu Jésus et Jésus-Christ (40), Desclée, Paris, 1989, pages 69-77.
H R. Lavoie, "...whence he will judge the living and the dead..." in Je crois en Dieu: Les fondements bibliques du Credo (I Believe in God: Biblical Foundations of the Credo), Lecture biblique (Biblical Readings), Editions Paulines, Montreal, 1989, pages 145-149.
22 Amos
Amos describes the relationship between God and the people in terms of a singling out: "You alone, of all the families of earth, have I acknowledged, therefore it is for all your sins that I mean to punish you" (Am 3:2). It was by bringing his people "out of the land of Egypt" (Am 3:1) that Yahweh "acknowledged" it. But the people disrupted this relationship through idolatry and their injustices. The people's responsibility is all the greater because they have been chosen by God.
The prophet foretells God's judgment and transforms the "Day of the Lord", which had been a day of salvation before Amos began his preaching (Jos 7:8;10:12-14). It was a day of victory over the enemies of Israel, but Amos transforms it into a day of darkness (Am 5:18-20). Several prophets were to take up this "Day of the Lord" theme, a day of anger on the Lord's part (Na 1:7, Ha 3:16, Zp 1:15, Jr 16:19, Is 34:8;61:2;63,4). This "Day of the Lord" designates an instance of God's intervention in history, such as the fall of Jerusalem in 587.
Does Amos see salvation? He foretells a remnant that will survive: "Hate evil, love good, maintain justice at the city gate, and it may be that Yahweh, God of Sabath, will take pity on the remnant of Joseph" (Am 5:15). The remnant consists of those who convert to the Lord. So the prophet Amos, in addition to transforming the "Day of the Lord" concept, foretells that a remnant will survive. Hosea
Hosea is the prophet of the Covenant par excellence. But the people have broken this Covenant. They first broke it by worshipping the Canaanite gods. Israel's faith is threatened by a very dangerous form of syncretism. The prophet also attacks failure to obey the rules of the Covenant, the Ten Commandments (Ho 4:1-3). He concludes that there is no fidelity ('mt), tenderness (hsd) or knowledge (d't) of God in the land (Ho 4:1). The situation has become so serious that the people of Israel are no longer the people of God. The third child of Hosea receives the name Lo-Ammi (No-people-of-mine), for God says, "You are not my people and I am not your God" (Ho 13:1-9). So God's judgment falls on the people, and Samaria falls in 721. But does Hosea foretell salvation?
The God of Hosea is the Living God (Ho 11:8-9). God will transform the judgment into a new beginning once the judgment has run its course. There will be a return to the desert (Ho 2:16-17) and a new betrothal (Ho 2:21-22). Finally, chapter 14 announces a future for the people: "I will heal their disloyalty, I will love them with all my heart, for my anger has turned from them. I will fall like dew on Israel" (Ho 14:5-6).
23 Even though this chapter was probably not written by Hosea himself, it promises salvation to the people who turn to God. It is God himself who initiates this salvation.
Isaiah (Is 1-39)
The prophet Isaiah reproaches the people for having forgotten God's true sovereignty, a fact that became clear during the Syro- Ephraimite war (Is 30:1-2;31:1). King Ahaz has turned to Assyria and Egypt (Is 31:3). This is why Isaiah denounces the pride of Jerusalem's leaders and foretells, like Amos, the coming of the "Day of the Lord" (Is 2:12-17). The Assyrians are the instruments of the Lord's judgment. The prophet also denounces injustices (Is 1:10-17;3:13-14). The people's situation is well described in the song of the vineyard (Is 5:1-7), in which the people have ceased to be the true vine. The relationship between God and the people has been broken, bringing on God's judgment. Isaiah foretells, like Amos, that a remnant faithful to God will survive. This can be seen in the symbolic name the prophet gives to one of his sons: Shear-jashub, meaning "a remnant will return". The catastrophe will come, but there will be a faithful remnant. Isaiah is also the prophet par excellence of messianic prophecies. In Is 7-9, he foretells the imminent birth of Immanuel, who will mark a new beginning. The kings who threaten Jerusalem will disappear, and Immanuel will usher in the reign of justice and law. In Is 11:1-8, there is another prophecy of a king who springs from the "stock of Jesse". This is a reference to the promise that God made to David and his descendants in 2 S 7. This king descended from the family of David will re-establish the links between the people and God (Is 11:1-9). He will renounce pride and place himself in God's hands.
Micah
A contemporary of Isaiah, this prophet again denounces injustices. These are the same violations of the Law and justice which his predecessors denounced (Mi 2:1-5). This is why he goes so far as to prophesy against Mount Zion itself, where God is present (Mi 3:12). Does Micah foretell salvation? In Mi 5:1-4, we have the prophecy of the messianic prince. Like Isaiah, Micah refers to God's promise to David in 2 S 7. This new king will care for the people and feed them "with the power of Yahweh" (Mi 5:2-3). Micah thus foretells new times for the people.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah is the prophet of judgment. He foretells the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. The prophet's most forceful message is found in his speech at the temple gate in Jr 7:1-15, which he gives at the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign.
24 In his speech, Jeremiah denounces sins against the Ten Commandments (Jr 7:9). The result is judgment: the temple of Jerusalem will be destroyed as the temple of Shiloh was at the hands of the Philistines.
Does Jeremiah foretell the restoration of Israel? His ministry is profoundly marked by the enemy who comes from the north and whom it is his mission to foretell (Jr 1:11-14). But the prophet has also received a mission "to build and to plant" (Jr 1:10). In the midst of the siege of Jerusalem, Jeremiah buys a plot of land in his village of Anathoth. In Jr 32:15, the prophet explains the meaning of this action: "People will buy fields and vineyards in this land again". After God's judgment, life will begin again. Jr 29 is a letter to those carried away to Babylon. In Jr 29:11, God tells the captives that he has "plans for peace, not disaster, reserving a future full of hope for you". And Jr 16:14-15 foretells the return of the exiles.
We should say something about the oracle in Jr 31:31-34. The authenticity of this passage is still subject to debate. The oracle foretells a new covenant, under which the Law will be written in the heart of every Israelite. As a mark of this covenant, sins will be forgiven. This oracle is one of the Old Testament passages most often cited in the New Testament.
Finally, Jeremiah's God is a God who suffers. He suffers seeing the judgment that befalls the people (Jr 12:7-13). To God's suffering corresponds the suffering of his prophet. Jeremiah suffers because of the message he brings (Jr 4:19-21). His life is often threatened (Jr 20), and we hear a cry of pain in his confessions (Jr 15:15-18;20:7-18). The prophet's suffering bears witness to the word of God, which it is his mission to spread. Let us now look at another prophet of the exile: Ezekiel. Ezekiel
This priest-turned-prophet exercises his ministry among the first group of exiles in Babylonia. He begins his ministry by foretelling God's judgment, which takes the form of the fall of Jerusalem (Ezk 4-5). In Ezk 7, he foretells the Day of the Lord as did Amos and Isaiah.
After Jerusalem falls, the prophetic message changes to foretell salvation. In Ezk 34, the prophet denounces the kings of Israel, but foretells that God himself will be King of Israel (Ezk 20:33). There will be a new exodus, and God himself will lead his people (Ezk 20:34). There will also be an everlasting covenant between God and the people (Ezk 16:60). Ezk 37:1-14 describes the new life as a new Creation. In Ezk 36:26-36, God also promises to change humans from the inside, somewhat as in Jr 31:31-34.
25 Ezekiel contributes something new: individual responsibility. In Ezk 18 and 33, the prophet insists on the importance of personal responsibility: "Why do you keep repeating this proverb in the land of Israel: The fathers have eaten unripe"grapes; and te children's teeth are set on edge? `As I live--it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks--there will no longer be any reason to repeat this proverb in Israel"! (Ezk 18:2-3). Humans are not bound by an absolute determinism. They are responsible and free. This contribution of Ezekiel's is very considerable. He echoes the questions of the wise men of Israel. Finally, the Book of Ezekiel foretells an ideal in harmony with the priestly tradition: the new Israel will take shape around the new Temple (Ezk 40-48). Ezekiel thus foretells an important salvation of the people. Deutero-Isaiah (Is 40-55) This anonymous prophet is the prophet of salvation, and his book is referred to as the book of Israel's comfort. His God is the God who directs history by means of his word (Is 55:8-13). The prophet foretells the exiles' joyous exodus (Is 55:12-13), which will be greater than the original one (Is 40:3-5). God will accompany his people (Is 52:12), and the desert will be transformed (Is 48:21 and Nb 20:7+). Messengers announce God's monarchy, and Zion will be rebuilt in all its splendour (Is 54:11-12). This liberation is the result of God's mercy, for the people have no justice that would justify their liberation. God grants this redemption for his sake alone (Is 48:11). It is precisely the noun "redemption" or the verb "redeem" (g 1 1) that the prophet uses to describe God's salvation. The word refers to the act of buying back someone who has been sold into slavery because of debts. The debt of the people has now been paid. God frees his people from Babylon's power (Is 43:3-4), choosing Cyrus, King of the Persians, to be the instrument of this liberation (Is 45:1-7).
The God of Deutero-Isaiah is also the God of Creation and one (Is 44:24-28). There is no God but Yahweh (Is 44:9-20). His word is trustworthy and unchanging, and his kindness will not abandon Israel (Is 54:10). In fact, the blessing which the patriarchs received extends to the pagan world (Is 44:1-5). Finally, God himself will make an everlasting covenant with his people (Is 55:3).
We must say something about the "Songs of the Servant" which we find in this book (Is 42:1-4;49:1-6;50:4-9;52:13-53:12).
We will stop briefly to discuss the last one (Is 52:13-53:12). The servant undergoes humiliation and suffering, but who is he? He is probably that portion of Israel which has suffered and which has placed itself in God's hands. The servant gives his life "in atonement" (Is 53:10). The sins of the people prevented Yahweh from approaching his people and the "multitudes", but the servant leads the people back to God.
26 He is a mediator between God and the people. This is fundamental to Jesus. Finally, the message of Deutero-Isaiah will be taken up after the exile by Trito-Isaiah, especially in Is 60-62. Jesus himself will take up this prophet's central message in Lk 4:16-18. In conclusion, we can say that the prophets foretold the people's salvation and restoration after God's judgment. Many elements reappear in the New Testament. But before we move on to the New Testament, we must say something about God's justice as it appears in the Wisdom Books and the apocalyptic writings.
III GOD'S SALVIFIC JUSTICE IN THE WISDOM BOOKS God's justice challenged in the Book of Job We will stop here to consider the Book of Job and especially its challenging of God's justice. Job suffers without deserving to suffer. He disagrees with his friends when they speak of retribution. In his complaining, he goes so far as to challenge the.goodness, holiness, wisdom and justice of Godn . To Job, human life is ephemeral, brief and but a breath (Jb 7:7). Human life is full of pain, like the days of a hired drudge (Jb 71;14:6), and hopelessness (Jb 7:11;10:1). So one gives in to loneliness and anguish, and death becomes preferable (Jb 7:15). It would have been better never to have been born or to have been "carried from womb to grave" (Jb 10:18-22). In the end, life leads to Sheol, the place from which none returns (Jb 30:23). This leaves no room for a relationship with God or even with other humans.
Job goes even further in challenging God's goodness. God is the one who inspects, examines (Jb 7:18), suspects and constantly demands explanations. So God is no longer he who enters into a relationship with Job and wishes his salvation. He is a cruel God. God subjects all of Creation to vanity, because it is no more than an instrument of torture and decision.
Does God want Job to suffer? (Jb 10:13). Job also challenges God's holiness, going so far as to claim that God creates sin to give himself something to investigate (Jb 10:6+;10:14+). Thus Job blames God not only for misfortune, but for evil as well. To him, the fault lies with God. God is he who investigates an innocent man (Jb 10:6+). Why has God stricken a man weak by nature? By humbling Job, God disavows his own work as Creator (Jb 10:8-12).
1 2This theme is well developed by J. Lévéque in Job le livre et le message, Cahier Evangile 53, Service biblique Evangile Vie, Cerf, Paris, 1985. We refer to pages 25 on.
27 This challenging of God's goodness, holiness and wisdom leads Job to challenge God's justice. There is no reciprocity or loyalty when two beings no longer recognize one another. In Job's eyes, God is incapable of constancy in his love as Creator (Jb 10:8). Job feels trapped in a guilt not of his own making. Even conversion is out of the question, because he has not turned away from God and because God has in any case taken care to build a wall across the path of return (Jb 3:23;19:8). Job believes that his reasoning is irrefutable: since he is without fault, God is the guilty one. But in reality, Job's reasoning contains some serious faults. By accusing God of betrayal, Job disfigures God to the point where God is no longer God. Moreover, Job does not free himself from the old equation suffering = punishment. God makes Job suffer, but it is his friends, not God, who tell him that his misfortune is a form of punishment. In short, Job forgets who God is. But Job does not blaspheme. He continues to believe in God, and has no wish to break with God. Job's goal is to meet God. Several factors seem to conspire to prevent this meeting: God's silence, God's superiority, a complete absence of mediation, and man's solitude. But God ends his silence. Prompted exclusively by selflessness, he meets Job in the theophany of chapters 38-41. It turns out that Job had a false image of God and needed this theophany to change his image of God. Creation shows God's creative power. Job thus meets the real God and stops blaming God. Job was trying to reconcile two irreconcilable images of God: God the Friend and God the Warrior. In the end, Job leaves to God the task of creating his own image, accepting the mystery of a free God. Can man in suffering affirm God's salvific justice? The answer could come only from a meeting with God. In short, Job had to pass through the kenosis of his own wisdom. By losing himself, he finds himself. But Job lacks an arbiter between himself and God, although he has an intuition of one: "There is no arbiter between us, to lay his hand on both" (Jb 9:33). Job still lacks faith in resurrection (Jb 19:25-27). Let us now look at another contribution of the Wisdom Books: Wisdom Personified. Wisdom Personified, expression of God's willn After the exile, the scribes take pleasure in personifying wisdom. She is a well-loved friend whom one searches for (Si 14:22+). She is a protective mother (Si 14:26+) and a loving wife (Si 15:2+). God can grant her to whomever he wishes. She is a divine reality who has always existed and will always exist (Pr 8:22-26). She is "a breath of the power of God, pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty...
13We have drawn from the article in VTB entitled "Sagesse", beginning on page 1173.
28 She is a reflection of the eternal light, untarnished mirror of God's active power" (Ws 7:25+). She was present at Creation (Pr 8:27-31).
How does Wisdom Personified promote the relationship between God and humans? She is the expression of God's will. She manifests herself in concrete form as the Law: "All this is no other than the book of the covenant of the Most High God, the Law that Moses enjoined on us" (Si 24:23). It is she who ensures humankind's salvation: "Men (have) been taught what pleases you, and saved, by Wisdom" (Ws 9:18). She plays a role similar to that of the prophets when she reproaches the heedless (Pr 1:20-33). She will also judge the heedless. This is why she is the greatest gift of all (Ws 7:7-14). Man must make an effort to acquire her, even marry her (Ws 8:2). It is she who makes man the friend of God: "For God loves only the man who lives with Wisdom" (Ws 7:28). Wisdom as the expression of God's will deepens the relationship between God and humans.
IV GOD'S SALVIFIC JUSTICE IN THE APOCALYPTIC WRITINGS We will limit our discussion in this part to the Book of Daniel. First, we must mention that there is a shift among the post-exile prophets in so far as God's judgment is concerned. The shift is toward the final judgment, which will take place at the end of time. In Is 66:16, God will judge the world by fire, and we find a familiar image in Dn 4:12+: the final judgment of nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat. These passages pave the way to the final judgment in such Jewish apocalypses as the Book of Daniel. During the Maccabean crisis, the apocalyptist played a role similar to that of the prophets of the eighth and sixth centuries. The apocalyptist foretells the end of the time of persecutions. He sees himself as if he were already taking part in this end which he perceives in visions. He sees this end coinciding with God's judgment at the end of time.
It is in chapters 7-12 that the author of the Book of Daniel describes the final judgment. Let us look at Dn 7:9-13 and 12:1- Am 4 . In Dn 7:9-13, the "Ancient of Days" is God, who sits on a throne that is a "blaze of flames". Great age was one of the characteristics of some of the Canaanite gods. The god El in Ugarit had a beard and white hair. The other thrones are reserved for the heavenly court, made up of the angels. The heavenly books are consulted in preparation for the judgment. They document the acts of men, and especially those of the four empires described earlier: the Babylonian, Persian, Median and Hellenist empires that have ruled Israel. In verses 11-12, the beast representing the fourth empire is cut into pieces and its body thrown into the fire to be consumed.
M See R. Lavoie, op. int, pp 49 - 50.
29 In verse 13, the author tells of the vision of the son of man. Who is he? Here, he is probably a symbol of Israel and its king. In verse 14, he receives universal and everlasting power over the kingdom that is given to him. These are the people who have remained loyal to God and who have been set aside to oppose the pagan empires. This son of man receives from God the power to establish his final reign.
There is another mention of the final judgment in Dn 12:1-4. The Archangel Michael is commanded by God to intervene on behalf of the people of Israel who have remained faithful to him. Only those Israelites who are faithful to God and his Law will be delivered from the time of political troubles which the people are experiencing. The dead will be resurrected, some for everlasting life, some for everlasting damnation. The final happiness of the righteous is compared to the splendour of the vault of heaven and the light of the stars. In verse 4, Daniel is ordered to seal the message until the end time, and we find this image once again in Rv 20:12.
The end which Daniel foretells is in fact the beginning of a new world, in which God's will over his people and over the world is realized. The relationship between God and his people, which all humankind joins in, will be re-established forever. Dn 9:24 describes this re-establishment of the relationship between God and humankind as follows: "for putting an end to transgression, for placing the seals on sin, expiating crime and for introducing everlasting integrity". This will be the new "Day of the Lord".
GOD'S SALVIFIC JUSTICE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT CONCLUSION Each stage in the Old Testament and each crisis shows us that God is constant in his relationship with his people. God's behaviour toward his people opens the door to salvation, to a future with hope. We understand this clearly from the story of the fall in Gn 3 and the message of the prophets. Certainly, Israel learned to its grief that the wrath of its God could pose a mortal danger to it. The words of the prophets also forbade Israel from claiming any right to life or even from falling back on the promises made to its ancestors (Ex 33:24). But even this death brought to Israel a message of renewed grace on the part of its God, of salvation. Finally, the apocalyptic current widened its horizons to include the entire world of nations as the stage on which Israel will see its destiny played out. The Old Testament opens the door to a "new covenant", the new heart, the true king of justice, the true servant of God who will bear the sins of the many, and the Spirit's effusion over the entire world. The old Testament remains open to hope, salvation and the future.
30 V GOD'S JUDGMENT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The major development in the final judgment as seen in the New Testament is that it is to be carried out at the end of time by Christ, resurrected and raised to stand at God's right. As Paul indicates in his leters, the first Christians continue to believe in God's judgment and in fact expect it in a not-too-distant future. But the first witnesses to the Christian faith have the deeply held conviction that Jesus Christ is the one who will carry out the judgment "standing at the right hand of God ready to judge the living and the dead". There is also a deeply held conviction that the Jesus Christ who descends from God's right side to judge humanity is also the one who saves humanity through his death and resurrection. Let us look at how the various testimonies in the New Testament present this faith in Christ who will come to judge the living and the dead.
1. In the letters of Paul
1.1- In 1 and 2 Th and 1 and 2 Co
These writings are the New Testament's oldest testimonies to faith in the Christ who died and was resurrected. In these letters, Paul is waiting, like John the Baptist, for the judgment of God that manifests his wrath. But Christ is the one who frees humankind from this wrath that will manifest itself (1 Th 1:10). In 1 Th 4:13-5:11, Paul tries to comfort the Thessalonians, who ask whether those who have died before them will miss the great final meeting with the resurrected Christ. Paul replies that no one will be left out. But when will this happen? Paul borrows an image from the Gospels (Mt 24:43) when he writes: "Since you know very well that the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night" (1 Th 5:2). Thus the call for vigilance. And should we not also point out another development? The Day of the Lord of which we spoke in our discussion of the Old Testament becomes the Day of Jesus Christ. Paul ends this passage by reminding his readers that Christ will save the believer from wrath on the day of judgment: "God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ". In the second letter to the Thessalonians, the meeting with the resurrected Christ is preceded by a manifestation of the forces of evil, the Antichrist. But the resurrected Christ will win a decisive, final victory upon his return.
31 This insistence on Christ's victory in the final combat is also found in 1 Co 15:24-25: "After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet."
1.2 In the letter to the Romans
In his letter to the Romans, Paul affirms that all humans, including Jews and Greeks, will appear before God's court for judgment (Ro 2:11-16).
"Sinners who were not subject to the Law will perish all the same, without that Law; sinners who were under the Law will have that Law to judge them. It is not listening to the Law but keeping it that will make people holy in the sight of God. For instance, pagans who never heard of the Law but are led by reason to do what the Law commands, may not actually 'possess , the Law, but they can be said to 'bes the Law. They can point to the substance of the Law engraved on their hearts--they can call a witness, that is, their own conscience--they have accusation and defence, that is, their own inner mental dialogue. ...on the day when, according to the Good News I preach, God, through Jesus Christ, judges the secrets of mankind."
All men are therefore subject to God's judgment. Pagans who have not known God's Law as revealed to Moses will be judged without the Law. Jews, on the other hand, will be judged on their obedience to the Law.
In fact, all humankind is guilty because it has disobeyed God. This is why God's judgment strikes all humankind.
But what has happened to God's salvation? Through Christ Jesus, God enables man to face his judgment. This is pure mercy on God's part. It is through this mercy that man becomes righteous before God. Thus "those who are in Christ Jesus are not condemned" (Ro 8:1). And thus those who believe in Christ Jesus and lead a life in accordance with their faith have nothing to fear from God's wrath, for they have someone to protect them from God (Ro 8:33-35).
32 1.3 In the other letters of Saint Paul
In the letters from captivity (Ph, Col and Ep), Paul develops his thinking concerning the final judgment. The Christian continues to await Christ's return for the judgment and for the final establishment of his reign on the "Day of Jesus Christ" (Ph 1:6). But the apostle adds something new, writing that Christ's victory over the forces of evil has already been achieved through his death and resurrection. And the Christian already takes part in this victory through the Church of Christ. God's judgment has already manifested itself here on earth in our time through the victory of Christ who died and was resurrected. The final judgment at the end of time will be no more than the culmination of this victory of Christ over the forces of evil. We will now consider how the synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles describe the final judgment.
2. In the synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles
The final judgment is described in Mt 25:31-46 using the image of a court where Christ sits judge over a flock of sheep and goats. This final appearance before God's court presided over by Christ is prepared in Mt 24 by the coming of the Son of Man with all the imagery of the Jewish apocalypses and 1 Th, including trumpets and fire. This Son of Man harkens back to the one in Dn 7 who ushers in the kingdom of God. But the Son of Man in Mt 25 is Christ who died and was resurrected. He is the victorious Christ who comes to judge all humankind as a king
On what will humankind be judged? Men and women will be judged on their attitude toward Christ Jesus (Mt 10:32) and on their love for one another. This is new to the judgment concept. Christ identifies himself with the lowly and poor: "for I was hungry and you gave me food" (Mt 25:35+). This means that judgment has already begun here on earth in our time. Each person's case is already being decided. What is demanded of men and women is that they "stand ready" and be "vigilant" because they will face the Day of the Lord, as Saint Paul reminded us. We find the same ideas concerning the final judgment in the Acts of the Apostles: "And he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people and to them that God has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead" (Ac 10:42). It is glorious Christ who will come to judge all men, living or dead. But the author of the Acts of the Apostles emphasizes forgiveness and conversion. Thus Christians wait anxiously for the judgment because it will mark a renewal of all things. The Acts of the Apostles therefore insist on forgiveness and conversion, because God's salvation is near.
33 3. In the Gospel According to John The final judgment is a reality very much present in the fourth Gospel. It is not described in the same way as Mt 25:31-46, but it already manifests itself in the life of every Christian. Christians judge themselves according to their attitude toward the person of Jesus: "On these grounds is sentence pronounced: that though the light has come into the world, men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil" (Jn 3:19). Each person faces the choice: for or against Jesus. Everlasting life is a reality already present in the Gospel According to John (Jn 5:24). The meaning of this verse is very strong. Whoever believes in Christ already has everlasting life and will not be subject to the final judgment. This is what Jesus himself says to Nicodemus in Jn 3:18: "No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God's only Son". So whoever believes in Jesus, Son of God, escapes the final judgment. In the fourth Gospel, judgment is spiritual, internal. But this internal judgment does not preclude the final judgment, which will mark the end of history on the last day (Jn 12:48). On that last day, Christ will judge those who have turned their backs on his message.
4. In the letters of James and Peter The final judgment is still a reality much present in the letter of Saint James. It is God who judges humans, and he judges them on how well they have observed the law of charity. This means that humans will not be judged solely on their faith, but also on their deeds (Jm 2:12-31). The final judgment is not presented in apocalyptic terms. It will depend on the mercy that humans show to one another. Another feature of the judgment peculiar to the Letter of James is that all will be judged, but the worst will be reserved for rich oppressors. The punishment the rich receive will be without pity (Jm 5:3). The righteous await the judgment day the way a farmer waits for rain (Jm 5:7-8).
Let us now look at the Second Letter of Peter. The author of 2 P affirms the certitude of the final judgment in the face of false prophets and teachers (2 Pet 2-4). These false prophets and teachers have denied Christ's return and the final judgment because of their delay in arriving, but judgment has been delayed because God is giving men and women the chance to convert. To the author of this letter, "la' day can mean a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day" (2 P 3:13). The author sees in the Old Testament, and especially the story of the flood, a prophecy of the final judgment. Like the flood, which destroyed one world and gave birth to another, the Day of the Lord will mark the end of one world and the birth of another (2 P 3:13).
34 This will come about through trials common to the apocalypses (fire and punishment of the impious), but a new world will be born for the righteous. Before our conclusion, we must say something about the last book of the New Testament: Revelation.
5. In Reve1ation Anticipation of the judgment is a constant theme in Revelation, with all the imagery of the apocalypses. The book was written for Christians living in a time of trials and persecution, and seeks to give them hope and assurance. The righteous who have obeyed God's commandments will be saved, but sinners will be damned to everlasting suffering. Is this not the history of humankind? History is this constant struggle between the forces of good and evil that will culminate in the victory of Christ the Lamb over Satan and the forces of evil. Rather, this victory is already assured, as the author tells us in chapter 12. The Lamb defeats Satan and becomes the great judge of humankind and the entire universe. The Lamb passes judgment in chapter 20: "Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it" (Rv 20:11). The saints and angels intercede before God during this judgment. It is the Lamb's judgment that ushers in forever "a new heaven and a new earth" (Rv 21:1).
GOD'S JUDGMENT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: CONCLUSION This long discussion of the final judgment as depicted in the New Testament has shown us that it was a reality of great presence and importance to the first Christians. They often envision it in the manner of the Old Testament, especially Dn 7:9-13. God will judge humankind when his day comes. It will be the day when God defeats the forces of evil and ushers in the Reign of God forever. But the New Testament adds something radically new. The Son of Man who will come riding on the clouds is Jesus Christ, who died and was resurrected and exalted. It is he who will carry out the judgment, he who is made known to us by the Gospels. The Old Testament's Day of the Lord becomes the Day of Jesus Christ, who will intercede for us before God and save humankind. To those who believe in him and work to bring about his reign, this day is nothing to fear. Finally, this judgment day has already begun here on earth in our time. And this is another feature about Jesus Christ that is new. The final judgment transcends history, but it has already begun within history. Whoever believes in him already has everlasting life and will escape judgment. And this judgment will be based on relationships of brotherly charity. Does not the Church already have the bases of the inheritance promised by Christ Jesus? The New Testament awaits the day of final judgment, knowing that this last day will mark the final establishment of God's Reign, which has already begun in our time.
35 CONCLUSION We have already noted that the Old Testament remains open to hope and salvation. The New Testament fulfils this hope. Jesus Christ creates a "new covenant" through his death and resurrection. He is the Messiah King and true servant of God, who bears the sins of the world on his shoulders. Through him, the Spirit spreads to include the entire world. In short, in him the Kingdom of God has arrived, because he is the Living God. It will arrive in all its fullness with the Parousia. In him we have a protector, a mediator before God. He is mankind's saviour, and henceforth the medium of the relationship between God and humankind.
36 ADDRESS BY DEPUTY COMMISSIONER Mr. Mario Dion Deputy Commissioner Correctional Programs and Operations (From notes taken by the editor) Mr. Dion brought good wishes and regrets from the commissioner, Mr. Ole Ingstrup. He pointed out that CSC is engaged in the development of a correctional strategy aimed at making the Mission Statement operational. Recently there have been several task forces: Community and Institutional Operations, Mental Health and Sex Offenders, Substance Abuse, Native Peoples, and Federally Sentenced Women. These task forces have included external partners, unions and others with a special interest in the area. Each task force recommended solutions to problems. Some of the findings were striking: 79% of offenders have a substance abuse problem and 3006 of the offenders incarcerated have a history of sexual offenses. Solicitor General Doug Lewis is the fourth minister to have endorsed the Mission Statement. The positive support of the government for the Mission agenda has meant that CSC is one of the few departments to have an increased budget (680 person-years plus $93M). This is to increase program capacity, create psychiatric units, close the prison for women and set up 4 regional facilities plus a healing lodge. Cognitive skills development and substance abuse strategy are receiving special consideration.
Key objectives of the Service are the following:
1. Eliminate growth - Prison construction is to be kept to a minimum. From 1990 to 1991 there was a net drop in prison population.
2. Reducè violence. 3. Address the criminologic needs of every inmate. 4. Make better use of resources (for example $46,000 saved in airline tickets for this Conference). How is this to be done? 1. Let Planning be done locally as much as possible. 2. Introduce principal programs throughout - Special Counsellors on addictions, Life Skills (100 Trainers), Mental Health, Sexual Abuse, Family Violence.
37 3. Deliver programs by Employees. 4. Programs of reconciliation with victims. 5. Evaluate rigorously. The Role of Chaplains 1. Actively Encourage and Assist Offenders to become law abiding citizens. 2. Not a passive opportunities model. 3. Chaplains are well placed to help in family growth through counselling. 4. Spiritual healing is frequently an important factor in getting rid of dependency. 5. Prepare the material for Prisoners Day. 6. Develop an appropriate spirituality for aboriginal people. Chaplains are an important part of the total team and conferences are a good investment in the development of people.
38 WORSBOOP) MUSIC
The music was co-ordinated by the Rev. David Hilderman, Regional Chaplain Pacific. Up to 9 different persons played instruments to accompany the singing at different times. A special bilingual songbook was prepared for the conference. Tying the different worship events together was a theme song, Justice: Reach Out, written by the Rev. Terry Richardson, Chaplain at Rockwood Institution. It was sung repeatedly in both French and English.
"JUSTICE" Refrain: 3. Reach out and touch Justice will not breed more hatred The one who left you broken It will not cast a stone Reach out and bear the pain Justice will bring face to face That you caused yesterday The guilt and hurt full grown Refrain
1. 4. Justice is not punishment Justice is shown in all its struggle As loving is not fear By Joseph with his brothers Caring is not emptiness It grows and finds all its strength God has made it clear When we reach and meet each other Refrain Refrain
2. 5.
"Justice, it means making right God has now reached out his arms A victim's life ablaze to touch and bring us healing Justice will take full acount His human hands now scarred Of the dying, the pain and daze. Show justice deep with feeling.
Refrain Refrain
39 ECUMENICAL CORPORATE WORSHIP
These worship events were a highlight of the conference. The themes represent stages in the movement towards restorative justice. Although presented here in one language only, the services were prepared and celebrated alternating between the two official languages. At some points during the conference there developed considerable tension between the English and French participants. This tension arose from many different sources, a reflection in some aspects of the present state of our country. It was addressed in different ways, with varying degrees of success. One of the elements that played a positive role was this ecumenical worship, a sign of the potential of worship to actually bring about what it tries to say. The services were developped by teams from different regions and are presented here in their original form with some comments in parentheses.
Celebrating Our Mission (Monday Evening - Prepared by Prairies Region)
CELEBRANT: * Welcome and good evening. (4a & 6a) PEOPLE: * Good evening. CELEBRANT: * As CSC Chaplains we come from across Canada and from many faith (4) traditions to worship as one family of God. PEOPLE: * Remembering our covenant we come in faithfulness. CELEBRANT: * We come to celebrate our mission (4C) PEOPLE: * We come to celebrate restorative justice. CELEBRANT: * Come then, let us renew ourselves as we celebrate our mission: (4a, b, c) Restorative Justice. PEOPLE: * Marantha...our Lord come. SONG: * Tu es là, au clôture de nos vies. CELEBRANT: * When we return home - back to our ministry - and if someone asks (4b & 3a) "what happened at our conference" what shall we say? REFLECTION CELEBRANT: * When we return to our homes and our ministry and if someone asks ( 7 ) "what happened at out conference" we hope to be able to say that Christ came by and we learned how to do his dance... CELEBRANT: * The Lord does his dance on the temple floor and the pharisees are (4a) properly shocked. CELEBRANT: * A mad man, dangerous, unfit to guide our youth, a heretic! (la & 8) CELEBRANT: * And they flee to the public where their praying can be seen. (4b) CELEBRANT: * The Lord does his dance with a tax collector and the sodducees (4a) scream now. CELEBRANT: * Now! Now do you see who he is? He dines with sinners while we - (2a & b) we have all this work to do. The man's a wine bibbler. CELEBRANT: * The Lord does his dance with a woman of the streets and the church (4a) people rub their hands together gleefully... CELEBRANT: * Aha, now we've got you! ( 3 )
40 CELEBRANT: * But he looked into them and they crept away, unable to throw the (4a) first stone. CELEBRANT: * No matter how plaintively we call Lord, Lord, he won't dance with (3a) us until we become (of all things) as little children, until we admit we are the needy, we are the outcasts, we are the orphans. CELEBRANT: * The Lord does his dance with all the wrong people: with slaves and (6a) lepers and the tax collectors with cursing fisherman and adulterers and thieves, with outcasts and castoffs he dances with the unclean, with the orphan, with the displaced, with the unwhole. CELEBRANT: * Celebrate our mission: Restorative Justice. ( 7 ) CELEBRANT: * He says to us come unto me and we become the accepted unacceptables (4b) our brokenness is bound, and we are able to follow the dance. CELEBRANT: * Celebrate our mission: Restorative Justice. ( 7 ) CELEBRANT: * The music is never ending and if we miss a step or two or if we (4c) fall exhausted the Lord is always there to pull us to our feet. CELEBRANT: * Celebrate our mission: Restorative Justice. ( 7 ) CELEBRANT: * So come now, let's dance before our God! Let's dance with one (4a, b, c) another. Let's dance in the sanctuary! Let's join hands and dance where the music leads us in the course of our conference. SONG: * Lord of the Dance. CELEBRANT: * I took to church one morning a four-year old holding a bright blue (4b) string to which was attached his much-loved orange balloon... It was a thing of beauty. When later that day he met me at the door, he didn't have to tell me something had gone wrong. "What's the matter?" He wouldn't tell me. "I bet they loved your balloon..." Out it came, mocking the teacher's voice: "We don't bring balloons to church." Then that little four-year-old, his lips a bit trembly asked: "Why aren't balloons allowed in church? I thought God would like balloons..." CELEBRANT: * I celebrate balloons, parades, and chocolate chip cookies. I (3b) celebrate sea shells and elephants and lions that roar. I celebrate seeing: bright colours, wheat in a field, wild flowers... I celebrate touching: toes in the sand, a kitten's fur, another person... I celebrate birth: the wonder - the miracle - of that tiny life already asserting its self self-hood. I celebrate children who laugh out loud who walk in the mud and dawdle in puddles who like to be tickled who scribble in church who whisper in loud voices who ask questions who bury their gold fish, sleep with the dog, scream at their best friends... I celebrate children who are so busy living life they don't have time for our hang-ups, and I celebrate adults who are as little children. CELEBRANT: * Celebrate our Mission: Restorative Justice.
( 7 )
41 CELEBRANT: * I celebrate anger at injustice (6b) I celebrate tears for the mistreated, the hurt, the lonely I celebrate the community that cares - the church. I celebrate the ministry and mission the church has commissioned with! I celebrate the times when we held to our warm and well-fed bodies a cold and lonely world. I celebrate the times when we let God through to our hiding places, Through the maze of meetings - Our pleasant facades Deep down to our self-hood, Deep down to where we really are. CELEBRANT: * Celebrate our Mission: Restorative Justice ( 7 ) CELEBRANT: * I celebrate music within a person that must be heard. (5a) I celebrate life - that we may live more abundantly Where did we get the idea that balloons don't belong in church? Where did we get the idea that God loves gray and Sh-h-h- and drab and anything will do? CELEBRANT: * Celebrate our Mission: Restorative Justice. ( 7 ) CELEBRANT: * I think it is blasphemy not to appreciate the joy in God's world. (4c) I think it's blasphemy not to bring our joy into God's Church. For God so loved the world that Christ hung there Loving the un-loveable. What beautiful gift cannot be offered unto the Lord- Whether it's a balloon or a song or some joy that sits within us waiting to have the lid taken off? CELEBRANT: * Celebrate our Mission: Restorative Justice. ( 7 ) CELEBRANT: * The scriptures say there's a time to laugh and a time to weep. (6c) It's not hard to see the reasons for crying in a world where hatred for others is no manifest; But it's also not hard to see the reasons for laughter in a world where God's love is so manifest. So celebrate our time together - Celebrate our Mission: Restorative Justice! Bring your balloons, your butterflies, your bouquets of flowers, dance your dances, sing your songs, and celebrate our mission. For life is a celebration, an affirmation of God's love. CELEBRANT: * Celebrate our Mission: Restorative Justice ( 7 ) CELEBRANT: (5a & b) Celebration. Yet as penitentiary chaplains we also know another part of Christ's dance - The need to dance into the temple and to push a few tables over. The need to express outrage... The need to express righteous indignation... God's justice is mired down in "our" church's Divisiveness and nobody's angry? A child's balloon is popped and nobody cares? Is it all right that people are shouting obscenities at each other in Christ's name? Is it all right that churches are splitting down to middle in Christ's name?
42 Is it all right that so many of us sit in our Church pews lifeless? Is it all right to execute justice indifferent to restoration between victim and offender? As we celebrate our Mission: Restorative Justice, can we do some weeping for: The children in our society that nobody claims, The elderly in our society that nobody claims, The hungry in our society that nobody claims, The alcoholic in our society that nobody claims, The diseased in our society that nobody claims, The hurt in our society that nobody claims, The displaced in our society that nobody claims, The poverty-riddled in our society that nobody claims, The victim in our society that nobody claims, The offender in our society that nobody claims, The survivor in our society that nobody claims. 0 Children of Israel, why don't you gnash your teeth? Why don't you wail? Your people are dying! CELEBRANT: * Celebrate our Mission: Restorative Justice. ( 7 ) CELEBRANT: * For God so loved the world... (4a, b, c) Surely this is our central reason to celebrate! It gives reason for our gathering. Come, celebrate our Mission: Restorative Justice! Celebrate God's good news: that God should love us that much... Where did we ever get the idea that balloons don't belong in church? CELEBRANT: * Celebrate our Mission: Restorative Justice. ( 7 ) CELEBRANT: * The Church... (Pacific) Is where a child of God brings a balloon Is where old women come to dance Is where the young see visions and The old dream dreams. The Church... Is where lepers come to be touched Is where the blind see and the deaf hear Is where the lame run and the dying live. CELEBRANT: * The Church... (Québec) Is where the daisies bloom out of barren land Is where the children lead and wise men follow Is where mountains are moved and wall come tumbling down. The Church... Is where loaves of bread are stacked in the sanctuary to feed the hungary Is where coats are taken off and put on the backs of the naked Is where shackles are discarded and kings and shepherds sit down to life together. CELEBRANT: * The Church... (Ontario) Is where barefoot children run giggling in procession Is where the minister is ministered unto Is where the anthem is the laughter of the congregation and the offering plates are full of people.
43 The Church... Is where people go when they skin their knees or their hearts Is where frogs become princes and Cinderella dances beyond midnight Is where judges don't judge and each child of God is beautiful and precious. CELEBRANT: * The Church... (Prairies) Is where the sea divides for the exiles Is where the arc floats and the lamb lies down with the lion Is where the people can disagree and hold hands at the same time. The Church... Is where night is day Is where trumpets and drums and tambourines declare God's goodness Is where lost lambs are found. CELEBRANT: * The Church: (Atlantic) Is where people write thank-you notes to God Is where work is a holiday Is where seeds are scattered and miracles are grown. The Church... Is where a picnic is communion and people break bread together on their knees Is where we live responsively toward God's coming... CELEBRANT: * The Church: (National) Is where justice and mercy meet Is where victims and offenders encounter Is where justice is restored. INTERCESSION CELEBRANT: * Holy God, as you have (4b) Touched us, may we now Touch others with your love. CELEBRANT: * The oppressed and the persecuted, (5a) crying out for the liberating touch of justice. ALL: * Touch them with your justice in us. CELEBRANT: * The battered victims of war and violence (ab) crying out for the healing touch of peace. ALL: * Touch them with your peace in us. CELEBRANT: * The poor and the outcast, crying out for the life-giving touch of compassion. ALL: * Touch them with your compassion in us. CELEBRANT: * The lost and the lonely, crying our for the welcoming touch of friendship. ALL: * Touch them with your friendship in us. CELEBRANT: * The prisoners in our institutions who are bound by their own fears and cruelty, crying out for the generous touch of mercy. ALL: * Touch them with your mercy in us. CELEBRANT: * And those we love, crying our for (5b) the continuing touch of love. ALL: * Touch them with your love in us. CELEBRANT: * May our lives be the place (4b) where you touch us, and we touch others in your name, for you are the source of our love and love. Amen. CELEBRANT: * Celebrate our Mission: Restorative Justice ( 7 ) Exchange of Peace
44 CELEBRANT: * After our time together may those (4a, b) we encounter say of us: "They are drunk on new wine... The new wine of the spirit... There is no end to this service; The Lords dance goes on forever." CONCLUDING PRAYER CELEBRANT: * Tender Go, touch us, ( 7 ) Be touched by us. Make us lovers of humanity, compassionate friends of all creation. Gracious God, hear us into speech; speak us into acting; and through us, recreate the world. Amen
Grief and Lament
(Tuesday - Prepared by Pacific Region)
Call to worship
Lord God, your eyes are open day and night watching your children; your ears are always ready to listen to their prayer. We have come to worship you. We come as sinners, in need of your forgiveness. We come tired from our work, in need of refreshment and recreation. We come with worries, in need of your guidance. But, first please lift us out of our preoccupation with our own needs. Allow us to see you with the eyes of faith, and to hear with understanding what you say to us. Make us thankful for all the good we have received from you. Awaken in us a longing to do what is right. And make us aware of the great company, past, present and to come, ' with whom we join to worship you. Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, a friend of mine has hurt me so badly that I really think I will never be able to forgive.
When I think of the harm done to me: my reputation seriously tarnished, my health endangered, my friendship brutally broken, I get angry and I cry about it. My heart is full of resentment, I'm full of bitterness. I'm rigid with vengeance.
45 How can I forgive? It's too much, too hard! How can you ask me to forgive? Help me! I cannot forget all that has been done to me. It haunts my memory too much, and above all, my heart is hurt, wounded, broken. Give me your peace, calm the storm. Give me something of your heart. I cannot do it without you.
Scripture Reading: (Psalm 13:1-4)
How long, 0 God? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face? How long must I bear pain in my soul? And sorrow in my heart day and night? How long shall my oppressors prevail?
Look at me, answer me, my God! Lighten my eyes lest I sleep the leep of death, lest my oppressor say: "I have overcome you"; lest they rejoice to see me shaken. Contemporary Reading: THE JUDGEMENT OF THE BIRDS
"I have said that I saw a judgement upon life, and that it was not passed by men. Those who stare at birds in cages or who test minds by their closeness to our own may not care for it. It comes from far away out of my past, in a place of pouring waters and green leaves. I shall never see an episode like it again if I live to be a hundred, nor do I think that one man in a million has ever seen it, because man is an intruder into such silences. The light must be right, and the observer must remain unseen. No man sets up such an experiment. What he sees, he sees by chance.
"You may put it that I had come over the mountain, that I had slogged through fern and pine needles for half a long day, and that on the edge of a little glade with one long, crooked branch extending across it, I had sat down to rest with my back against a stump. Through accident I was concealed from the glade, although I could see into it perfectly.
"The sun was warm there, and the murmurs of forest life blurred softly away into my sleep. When I awoke, dimly aware of some commotion and outcry in the clearing, the light was slanting down through the pines in such a way that the glade was lit like some vast cathedral. I could see the dust motes of wood pollen in the long shaft of light, and there on the extended branch sat an enormous raven with a red and squirming nestling in his beak.
"The sound that awoke me was the outraged cries of the nestling's parents, who flew helplessly in circles about the clearing. The sleek black monster was indifferent to them. He gulped, whetted his beak on the branch a moment and sat still. Up to that point the little tragedy had followed the usual pattern.
46 "But suddenly, out of all that area of woodland, a soft sound of complaint began to rise. Into the glade fluttered small birds of half a dozen varieties drawn by the anguished outcries of the tiny parents.
"No one dared to attack the raven. But they cried there in some instinctive common misery, the bereaved and the unbereaved. "The glade filled with their soft rustling and their cries. They fluttered as though to point their wings at the murderer. There was a dim intangible ethic he had violated, that they knew. He was a bird of death. (At this point a person carried in a swan with flowers; drops it on the floor to chatter, and goes away to grieve).
"And he, the murderer, the black bird at the heart of life, sat on there, glistening in the common light, formidable, unmoving, unperturbed, untouchable.
"The sighing died. It was then that I saw the judgement. It was the judgement of life against death. I will never see it again so forcefully presented. I will never hear it again in notes so tragically prolonged. For in the midst of protest, they forgot the violence. There, in that clearing, the crystal note of a song sparrow lifted hesitantly in the hush. And finally, after painful fluttering, another took song, and then another, the song passing from one bird to another, doubtfully at first, as though some evil thing were being slowly forgotten. Till suddenly they took heart and sang from many throats joyously together as birds are known to sing. They sang because life is sweet, and sunlight beautiful. They sang under the brooding shadow of the raven. In simple truth they had forgotten the raven for they were the singers of life, and not of death". Prayers of Brokennes and Concerns Response:
We long for you, 0 Lord. We long for you, 0 Lord. Come make us one with you in love. We long for you, 0 Lord. Gospel Reading: Mt. 23:37-39 HYMN
(During this song another person brings in a new ceramic swan, the grieving person is comforted, the scattered shards are picked up, and the flowers are replanted). The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor
The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Blessed be the Lord. I will bless the Lord at all times, God's praise ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the Lord. For God hears the cry of the poor. Let the lowly hear and be glad; the Lord listens to their pleas; And to hearts broken, God is near. For God hears the cry of the poor.
47 Every spirit crushed God will save; will be ranson for their lives; will be safe shelter for their fears; For God hears the cry of the poor. We proclaim the greatness of God, God's praise ever in our mouth; every face brightened in God's light, For God hears the cry of the poor.
(From GLORY AND PRAISE song book, Second Revision. Published by: North American Liturgy Resources and G.I.A. Publications Inc.) Praver of St. Francis
Leader: * Lord, make us instruments of your peace, where there is hatred, People: Let us sow love, Leader: * Where there is injury,
People: PARDON
Leader: * Where there is discord, People: UNION Leader: * Where there is doubt People: FAITH Leader: * Where there is despair People: HOPE
Leader: * Where there is darkness
People: LIGHT
Leader: * Where there is sadness,
People: JOY Leader: * Grant that we may not so much seek;
People: to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.
Leader: For it is in giving that we receive; People: It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and in dying that we are born to eternal life.
SHARE PEACE
BENEDICTION
Jesus said: 'Peace I leave with you: my own peace I give to you. It is not as the world gives its greetings that I give you peace. Set your troubled hearts at rest, and banish your fears.' May this peace be with you.
48 HYMN Let There be Peace on Earth
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me, Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father, children all are we. Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now. With every step I take, Let this be my solemn vow: to take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
Jill Jackson - Sy Miller Copywright 1955 by Jan-Leé Music
Let Us Praise the God of Justice
(Wednesday - Prepared by the Québec Region) 1. Hymn
2. Greetings:
The gift which you have received is not a gift that makes you a slave or makes you live in fear; you have received the Spirit of God which makes you sons and daughters of God and allows you to cry "ABBA", which means "Father", when you speak to God.
3. Opening Prayer:
Lord God, we thank you for being able to come together to listen to your Gospel of life and hope. In your eyes, we are all equal. You know the innermost secrets of our lives. You have not forgotten us; you love us and are pleased once more today to bestow your gifts upon us. Through the suffering and death of your son Jesus Christ, you have taken our darkness upon yourself so that we may have light and joy. Amen 4. (Psalm 146) Introduction
From the absence of love, from the selfishness which divides us, from the fear of your judgement, DELIVER US, LORD
From the fear of anguish, from the fear of loneliness, from the fear of suffering and death, DELIVER US, LORD
From the fear of violence and injustice, DELIVER US, LORD
49 From the fear of all those who are different from us, from the fear of challenge that forces us to re-examine ourselves, DELIVER US, LORD
That the life of your Church, throughout the world may be nourished by your love, LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER
That together we may walk in joy on the road to unity, justice and peace, LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER (Reading from EZEKIEL 34:11-25)
5. Celebration
God of grace, hear our prayers, both spoken and silent. May they be in accordance with your will. Through Jesus Christ and under the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, we pray: The Lord's Prayer
Closing prayer:
Lord Jesus, stay with us. Without you, we can do nothing, but with you, we can do anything for the honour and glory of God and for the salvation of the world. Hear our prayers, for you are our Saviour, now and forever. Amen Blessing:
Love is the greatest gift, for only love keeps us perfectly united. May the peace of Christ reign in our hearts, the peace to which we have all been allied in one body. Let Us Live our lives in a Spirit of Thanksgiving
Hymns
Siddur Sim Shalom
(Thursday - Led by Rabbi Barry Schneider)
(At the beginning, Rabbi Schneider donned phylacteries, yarmulke and prayer shawl explaining the significance of each).
The Gift of a Pure Soul
My God, the soul with which You endowed me is pure. You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me, and You preserve it within me. A time will come when You will reclaim it from me; but You will return it to me in the life to come.
So long as the soul is within me, I thank You, Lord my God and God of my ancestors, Master of all creatures, Lord of all souls. Praised are You, 0 Lord who has restored me to a new day of life. The following are commandments for which there is no prescribed measure: the crops on the border of the field to be left for the poor and the stranger, the gift of the first-fruits, the pilgrimage offerings brought to the ancient Temple on the three festivals, deeds of lovingkindness, and the study of Torah. (Mishnah, Peah 1:1)
50 In fullfilling the following commandments one enjoys the yield in this world while the principal remains for all eternity: honouring father and mother, performing deed of lovingkindness, punctually attending the house of study - morning and evening, showing hospitality to strangers, visiting the sick, helping the needy bride, attending the dead, praying with devotion, and making peace between individuals. And the merit of Torah study is equal to all of these. (Tolmud, Shabbat 127a)
The Shema Hear, 0 Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is One. V'AHAVTA: You shall love the Lord You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might. You shall take to heart these words which I command you this day. You shall teach them diligently to your children, speaking of them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down at night and when you rise in the morning. You shall bind them as a sign above your arm, and they shall be a reminder above your eyes. You shall inscribè them on the doorposts of your home and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) The Threefold Blessing "May the Lord bless you and protect you." May this be His will. "May the Lord show you kindness and be gracious to you." May this be His will. "May the Lord bestow favour upon you and grant you peace." May this be His will. Our Father, grant peace and well-being, blessing and grace, loving-kindness and mercy unto us and unto all Israel, Thy people. Bless us, 0 Father, all of us together, with the light of Thy presence; for by that light Thou hast given us, 0 Lord our God, the Torah of life, loving-kindness and righteousness, blessing and mercy, life and peace. 0 may it be good in Thy sight at all time to bless Israel and all Thy children with Thy peace. Guard my Tongue from Evil
0 Lord, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking falsehood. Help me to ignore those who slander me, and to be humble and forgiving to all. Open my heart to Your Torah, that I may know Your teachings and eagerly do Your will.
Frustruate the plans of those who wish me ill, that I may praise Your power, Your holiness, and Your law.
Save Your loved ones, 0 Lord; Answer us with Your redeeming power. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart find favor before You, my Rock and my Redeemer."
0 Maker of harmony in the universe, grant peace to us, to Israel, and to all people everywhere. Amen.
51 You Know Our Deepest Thoughts You know the mysteries of the universe as well as the secrets of every mortal. You search the deepest recesses of the human soul, and propel all our thoughts and motives. Nothing escapes You, nothing is concealed from you. Therefore, may it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors, to forgive all our sins, to pardon all our iniquities, and to grant us atonement for all our trangressions.
We have sinned against You by hardening our hearts; And We have sinned against You by speaking perversely. We have sinned against You publicly and privately; And We have sinned against You by corrupt speech. We have sinned against You by evil thoughts; And We have sinned against You by insincere confession. We have sinned against You intentionally and unintentionally; And We have sinned against You by desecrating Your name.
ALL For all these sins, 0 God of forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, grant us atonement.
V'al kulam Elo-ha s'lihot, s'lah lanu, m'hal lanu, ka-per lanu. We have sinned against You by foolish talk; And We have sinned against You knowingly and unknowingly. We have sinned against You by bribery; And We have sinned against You by slander. We have sinned against You in eating and drinking; And We have sinned against You by false pride.
ALL For all these sins, 0 God of forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, grant us atonement. We have sinned against You by wanton glances; And We have sinned against You by effontery. We have sinned against You by perverting justice; And We have sinned against You by envy. We have sinned against You by being stubborn; And We have sinned against You by talebearing. We have sinned against You by causeless hatred; And We have sinned against You by confusion of values.
ALL For all these sins, 0 God of forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, grant us atonement.
52 Closing Celebration (Friday - Prepared by Ontario Region)
(On the four sides of the chapel were hung banners indicating the four directions and the aboriginal significance of each: North - Winter - Wisdom - Creation East - Spring - Illumination - Vision South - Summer - Innocence - Abundance West - Fall - Introspection - Oneness) Call to Worship:
Micmac Elder Noel Knockwood burned sweetgrass, prayed in each of the directions in Micmac and led the group in the following prayer:
The Sacred Seven Prayer O Great Spirit, who art before all else who dwells in every object, in every person and in every place, we cry unto thee, we àummon thee from the far places into our present awareness. O Great Spirit of the North, who gives wings to the waters of the air and rolls the thick snow-storm before thee, who covers the earth with a sparkling crystal carpet, above whose deep tranquility every sound is beautiful. Temper us with strength to withstand the biting blizzard yet make us thankful for the beauty which follows and lies deep over the warm earth in its wake. O Great Spirit of the East, the land of the rising sun, who holds in your right hand the years of our lives and in your left the opportunities of each day, brace us that we may not neglect our gifts nor lose in laziness the hopes of each day and year. O Great Spirit of the South, whose warm breath of compassion melts the ice that gathers round our hearts, whose fragrance speaks of distant spring and summer days, dissolve our fears, melt our hatreds, kindle our love into flames of true and living realities. Teach us that he who is truly strong is also kind, he who is wise tempers justice with mercy, he who is truly brave matches courage with compassion. O Great Spirit of the West, the land of the setting sun, with your soaring mountains and wide free rolling prairies, bless us with knowledge of the peace which follows purity of striving and the freedom which follows like a flowing robe in the wind the well- disciplined life. Teach us that the end is better than the beginning and that the setting sun glories not in vain. O Great Spirit of the Heavens, in the day's infinite blue and amid the countless stars of the night season, remind us that you are beautiful, vast and majestic beyond all our knowing or telling, but also that you are no further from us than the tilting upwards of our heads and the lifting of our eyes. O Great Spirit of the Earth beneath our feet, master of metals, germinator of seeds and storer of earth's unreckoned resources, help us to give thanks unceasingly for your present bounty.
53 O Great Spirit of my Soul, burning in my own heart's yearning and our innermost aspirations, speak to us now and always that we may be aware of the greatness and goodness of your gift of life and be worthy of this priceless privilege of living. Celebration of the Word: Isaiah 61:1-4 Hymn Lord Jesus, Of You I will Sing Lord Jesus, of you I will sing as I journey I'll tell all the people about you wherever I go; You alone are our life and our peace and our love; Lord Jesus of You I will sing as I journey. Lord Jesus, I'll praise you as long as I journey, May all of my joy be a faithful reflection of you; May the earth and the sea and the sky join my song; Lord Jesus, I'll praise you as long as I journey. Gospel Reading: John 17:17-23 (Hymn continued) As long as I love Jesus, make me your servant, To carry your cross and to share all your burdens and tears, For you saved me by giving your body and blood; As long as I live Jesus, make me your servant. I fear in the dark and the doubt of my journey, but courage will come with the sound of your steps by my side; and with all of the people you saved by your love; We'll sing to your dawn and at the end of our journey. Silence
Pouring and blessing of oil Anointing (At this point chaplains and Interfaith Committee members lined up two by two and anointed one another, placing oil on a finger and touching it to the forehead of the other with a word of commissioning: "Go and be Good News") Peace Blessing Love is the greatest gift, for only love keeps us perfectly united. May the peace of Christ reign in our hearts, the peace to which we have all been called in one body.
LET US LIVE OUR LIVES IN A SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING
54 All: Amen HYMN Lay your Hands
Lay Your hands gently upon us. Let their touch render Your peace. Let them bring Your forgiveness and healing. Lay Your hands, gently lay Your hands. You were sent to free the broken-hearted. You were sent to give sight to the blind. You desire to heal all our illnesses. Lay Your hands, gently lay Your hands.
Lord, we come to You through one another. Lord, we come to You in our need. Lord, we come to You seeking wholeness. Lay Your hands, gently lay Your hands.
Lay Your hands gently upon us. Let their touch render Your forgiveness and healing. Lay Your hands, gently lay Your hands. Lay Your hands, gently lay Your hands. Closing Prayer
God of creation, celebrated life, one who restores the heart of wholeness, you call us from this place. Enliven us with the beauty of your world, unite us in common purpose and create in us a desire to journey on.
Recessional: Justice: Reach Out (Conference theme song)
OPTIONAL WORSHIP
Opportunities were also provided for groups with common interests to organize their own worship: • The Roman Catholic Mass was celebrated in French on Tuesday afternoon and in English on Wednesday afternoon. • Lutherans and Anglicans hosted a joint eucharist for those interested on Tuesday afternoon. • An Evangelical service was celebrated on Wednesday afternoon. • Early morning prayers were organized at 7:00 a.m. each day.
55 PERSONAL STORIES AM INSIGHTS
Four chaplains were given a substantial block of time to tell their personal stories. As each made her/himself vulnerable through story telling; they prompted tears, laughter, and nods of understanding. Their stories created an ambience of openness in preparation for personal storytelling in small groups. Michel Beauchamp
Dominican Priest. Chaplain at Donnacona Institution. (Adapted from notes taken by Vern Redekop). A month earlier, Michel had been on a sand dune on Magdalen Islands. He was reflecting on this conference, what came to consciousness from within was a verse from Galatians which captured the essence of what he was experiencing. "I have been crucified with Christ, and I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me". However, the very power of it was almost too much since it is at the heart of the Christian experience for anyone who wishes to fully live the Christian faith in the reality of everyday life. This is not to say that it is a life of sadness; rather it is a celebration of life. One is not left alone to face the challenges of life, rather there is a constant assurance of the presence of Christ. As chaplains become fully present to prisoners who are suffering, there is the same solidarity with them in their suffering as Christ offers us in our experience of pain. The good news is that in this solidarity there is celebration of life and togetherness. This good news can then be shared with other inmates who do not come to the chapel but might have even greater needs.
Michel's greatest sense of satisfaction is derived from seeing the Gospel incarnated in the lives of prisoners as they become truly alive in the prison setting.
Through the years, Michel has seen the institution change from a maximum security institution to a medium and back to a max. At the time it was originally a maximum security institution there was a good chapel group; it came to an end when the change was made. However, during the year and a half it was a medium security institution the open doors allowed a healthy community to develop within the chapel.
56 Prison artists transformed the space by creating a huge mural devoted to the theme of salvation. Three musicians were constantly present, filling the space with music. These musicians helped to organize each of the chapel meetings. The chapel was always open and became home to everyone. The fact that the inmates could be in the chapel unsupervised indicated the confidence the administration had in the program. It became a significant place within the institution. The chapel was accessible to the whole prison population. As inmates visited the chapel Michel was able to make many fine contacts. The program was a great success. It was like a dream come true. Michel was highly esteemed by everyone. When it was announced that Donnacona would become a maximum security institution, everything changed. Michel was devastated. Not only were there new prisoners but the added security would change the atmosphere. The sense of community and vitality were suddenly zapped. He suffered for several reasons. First, the prisoners who had become like family to Michel would suddenly be gone. It was like a great bereavement. Second, it seemed that no one in the institution had a feeling for the dramatic changes in the Chapel program. Third, the injustice perpetrated against inmates cried out to him. In particular, the fact that now prisoners would be taken far from their families as they were sent to other institutions; as well, the new population was transported from a distance, increasing their sense of isolation. He wondered whether he could even continue as a chaplain. For the third time the prison population was being changed. The administration wanted him to remain as chaplain. As a gift, they granted him a two month vacation to rest and prepare for the new challenges of working in a maximum security setting. He went to his office and cried in his suffering. An inmate came in. He was a very special prisoner whom Michel had known for four years. At the beginning he had been at a very low ebb but Michel had seen him through significant personal growth. Seeing Michel crying, he said, "Can't you accept the changes?" "Not at all" was the reply. "But Curé, you've always told us that in any situation or difficulties, we have to accept reality, staying on top of any circumstance; never allowing it to get us down. In order to retain your sense of pride, you have to keep a sense of purpose even though it will not change the circumstances." Michel countered, "That's right. But I have also have said that if I am suffering and when I see something wrong I have to express it since the suffering is very real." He responded, "It is not the changes that are breaking you up but rather I perceive that in your heart of hearts you know that you have to stay here."
57 At this moment of despair, it was an inmate with whom Michel had shared the Gospel who now turned and ministered to him, showing a deep understanding of his suffering and solidarity in his pain. As a result Michel was left with the inner strength and resolve to carry on. The whole experience taught him a lot. Just before arriving in Winnipeg as he was thinking about the conference, another verse spoke to his heart: "Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty." II Cor. 8:9 The richness of chaplaincy is not in pastoral success but in letting go of one's interests, accomplishments, ego and "personal empire". To relinquish all is a gift of grace. In Michel's case it has left him at peace - happy and ready to go back into service in Donnacona Max - rich in his poverty. And this is not unlike the reality of prisoners who, themselves, are called to become rich within their own circumstance of poverty. Orville Andres Chaplain at Saskatchewan Penitentiary and Farm The story you are about to hear is my story. It is a story of failure, struggle and pain; but out of the failure came victory, out of the pain and brokenness; healing and growth and a deeper appreciation for life, out of the struggle (the struggle goes on) faith and trust, a trust that no matter what, God is with me bringing the broken pieces of my life together. He is the Potter - that's hard to remember. Let me give you a little background - it all began over 60 years ago in the middle of the Prairies in a little teacherage where I was born. The next year Dad left teaching and moved to the homestead in Northern Saskatchewan. It was there I grew up, attended school and thought I had become a man. The first two years of school went well. I remember winning prizes for my work. Then in grade three, a teacher forced me to change from using my left hand to using my right hand. That year I failed because of my attitude to the teacher. The rest of my schooling was a nightmare with another failure in grade five. Now I am thankful for the local school board, who dealt with me at the time, when they could have sent me to a reform school. All through my life there have been people who have encouraged me and urged me on when I didn't believe in myself. I should tell you that I am dyslexic and also tone deaf - every word needs to be memorized for I am not able to hear the difference between a "B" or a "P".
58 Our home was a religious home, the Bible was read everyday and never a meal without a prayer. The community where we went to church was an evangelical fundamental community. It was there I learned to see God as a demanding God and one to be feared, and to see myself as the awful person I was. My sins were ever before me and kept multiplying. Deep within I wanted to do right, but the will and the insight needed was missing. I left home after High School and spent a year at various jobs. There was a desire to learn more, but without High School - University was out, and besides, I thought I didn't have what it took. The only think for me was to go to Bible School, so I enroled in a small Bible School. This was a great experience for me and it was the first for me to complete something. It was after the first year that I made a commitment and promise to serve God with my life. I joined the Church and was baptized. The best thing that ever happened in my life, happened here - for here I met the lady of my dreams. Now some 36 years later what a companion Kay is. She stood with me through difficult times, and in her loving and patient way, continues to work at the rough edges of my life.
We spent several years farming; here two of our three boys were born. We did well and loved it, but I was dissatisfied and felt the call of God upon my life. In 1962 we sold out and went to a little community 150 miles North of here - Loon Straits to minister, it was here that Kevin was born. This was a good experience and friendships made then still remain. Through accidents and sickness the community nearly died out and we were asked to fill in at Cross Lake. Here I began to gain a new understanding of God's love, I realized if I was going to continue in the ministry that more education was needed. I enroled at CMBC and the University of Manitoba. At the end of two years I was two courses short of my degree - for me it was unbelievable, the required courses were picked up later, and I received my degree. Prince Albert here we come! A little Mennonite Church needed a pastor - we accepted the call. The work was exciting and rewarding, membership doubled, a new Church was built. My love was working with young people at camps and wilderness canoe trips. Something went wrong, more pieces feel out of place. I struggled with suicide, resigned from the pastorate, a very painful experience: failure again. But now God took the broken pieces and the process of building began. I had to learn that Jesus loved me with my feet of clay and my left hand. That was a very special revelation and soon victory was gained over and I never returned to suicide temptation again. It came when I realized that Satan was the enemy and he wanted to destroy and the Jesus was the Victor.
59 It was at this point that I became involved with the Prison Ministry. Here I came into my own. Here I let go and let God - if its to happen Lord - its up to you. I describe it this way - before there was this wheelbarrow with a flat tire and I was pushing for all I was worth, now the wheelbarrow is gone, and the pushing is left to God. My prayer and desire is to work and be as effective as possible - only let God do the pushing - what a change ... work became a lot of fun. For 9 years Kay and I worked together in the P2P program and carry many fond memories from that experience. The P2P program is growing well in Prince Albert, as well as the Community Chaplaincy program. A year of crisis in the Spring of 1978. I was taken hostage and left for dead. Then a few months later, a policeman is at our door with the news that our son has died, pain so great that we couldn't feel the ground under our feet. Failure again, only this time as a father. Then in Fall our phone rings again, and my Dad had been killed in a car accident. This was a very difficult time and without friends and God, we would not have made it through. This was also the year that we built our house and I often wonder where I would be today without it.
Here, I could work away and let the tears flow, here friends came and helped. For example, the floor was nailed down in one evening with the help of friends. On another occasion the whole house was painted in three hours.
Life moved on and out of the brokenness ... pieces are falling into place. New joy, new strength and understanding, yet some very deep struggles of faith. Oh, I came so close to throwing it all away, but then my faith became my own and this was a turning point for me. As I mentioned earlier, my understanding of God was not healthy. He was not my friend, more he was my Lord, and I feared him. Then in Kingston, Don introduced me to Creation Theology and what a change. Now I see God at work within me - he is creating a new person. Healing is taking place, hope is alive.
Life goes on, there are now 2 more women in my life, a daughter-in -law and a granddaughter. There is much more that could be said. Sr. Agnès Léger
Chaplain at Atlantic Institution
I returned from South America in the summer of 1981. This was my own decision; I'd found my 7 years experience down there was wonderful but deep down I felt that it was really not my line of work, just as previously after 7 years of teaching in New Brunswick I had the feeling that I had not found my niche.
60 So, here I was back from Colombia, certain that I would not go back into teaching, but having no idea of where I would eventually end up. And although I didn't show it, I was rather worried of being considered a floater, unable to settle down (of course, this fear of being judged in this way was entirely my own imagination and I was projecting this onto others). It was suggested that I take the year to readjust to Canada, to go back to school if I wanted. Trying to find some direction, I registered for 3 courses at the university: counselling, social development and gerontology. Around Christmas, Sister Gloria Boudreau, a chaplain at Dorchester Penitentiary, dropped by the house where I was staying. When we ran into one another she stopped me and asked, "You don't happen to know anyone who could put in about 20 hours a week at Springhill?" She explained that they needed someone bilingual on their team and thought that it would be nice to have another woman. ... Well, I knew one person who had the tiMe ... as Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: "I who speak to you am he" - on the one hand, I found this proposal very attractive but at the same time there was another force inside telling me "You would never be able to do that." Finally she got me to agree to meet with the chaplains at Springhill, even if I was thinking of not taking the job. But there seemed to be something in her smile which said "mission accomplished". I had one meeting, then a second, and before I knew it I was starting work at Springhill on February 1. Memorable Moments
I recall the words of Father Bob Hallet, a chaplain who had impressed me greatly. When I asked him "just exactly what would my job here entail?", he replied, "at the institution, we have hired psychiatrists, case management workers, and psychologists. As for you, a chaplain, we ask you to care." I can assure you that over the years these words have often helped to put me back on the right track. Whenever I was feeling really helpless when faced with the fellows' problems, whenever I cried with anger over this powerlessness, someone would kindly remind me "are you caring?"... And so, slowly I could feel my spirits beginning to lift. remember nearly a year later still being amazed at the nature of my work and saying to my Mother Superior "Can you imagine ..., I actually get paid to love!" Ever since I was 7 or 8 years old when my whole family left Fitchburg, Massachusetts, to visit my big sister in the convent, there had always been something inside me that said I would like one day to own a bed and breakfast inn.
61 It is perhaps in part, due to my childhood dream that I began to think over the possibility that inmates' wives, mothers and girlfriends could stay with us during their visits to Dorchester or Springhill. And so my friends and I started to share our quarters and our meals with inmates relatives whenever the occasion presented itself.
But one day, we received a terrible shock. Francine, the wife of an inmate ... pretty, tall, with beautiful dark eyes but with a very fragile make-up, was recovering from severe depression. Francine hung herself at our place. I can tell you that a whole host of feelings and emotions spilled forth: guilt, resentment, fear, anger, shame ... I had to confront these feelings as best as could be expected and carry on rather than quitting; little by little, a balance was reestablished.
One other thing that happened which shook me up occurred about 2 years later. Since my work at the institution was part-time, sometimes I would go to one or another of the half-way houses in the region to chat or have a coffee with the former inmates. As well, in the past, I had invited an inmate on conditional release whose family lived far away to come and spend the weekend at our place. This had worked out well and so I thought about asking a second inmate. The first visit went perfectly well ... on the second visit however, he left having cleaned out our cash box of $1200. (Normally we don't keep that kind of money around the house, but one of my companions was going to be travelling in a few days and we had withdrawn the money from the bank.) Apparently the fellow had been drinking and had fallen back into his alcoholic behaviour. About an hour or two after first discovering the empty cash box, I went to open one of my drawers where I had been keeping about $40 US - just in case I ever went on an unexpected trip - and well, the $40 was no longer there either. Well, I would not wish such an experience on anyone but you do learn things about yourself, let me tell you. You see, when the money missing from the cash box, well of course, it was terrible but now that $40 had been taken from my drawer, it was entirely different - he had done this to me! My anger shifted onto overdrive, and what came out of this nun's mouth ... well let's just say that it wasn't too catholic. It was a good thing that I was alone in the house when I opened the drawer. Finally, the guy went to the police in Halifax four days later and upon his return to prison asked if he could work in the nursery (where inmates make the equivalent of minimum wage on the street) and within a few months he had repaid every cent. As well, he wrote to us - both to me and to my companions - saying that he hoped that in time we would be able to forgive him.
62 It was at about that same time that I had been hearing about restorative justice - one evening several weeks before, I had even organized a discussion group with the theme "Dialogue on Crime" during which we dealt with the notion of a justice which restores, which would help in the healing process and in reconciliation.
Despite the roller-coaster of emotions within me - sometimes outraged at the betrayal of confidence, sometimes worried about what would happen to the guy, I thought we could perhaps have a get together where we each told our side of the story we could have looked for solutions together. But I could tell from the anger expressed by some of the management at Springhill that this would never be allowed. And what I found most painful about this entire episode, worse than the theft itself which was bad enough, was the reaction back at the institution, especially from the management. Had I been romantically involved with this fellow? If I had been this naive, then perhaps inmates would be able to convince me to bring drugs in for them, and other such comments. Deep down, I now see that it was not that management was being unkind by making such statements. But, my self-confidence, my assurance of who I was had obviously weakened. I depended on positive feedback from others. For several months, I went through a kind of depression in the sense that I would cry for no reason at all, I was racked with self-doubt about my sense of judgement (even though I had gone over all the steps leading up to the incident and had spoken to others who assured me that they too had had the same positive impression about the guy). But the worst was that I had a feeling that something inside me had broken, had shattered and could no longer be put back together. But yes indeed, day by day, things began to fall slowly back into place.
And so, two years later, Pierre asked me if I would go to Renous institution for a year. The two chaplains were leaving and if we could have someone with a bit of experience at least to start. Pierre, ... why did you have to ask me? Yes, by now I was back on my feet again, but just barely, and surely it would not be good to put me through this so soon. Atlantic Institution had been experiencing all sorts of problems. At any rate, I agreed to go there for 3 months but needless to say it was a step backwards. After being there about ten days, I recall singing while I walking along a corridor. "Stop that," I told myself, "You're not supposed to feel good in here." However, it didn't take long for me to realize that I was there for a purpose. During my 7 years at Springhill, I had never really needed to use my Spanish. But within six weeks of my arrival at Renous, we received, shall we say, a contingent of 7 Latin Americans.
63 I am not one who readily sees the hand of God in events. But for this, I would not be here. In March 1990, one of my companions, one of the 6 nuns with whom I was living, was shot and killed in the church in our little town of Baie Ste. Anne. To this day, no one has figured out a motive. However, a man has been arrested and found guilty of the murder. (For about 2 months he was incarcerated at Renous). When all this happened, I found myself troubled by my reaction or more precisely my lack of reaction. I did not understand why I was not disgusted, horrified by such a senseless act which struck so close to home. Was it because of the work we do - when we try to listen to inmates in a compassionate and non-judgemental manner, do we become somewhat immune to shock, scandal and horror ... to pain even. Or is it what we call grace of the moment? The type of grace that comes to us only at times of suffering or yet is it like being in the eye of the hurricane where there is a sort of peacefulness, a paradoxical calm? I don't know. I only know that now my non-reaction no longer scares me. I accept it for what it is. If one day some event, or word or thought sheds more light on the matter, that's fine, but if not I think that I can live with things just the way they are. The very evening that Florine was killed I was in the Moncton hospital visiting a 44 year old inmate who had just had a kidney removed, and whose mother had died three days earlier. This inmate learned eight months later that he had a cancerous tumour on the brain and that possibly the cancer had spread throughout his body. Earl, who was serving two life sentences, was a big, strong man who had lifted weights all his life, an individual who had a crude exterior but a splendid, generous heart and a great love of children. He always came to mass every Sunday and to the fellowship meetings on Thursday evening as well. Well, Earl spent almost all his time in the chapel for the remaining two months of his life. For Randy, the other chaplain, and myself these two months were a truly special occasion, bringing unexpected feeling of respect and admiration and of profound truth. Not that it was always easy or nice to have Earl around. One moment we could go from extreme frustration at his stubbornness to being completely disarmed by his simplicity and his child-like heart. And I had the privilege of being there when Earl died. It was the first time I was ever present when someone died. And I thanked Earl for having given me that moment. Afterwards, I remembered my reaction at the first Kairos Marathon which I attended at Springhill. I had been deeply moved by the fellows letting us be present as they shared their suffering, their shame and their pain. It seemed like we were entering sacred ground. And it was like that with the death of Earl.
64 It was as if he was allowing me to be there, where it was no longer he who was in control, where he let go of everything, where this man who was once so strong surrendered to weakness in order to make the great journey. I was in the presence of the Holy.
Presence
"The chaplain will be a visible presence within the institution" is what our job description says. Ever since I've been at the Maximum security institution, this phrase has taken on a real meaning for me. A visible presence with no strings attached. I want the quality of my presence to say to the inmate, "I am there because you are there. I am not there for you to fill chairs in the chapel, nor for you to feel obliged to take part in our programs. I am there because you are there, quite simply." And even if I perhaps never say it in words, my presence means that I have great faith in who you are. Rev. Lloyd Withers Chaplain at Millhaven Institution
I have had this conversation with a number of people since I began in Chaplaincy in 1984, and perhaps you have to. You must be a special person to work in a place like that, I couldn't do that. How do you do it? Good question!
How do I do it? I do not see myself as special, just an ordinary person, following a vocation in an extraordinary setting. Which reminds me of a rooster story. Yes, it's time for a rooster story. No, not the rooster story that the Ontario chaplains have heard. I have another. One day, a man was driving in the country, and he saw a rooster with four legs. The rooster started to run and the man followed. The rooster was running 5 kilometres an hour, then ten, twenty and finally 80 kms an hour. Finally he stopped next to a farmer.
"What a rooster", he told the farmer. "He has four legs and he can run up to 80 kms an hour." "Yes, I agree," replied the farmer, " I raised him myself." "But why," questioned the driver. "Because," replied the farmer, "there are four people in my family, and each person likes the drumsticks." "Well, do they taste good?" questioned the driver. "I don't know," replied the farmer, "I've never been able to catch him!"
65 Correctional Service of Canada. Good idea at the time, now it's a strange beast and hard to keep in the corral, if you don't mind the mixed images. And we as chaplains are even stranger yet with the scheme of things like no one else in our unique positions. Because of this atmosphere with its special demands, I have developed a Chaplaincy Kit. I'd like to share with you the contents of the kit. PIN TO BURST THE ILLUSIONS
Chaplaincy is not what it appears to be from the outside. I have known some chaplains who entered into chaplaincy with the notion that this type of ministry would provide them with the affirmation which they needed. And they were sadly mistaken. Affirmation for what I, we, do is few and far between. It does come, but it comes as a rare gift. Happy with small advances in following the vision. It is not a position of power. If I make it a position of power for myself then I have in some way pervertéd my role. That is not to say that I cannot have influence in what is going on. Burst the illusion that in every instance there is something I can do, many times I can just be, be for the person. Not an excuse for passivity. Do the risky thing if necessary. Waiting. Patience. Pin to burst the illusions. You might as well do it yourself, or you can count on someone else doing it before very long. TOILET PAPER
There is a saying inside prison. Shit happens, (if you don't mind the expression). If you are involved in chaplaincy, then you know what the expression means. Shit happens. This is a theological statement.
Catholic: If shit happens, I deserve it. Protestant: Why doesn't this shit happen to someone else? Buddhist: This shit has happened to me before. Jewish: Why does this shit always happen to us? One of the memorable incidents occured in my chaplaincy a number of years ago. I escorted an inmate to his father's funeral in Ottawa. Following the funeral, we were driving downtown Ottawa from the cemetery, the individual threw open the car door, and started running down the sidewalk. I tried to follow him in the car, and I yelled at him to stop. I finally blocked the sidewalk with the car and ordered him to stop. He ran across the traffic to the other side of the street and I lost him. I followed all the procedures; called the police, and contacted the institution. had a great feeling of despair. One of the police officers said "It's going to be a lonely supper at MacDonald's tonight".
66 Me, "How could he do this to me, after all, I'm a nice guy. Didn't I just take him to his father's funeral. How could he do this to me?" Only answer is "Shit happens". It's part of the business in chaplaincy. One of the most memorable parts of the whole affair was a matter of grace. When I returned to Frontenac Institution, the volunteer training program was in progress, and Chris Carr and Norm Barton were both there that evening. I had the opportunity to debrief with two people I trust and respect. It wasn't so much what they said, but that they were there. I felt cared for. I have seen the best and some of the worst of the human condition. One prisoner reaching out to another in care and compassion. One man brutally murdered by another. A person crying healing tears of reconciliation with self, another and God. BIBLE
Copy of your scriptures; what it's about, servanthood, powerlessness, who is in control. Confronted, not calling people sinners during my chapel services, berating them of their condition, and need of forgiveness. How many times Jesus calls people sinners? It's a good enough model for me, one I personally follow. Aware of the paradox that we did create with the potential for great creativity and equal destructiveness. At the same time we balance realism with the idealism we reach out towards God's kingdom, not ours. ROUND TUIT Things you've never had time to do until you got "a-round-tuit:" special project in ministry, personal or professional retreat, continuing education. Even apostle Paul, at his major review so to speak, when asked about stress control, talks about himself being a tentmaker. ELASTIC BAND
When things get bad, put it around your forehead. Snap yourself out of it. Then use your round tuit to explore the wider meaning of vocation. Time for all of us will come to move to other chicken coops. May God add blessing to you and those that God has put in your life these days.
67 WORKSHOPS
The following material is based on submissions from rapporteurs, prepared texts and handouts. WORKSHOP 3- PASTORAL COUNSELLING WITH PETER GRAY
(Rapporteur: Ray Abadicio) The workshop was process-oriented and evocative. Informal conversations with participants indicated a desire to have more of this type of workshop in the future. A "workbook" type of handout was used. Participants could fill in the details within the given outline which was as follows:
I THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF MASCULINITY A. The Deficit Model of Manhood "men are women with disabilities" B. Male Socialization Separateness: Men want to make mark in the world. They have few friends to get close to. When they are anxious they distance themselves. Hard to talk about feelings. Therapist needs to use feeling words. Rationality: Men need to be responsible for the content of therapy. Distinguish between person and behaviour. Competence: Work is used an excuse to distance, never home, problem with addictions. Control, Power, Competitiveness: Domination.
68 II FORMING AN ALLIANCE A. Invitation to responsibility B. Polarized Reactivity to Shame
C. "Myth of the Monolithic Self"
III THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMPATHY A. Intent vs. Behaviour:
"Get in touch with own pain. Repressed pain explodes." B. Wounded Men C. Learning to Shudder D. Restoring the Interpersonal Bridge Issues Raised in discussion
1. Men have role in solving men's problems, possibly through men's groups.
2. Women are getting tired of waiting for men to step down. 3. Victims of abuse need to validate their pain. 4. There is a need for dialogue. 5. Men need to get nourishment from other men (fathers, elders, male role models, etc.) 6. Chaplains are spiritual leaders, not therapists. WORKSHOP 4 GRIEF, SHAME AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION,
Leader: Rev. Don Misener
Synopsis
"Freedom from Inner Prisons" - reflections of a Prison Chaplain on the topics of shame, grief and institutionalization as they apply to his own story and his ministry to the imprisoned, with particular attention on the issue of institutionalization.
69 Preface
What does the topic of this presentation have to do with restorative justice? I think it has much more to do with it than we might think at first glance. I believe it has to do with taking restorative justice home to ourselves. If justice is to be restorative there must be the combination of both judgement which calls us to truth combines with mercy which gives us room to change. That is my understanding of the Old Testament concept of justice. Much of our difficult being just in our relationships with others has-to do with maintaining this balance of judgement and mercy. This is no less the case when it comes to being just toward ourselves.
Reflection on my own journey coupled with over 20 years of experience educating clergy convinces me that it is mercy where we most often short-change ourselves in the quest for justice. Carl Jung, The Swiss pioneer in the study of the,human psyche arrived at the same conclusion in 1933:
"That I feed the hungry, that I forgive an insult, that I love my enemy in the name of Christ - all these are undoubtedly great virtues. What I do unto the least of my brethren, that I do unto Christ. But what if I should discover that the least amongst them all, the poorest of all the beggars, the most impudent of all the offenders, the very enemy himself - that these are within me, and that I myself stand in need of the alms of my own kindness - that I myself am the enemy who must be loved - what then? As a rule, the Christian's attitude is them reversed; there is no longer any question of love of long-suffering; we say to the brother within us "Raca," and condemn and rage against ourselves. We hide it from the world; we refuse to admit ever having met this least among the lowly in ourselves. Had it been God himself who drew near to us in this despicable form, we should have denied him a thousand times before a single cock has crowed." Modern Man in Search of a Soul p. 235
In so far as we have difficulty maintaining the crucial balance of judgement and mercy toward ourselves, we will have difficulty maintaining it in relationship with others.
Jesus is right - love of neighbour is directly connected with love of ourselves.
If we as Prison Chaplains are to be effective communicators of restorative justice to others - be they offenders, prison staff, families of offenders, victims, the church or the community we must be prepared to take restorative justice home to ourselves. It is my prayer that this workshop will contribute to this end.
70 THEME INTRODUCTION In the medium security Provincial Correctional Centre where I serve as Co-ordinating Chaplain and CPE Teaching Supervisor there are three banners in the Chapel which express fundamental realities about the road to spiritual freedom. The banner in the centre of the wall behind the communion table pictures a man with arms upraised. On his chest is a heart behind a locked prison door. In his left hand is a key. The writing on the banner reads "Freedom from the Inner Prison." To the right of this banner is another which depicts a fork in the road and quotes Deuteronomy 30:19 "Choose Life". To the left of the centre banner is the third. It pictures the same forked road from another perspective and contains the most repeated phrase in both old and new testaments - "Be not afraid". Together these three banners capture important realities that are essential to address by all who find themselves in prison. As my friend and co-worker John Brooks concludes on the basis of his 20 year experience as an inmate in federal prisons, most of it in maximum security institutions, "There is no prison more oppressive than the inner prison". Each of know personally something about this prison. Its bars are named secrets, memories, hurts, losses, fear, resentment, jealousy, guilt, shame and the like. Freedom from this prison has to do with a choice - the choice of life. Choosing life demands that we recognize and accept the reality of inner imprisonment, take responsibility for our situation and invest our energy to address it. Along side this step of taking charge there is an equally important one of coming to terms with fear. Fear is a primary road-block to change. It is in face of the reality of fear that I encourage offenders to get to know the one who so often said to his followers "Be not afraid." In relationship to the living Christ a way can be found for us to address and to surrender fear. There is much we can and must do to identify and research our fears. Deliverance from fear however, takes more than our doing. We need a Higher Power. Jesus, for me, is a presence in relationship to whom the fear can be addressed so the key can find its way to unlock the inner prison door. In the process or helping offenders face the reality of the inner person. I am finding there are two issues which need particular attention - toxic shame and unresolved grief. Facing these tow is easier said than done because both of them are highly charged emotionally. As a result, there is strong resistance to facing them. It is at this point of resistance that institutionalization comes into the picture. Experience convinces me that institutionalization is not only an expression of the need for dependency on external systems of control but more important is a means to avoid facing the emotionally charged realities of toxic shame and unresolved grief. Resentment for the system is a convenient diversion of focus from the inner woundedness which keeps the inner prison secure. 71 It also absolves offenders from taking responsibility for their lives. Institutionalization, understood in this way becomes a key issue to address for freedom from the inner prison. What I now propose to do is briefly defined what I mean by toxic shame and unresolved grief. Then I will describe more fully the phenomenon of institutionalization and make some connections between institutionalization, toxic shame and unresolved grief. The third and final part of the workshop is the most important. I believe that the fundamental determinant of our effectiveness as prison chaplains is the ministry of presence. If the ministry of presence is to be authentic, we must be intentional about doing our homework concerning our own woundedness. To be really present with those who are locked up in the inner prison we must be on the road of dealing with our own inner imprisonment. An exploration of how we are institutionalized is one way to contribute to this end. Once I've shared some of my own discoveries of institutionalization, there will be an opportunity in small groups for you to respond to this theme from the perspective of your own experience.
TOXIC SHAME John Bradshaw has been my most helpful educator regarding toxic shame and its power. He describes shame as a healthy human emotion which alerts us to our humanness, is the source of humility and a fundamental component of a healthy spirituality. It is in its toxic form that shame becomes destructive. Shame is toxic when it leads to an identity of being flawed in our essence. Toxic shame leaves us with the sense of being unclean, unacceptable and inferior. Bradshaw maintains that toxic shame is directly connected to addictions as well as a major cause of anxiety disorders, psychopathology, violence and criminal behaviour. It is also toxic shame that transforms Chaplains from human beings into human doings. Since we are flawed in our being we must somehow through our work earn an acceptance we don't feel. But becoming a workaholic, even in the name of Christ, does not eliminate the problem. Bradshaw concludes "Toxic shame has the quality of being irremedial. If I am flawed, defective and a mistake, then there is nothing that can be done about me. Such belief leads to impotence. Toxic shame also has the quality of circularity. Shame begets shame... It is this dead end quality of shame that makes it so hopeless." (Healing The Shame that Binds You p. 23) Spiritually toxic shame leaves us feeling we have somehow committed the unforgivable sin. According to Bradshaw, shame becomes toxic in the context of the child's experience of abandonment through physical desertion, neglect, abuse, emotional withdrawal or enmeshment in the family system.
72 Conversations with offenders quickly reveal how much toxic shame they harbour. We may not so quickly identify our own toxic shame but its there. We all know what it is to be abandoned in one way or another. And whatever toxic shame we bring with us into prison ministry will be aggravated by our experience because the prison system in which we work is profoundly shaming. It is thus essential that we be alert to this issue and attentive to our own needs for healing the shame that binds us to the inner prison.
GRIEF Another bar in the door of the inner prison is unresolved grief. It was Charles Taylor who first alerted me to the importance of this issue for offenders. He writes "When the Chaplain meets with a group of new prisoners in reception it may seem at first glance that they are anything but in a state of grief. There may be a brashness, hostility, and arrogance about them which speaks of hardness, violence and the lack of sensitivity. At least this may be the outward appearance which they wish to give to others as well as to themselves. When we reflect on it, however, it seems difficult to imaging that men can be torn away from their gang, their friends, and their family without experiencing a sense of loss. Indeed, their arrogance, brashness and hostility may well represent the mask behind which they hide their grief." (That They May Have Life. p. 44) More recently Arthur H. observes: "Over the years, as I listened to close to two thousand native patients share their inner problems and hurts I begin to see a pattern. Almost everyone was bothered by the same two problems - unfinished grieving and separation from their parents during childhood or early teenage years. There were also having difficulty with alcohol and drug addiction, but these seemed to be an attempt to escape the pain of other very deep emotional hurts. During these years, I came to understand that until both the emotional and the addiction problems are dealt with, even most of those who are converted to Christ are going to suffer relapses indefinitely." (The Grieving Indian, Preface.) For grief to be healed there just be : • acceptance of the reality of the loss • expression of the pain of grief • adjustment to the environment in which that was lost or is missing • withdrawal of emotion energy and reinvestment of it William Wordon author of Grief Counselling and Grief Therapy calls these the four tasks of mourning and concludes that mourning is only complete when the tasks are done.
73 I have found few offenders who have begun this inner work,. When you add to the losses of people through death all the other losses they are experiencing - material losses, relationship losses other than through death, inner losses, physical losses as a result of accidents or aging, role losses as a result of crime, economic factors and life stages then we may begin to experience the importance of this issues for offenders. There is no time in life when some form of loss is not being experienced by offenders and by ourselves. Here also we need to be attentive to the need to grieve our own losses. Otherwise we will likely unconsciously fall into the conspiracy of silence that will leave us feeling more secure. Tragically, however, it will be the security of the inner prison.
INSTITUTIONALIZATION For Offenders, institutionalization has to do with an attempt to escape from the reality of inner imprisonment by escaping into an external prison. Survival in a prison demands submission to a flow of life that is determined by others. Institutionalization is the consequence of successful adaption. The question I raise is why? Who do offenders pay the price? I believe they accept all the misery of prison in part because in enables them to avoid the reality of their inner condition. Resentment toward the system is so easy to justify. It also makes it possible to divert the focus of attention to the system and those who represent it. Then the offender can assume his favourite role - that of the victim. The problem is not so much that offenders become institutionalized - this is an essential adjustment for survival in prison especially when they have a long sentence to serve. The problem is in not admitting it. The admission of being Institutionalized is of the same importance as alcoholics admitting they are alcoholic. Without such a surrender to the truth energy gets exhausted in projection, blaming, rationalizations, denial and the like, when the reality is that no matter how much offenders hate prison and have reason to hate, they also welcome it. It was a paper published in 1966 by a counselling supervisor in San Quenton titled "The Concrete Womb" that first alerted me to institutionalization. John Brooks, who was for 20 years a Federal prison inmate, his wife Joan who is a former classification officer and I have been researching this topic for 2 years and we have concluded that all three of us are institutionalized. While I have not had much success getting offenders to admit it when its named by somebody, offenders can identify with someone like John, I've been amazed at how quickly they acknowledge its reality. I have also been impressed by how much the admission of institutionalization helps them to invest more honestly in facing reality and accepting responsibility.
74 I believe an important reason institutionalization of offenders is unaddressed is the institutionalization of staff. There is a conspiracy of silence. After a presentation on this topic to staff one of the shift workers at our Centre he stated that he was "organically hooked to the system". On his days off he found that he continued to remain in the time flow of the Centres three shift routines. Its not only shift workers who are institutionalized - all of us are. If we are to be credible advocated of honesty about this issue we had best start with ourselves.
When it comes to making connections between institutionalization toxic shame and unresolved grief the pieces of the puzzle begin to form a picture that helps me make some sense of my own experiences and observations of other prison staff. There is the connection between institutionalization and shame. When being associated with a prison is so shame-filled to admit a dependency to that place is very humiliating. This fuels the denial of institutionalization. The harshness and cynicism of prison life erodes self-esteem and this may raise questions about suitability for any other call. As a result dependency on the system deepens and with it so does out institutionalization. There are also connections between unresolved grief and institutionalization. Working in a prison exposes me daily to the macho attempt to cope with sadness and hurt - deny it and harden to it. This discourages allowing ourselves to experience the hurt which in turn short-circuits healing. This leaves me more and more dependent on the environment that supports this way of coping. The more hurt I swallow the more fear there is about ever addressing it and the vicious cycle grinds on leaving me feeling more and more trapped in the system. The end result is institutionalization with all its demons of emotional deadening, interpersonal distancing, self-doubt and spiritual exhaustion.
CONCLUSION: Then Jesus told his disciples "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 16:24, 25 N.R.S.V.) I believe the self-denial Jesus calls us to undertake is in part a denial of the defensive systems we have in place to keep us from having to face the bars of our own inner prisons. We become convinced somewhere along the way that these defensive systems would enable us to save our life so we brought into them. We even learned how to dress them up in pious religious language so they would appear to be virtues. Jesus invites us to lose the life that keeps the inner prison securely in place. To respond to Jesus' invitation involves trusting at greater depth His power to save our life. Only then will we be willing to risk surrendering our futile attempts to save ourselves.
75 It is not easy to admit I am institutionalized because I like to leave others with the impression that I'm fully in control. Nor is it easy to name the sources of my toxic shame or enter into the valley of the shadow of death where I am faced with my unresolved griefs. But it does have something more to offer than maintaining the inner prison. It offers the hope of new vitality for living and the discovery of greater freedom to become the person the Creator intended me to be. That, in my judgement, makes all the risks worth taking. VWKWOP5: IWAC7YCAUASSLTSBJlüESIORAIIIEJWSIICE Leader: Marc Gallant
INTRODUCTION Greetings. I'm honoured and happy to have the opportunity to talk to you about such an exciting concept as restorative justice. I'm humble when I consider that I am talking to experts in this field. This topic of Restorative Justice or reconciliation is, in my view, at the core of your ministry. Jean Vanier said "The whole of the message of Jesus is to forgive - to teach us to forgive. The aim is to transform violence into tenderness." LaRouchefoucould said "We pardon as we love". This is evidently not a new idea. It dates from Biblical times. There appears to be entrenched in us a profound need for reparation of the harm we do. The Jewish have their day of atonement, Yon Kippur which means to purge. The muslims have a whole month of atonement - Ramadan. The traditional Native focus on Justice has been restorative. As this concept is an integral part of your everyday life, I do not pretend to teach you something new. I will rather share my perspectives as a former public servant and will try to help you remember what you already know.
76 Definition of restorative justice Restorative Justice is a model that aims to restore peace, security and broken relationships resulting from a criminal offence. It focuses on conflict between and attempts to resolve this conflict. One effective method to achieve this is through victim-offender reconciliation service. This is a process where both parties meet with a mediator and try to negotiate a resolution to the conflict. Both relate their perception of the event, the facts and emotions. The mediator creates a secure environment, helps clarify the concerns and facilitates the discussion to achieve an agreement that is acceptable and restorative for both parties. Implications far victims The victim, as an active, central participant, relates the facts, the emotions and personal impact of the event. By questioning the offender directly, can assess the state of mind and motivation of the offender. The victim can express personal needs and help determine the form and substance of compensation. The victim can accept the apology and offer restitution and finally forgive. It often occurs that the victim provides tangible help to restore the offender to the community. In such a process the victim is empowered and achieves healing of the hurt resulting from the crime. Implications for offenders The offender has an opportunity to perceive directly the trauma caused by the criminal behaviour. He/she is held accountable, can acknowledge responsibility not only for the offence, but also for reparation which may include financial restitution. He/she can express guilt, shame, remorse, the sense of loss and rejection which often follows a crime. He/she can express the pain and desperation that often precedes criminal behaviour. According to some experts, offender react to their crime either by trying to undo the harm they have done or by trying to justify their behaviour. If they do not deal with the guilt they are more like to try to justify the offence. The mediation process allows the offender to be restored to the community.
77 Implications far the community
The community benefits in a direct fashion as the painful conflicts of its members are resolved.
The mediation provides an opportunity to teach non violent conflict resolution. There is a restoration of security in the community. Personal relationships of the involved partied (and their families) are strengthened.
Reconciliation often results not only of a return to previous state but to an improved state. If two individuals experience such an intense personal process, both are likely to come out with an increased sense of well being.
The financial cost would be considerably less than incarceration if reconciliation occurs before sentencing.
Compare this process to our present system, where the victim is either ignored or feels like a tool to help the prosecution punish the offender. The offender is demeaned by a system, that discourages personal responsibility and emphasizes retribution. The community is also penalized by festering conflicts, increasing costs of our punishment oriented system and welfare costs to support families of incarcerated offenders. Some research finding of VORP A number of studies in the U.S., Europe and Canada indicate that VORP results in high level of victim and offender satisfaction, a higher level of compensation paid to victims that the court imposed restitution. Also offenders are more likely to assume responsibility for their actions.
It is suggested that one of the reasons for such results is the direct involvement of both parties in the solution. It is not an imposed solution on two passive parties as is the case with our current Justice system.
Practical issues
In some way the concept of restorative justice appears revolutionary.
This becomes apparent when we compare our present approach to crime and the criminal code which was developed to punish the guilty. How then do we start this revolution? In many ways it has already started as revolutions begin with ideas and develop into movements.
78 In Canada the movement began in Ontario in 1974. It spread to the U.S., then to Europe. In June, I attended the U.S. National victim-offender mediation conference in North Caroline. There were people from all the States, Canada and even Eastern Europe.
Eastern Europeans are keenly interested in this concept. There are a number of American mediators conducting training sessions in the Eastern bloc countries. Several American states are considering laws to make reconciliation service more widely available. In recent legislation, Indiana gave victims the right to participate in mediation. Most of the mediation service in the U.S. are privately operated. However, there is a growing number of publicly funded programs. One concern expressed by some American reformers, is that mediation has not decreased incarceration as they had intended. One reason is that many petty cases are referred to mediation, who would not normally enter the system. Referrals, in the U.S., are generally made by district attorneys.
They are still hesitant to refer serious cases despite the successful results in mediated violent situations. Some practioners claim that mediation is particularly effective for violent cases. New York state has had much success with violent offenders.
In Canada, the spirit of Restorative Justice has influenced a number of documents, studies, proposals and pilot projects. The various diversion programs and community service orders, contain some of the elements of reconciliation. This is particularly applicable to juvenile initiatives. However no community service orders has the impact of the intimate face to face encounter of direct mediation. Some government studies specifically refer to the needs of victims. In 1988 the federal and provincial ministers responsible for criminal justice stated that "Victims would receive through formal and informal procedures, prompt and fair redress for the harm they have suffered."
There are now a number of provincially operated victim services across the country.
The mission statements of the Correctional Service of Canada and the National Parole Board both refer to their willingness to address the needs of victims. In the past this has meant providing information to victims and occasionally receiving the victims impact statement.
79 The Correctional Service of Canada has recently demonstrated its commitment to victims, by funding a victim-offender reconciliation project in B.C. This is under the direction of Dave Gustaf son. have been a few other attempts in other instances. There Dorchester brought a group of victims to the institution to meet with some inmates. The assessment of those involved was very positive.
There are several non government proposals that specifically advocate victim-offender reconciliation. The Church Council on Justice and Corrections has been urging this for years.
Despite the expressed willingness of provincial and federal governments to address victims' needs, there is no evidence yet of a commitment through legislation of a systematic universal application of a restorative model. Current laws to not prescribe reconciliation. It does not forbid it either. The various mediation projects in the country are allowed to operate and are willing to cooperate with them, not because they have a legislated mandate to do so.
In my view, we will only have a universal restorative model when all victims in this country have a legislative right to such a service.
To achieve this we will need to change the basic concept of criminal Justice from punitive to restorative. We will need to change our belief that crime is primarily a violation of the state to a violation of a person. If we accept this view, the intervention of the state will aim to resolve the conflict between the individuals.
Some years ago, the Solicitor General of Canada suggested legislation that would require courts to justify prison sentences for non violent offenders.
The idea was not pursued or at least did not result in legislative change.
People who are aware of the consequences of incarceration have a responsibility to speak out. Public debate on crime and criminals do not often focus on the innocent victims of incarceration, the children of inmate. Dr. Guy Corneau of Québec recently wrote about the effects of absent fathers on boys in a book called "Absent fathers, lost sons." In this book he warns us of the identity crisis of boys who grow up without a male role model or with fathers who are non expressive.
We and the government have a responsibility to take into account those consequences when we allow our practice of punishment to continue.
80 There is a growing public concern about the plight of victims. Usually the debate focuses on the punishment of offenders as protection of victims. This type of suggestions stems from fear, anger frustration and powerlessness of individuals. Unfortunately this emotion driven rhetoric and resulting publicity, amplify the inaccurate perception of the public. It also created a force that mitigates against real reform. One way to promote reform would be for a national body with sufficient funds to organize a campaign in collaboration'with government agencies. There are numerous ideas that can contribute to the evolution of the model. You can continue funding of demonstration projects, you can apply the principles of reconciliation in your everyday work. It is difficult to bring victims to the institutions, but it is possible to implement some of the values of restoration in your work with offenders. Improving mediation skills would be of value not only for chaplains but also for correctional officers. Why not include inmates in mediation or conflict resolution training? This would likely result in a decrease of violence in the institutions. It would also help improve their social functioning, an area in which many feel inadequate.
This can be done without any change of mandate as it is consistent with the mission statement without being specifically mentioned. If you want to ensure a widespread application, you could include it in your mission statement. Thus it would become an objective of all staff and not just the aim of chaplaincy. In my view, the ideal would be to have a victim offender reconciliation service available at the pre sentence level throughout the system. This would likely decrease the incarceration rates, as the official mandate of the police, prosecution and courts would be to achieve reconciliation not just to obtain convictions and punish the wrong doer. The time may be appropriate right now to initiate a study and formulate recommendations at the national level in the areas of Restorative Justice. The chief Justice of Canada, Antonio Lamer recently orders a review to address the delays in the criminal and civil courts. As you know this is a problem of urgent concern to crown prosecutors, courts, police, advocates of human rights and government.
81 The application of a Restorative Justice model would very likely help resolve the issues identified by our Chief Justice. WORKSHOP 6: THE MEDIA RESTORATIVE OR ANTAGONISTIC? Leader: Russ Loewen Definitions
Community - non-institutionalized part of society
Restorative - builds up community, promotes healing
Antagonistic - pits community against offender
1. Is the media restorative or antagonistic?
Neither, but at times intrusive at a death scene before police or ambulance arrive. May be insensitive in interview with parents of deceased child.
There are degrees of journalism; deal with reputable media, if facts are reported, will the truth get out? One can be vivid without being lurid.
2. What are the responsibilities of Media toward alleged crimes? Avoid trial by media.
3. Who holds media responsible? Is it intended to satisfy victims?
No, just report the facts. However terms like "offender" and "criminal killer" are value laden. No one thought the media was fair. In some cases serious crimes are reported on air before victims families are notified. There is a need for chaplains to develop relationships with the media. WORKSHOP 7: THE CELEBRATION OF RECONCILIATION (THE CELEBRATION OF RECONCILIATION AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE) Leader: Richard Guimond, o.p.
Though it is one of the original contributions that we can bring to
82 the promotion of a restorative and progressive justice, the sacrament of reconciliation is a treasure that we have not always properly benefitted from, as is revealed by the troubled history of this often tarnished sacrament. And yet, as someone wrote in recent years, "at the risk of surprising you, the most beautiful gesture attesting to the resurrection is, in my view, that of forgiveness ... to make peace, or rather to receive the peace delivered by the Resurrected, one need only perform a single gesture to be immediately replenished and born anew. Let us not be afraid of words: this is an phenomenon that partakes of the divine. In our times, there is much talk of scarcity ... but the scarcest resource of all may well be forgiveness." (New rite of the sacrament of penance and of reconciliation - Dec. 2, 1973). The pastoral and doctrinal orientation of the new rite of reconciliation (French: 1978) is set out in the preliminaries ("Praenotanda") which also contain the basic elements of the Theology of the sacrament of penance. The "praenotanda" represent an astute biblical summary that briefly touches on a great many ideas published in the years preceding the promulgation of the new rite. The celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation is made up of four elements: • mutual greeting • receiving the Word of God • acknowledging the love of God as well as our sins • accepting and witnessing God's forgiveness In 1980, the National Office of Liturgy published a short and highly pedagogical document which provided an accurate reflection of the new orientation of the sacrament of reconciliation and, more specifically, the reference to the Word of God. This document proposes a prayer to serve as a prelude to receiving the Word of God and offers a concrete method to "come into contact" with the biblical text, in a coming together that transforms the word text into the Word of God. This stage involves two complementary steps: first, the Word reveals to me the mercy of God the Father. Therefore, my first question ought not to be "What am I doing wrong", but rather "What does God the Father reveal to me about himself". Then, and only then, can I go on to the second step, in which I allow the Word to question my conscience. I need not refer to precepts or lists of sins. Rather, I must allow myself to be questioned by One who loves me, which is an entirely different thing.
83 The booklet cites a very stimulating text that I will repeat here: "When I examine my own life in the light of the Word of God, I discover that I am in the presence of a merciful Father, the Father of all forgiveness who takes an interest in me, who comes to me to transform my heart and free me from sin, who has more confidence in me than I have in myself, and who has only one wish: to show me His love and His mercy. Consequently, I can now open up my life to the Lord, through words and cries that can only emanate from me, for they are the echo of that which I live daily and the resonance of the Word within me" (p. 29). The celebration of penance is one of the privileged sites where we experience the Word of God and, through that Word, are created anew. It is important that we believe in it, although such belief presupposes that we have had the opportunity to experience forgiveness and decisions of reconciliation as the Word of God at work in given life situations. The crucial reference to the Word of God will increasingly compel us to put first things first. However modest it may be, this turning towards the Word of God will bear fruit and bring us to celebrate, above all else, the One who forgives us so freely. It is our faith that is in the balance.
And Jesus Looked at him ... "What is surprising, as soon as we allow ourselves to be transformed in the eyes of Christ", writes René Dufay, "is that, far from taking us backward into an obsessive discovery of our past sins, it takes us forward: our infidelity issues not so much from that which weighed on us yesterday, but from that which makes us act as though tomorrow will never come. It is a grave mistake to interpret the sacrament of penance as reparation for the past when in fact it is a project that looks to the future and offers fresh hope. "Go and sin no more" (John, 8:11) is the final word in the coming together of a human being and Jesus Christ. Our responsibility is to create, at every opportunity, moments of reunion in a context of faith. Acknowledging disagreement, we reject resentment. We are called on to open the doors of the house of welcome, to be a key that unlocks doors rather than closes them, a lamp in the window that beckons to those who have lost their way, "a house where everyone can find a home, be it the publican or the harlot, the wayward or the dutiful son". It will be useful at this juncture, to review the three qualities of Jesus' attitude towards the world:
84 1) A Look of Tenderness and Wonder Jesus looks upon nature, growth and human beings with tenderness and wonder. It is before this look that we place ourselves in our celebrations and our various experiences of forgiveness and resurrection inspired by the Word of God. It was before such a look that the prodigal son found himself, to his great surprise. One can imagine what he felt when he was welcomed not only unconditionally, but with warmth. Contrary to what we might think, indeed to what we too often think, it is unlikely that the quality of this welcome encouraged the son to continue in his prodigal ways. It seems more likely to me that the son went on to do all that he could to respond in kind to the love and the welcome that had been given him so freely. The certainty of being loved is the strongest stimulus for a response in kind to the call of love. (cf. I Will Go to My Father, Novalis, pp. 2-3). 2) A Look of Sadness and Disappointment • Gethsemane: Mt., 26:36-44 • The barren fig tree and the trees without fruit that must be cut down and thrown into the fire: Mt., 3:10; 21:21 • Look of disappointment on those who fall into scandal • The angry encounter with the sellers in the Temple: Mt., 21: 12-13
This look of concern, sadness, disappointment, doubt, and even anger reminds us that the authentically liberating and replenishing forgiveness of which we speak is not given by a carefree and somewhat forgetful Father. When I present myself before God, in the acknowledgement of my sins, He knows my sins far better than I do.
I am not invited to forget but to believe that everything that has been lived can have meaning, can be a "Fortunate Fall" on the road towards God. Therefore, I ask for forgiveness with lucidity, directly from the heart, through a process that involves austerity and even painful effort, since it is difficult to recall one's faults without experiencing a certain degree of disappointment. Forgiveness is not a wink of complicity that makes light of our mediocrity but an exhortation to our sleeping and inconstant hearts: "Go, and sin no more". Because we have worth in the eyes of God, we are offered a freer life, outside the prisons that we build for ourselves and which we must reject through our self- examination, which allows the Word to resonate through the story that is unfolding and of which we are a part.
85 3) A Look of Confidence and Hope
The fig tree has been barren for three years, but we do not despair. The price for tomorrow's fruit is today's pruning. There is no joy for the apple tree in being pruned, but that is the price of next year's fruit. "The pruning shears are the tree's friend". In the heart of the bandit who suffers on the gallows, there is a burst of goodness that kindles hope in the depths of despair: "Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke, 23:42). Christ looked upon Peter with hope, despite the latter's renunciation ... and refused to reduce Peter to that renunciation. I would like to recall an experience of which you have no doubt heard, which took place during Holy Week in 1990 at Penitentiary of Port-Cartier, Québec. I refer to an experience related by Sister Lorraine Caza, CND. (Taken from an article written in the form of a letter and published in the magazine Pastorale Québec in June 1990 .) "You will no doubt remember, M., that moment when, while I was saying how unjust it was to reduce a person to his failings, his misdeeds or his limitations, or to put a label on him which stuck to him forever, you asked to comment and went on to share your experiences with the group. For years, you said, you had been around the same faces at Port-Cartier, and before that at the old penitentiary of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul. You had never said so much as hello to some of them; to you it was unthinkable to speak to them, or to acknowledge them in any way, so heinous did their crimes appear to you. And you asked me for my thoughts. You seemed so open to everything that I was so inadequately expressing in different ways. You understood at once that by seeing your neighbor only as the perpetrator of what, "on the inside", is considered a loathsome crime, you were acting unfairly, because you were overlooking all the good things he may have done in his life. You had adopted toward him an attitude that struck at his heart when, by respecting him as a person capable of change, you could have given him the hope of a new life. During the break that followed, I was caught up in a conversation with one of your companions. Later someone present told me how touched he was to see you go up to a person whom, until then, you had labelled as "scum", say hello and tell him that, after so many years, you wanted to shake his hand.
86 The image that cornes to mind when I think of this and other things that took place over these days, is that of the beautiful water lily, so pure, so majestic as it grows and blooms in the mud. One of the most precious discoveries I made during my stay among you was that, despite the harshness and destructiveness of the system, some of you, through an experience of forgiveness beyond our comprehension, or through the experience of crying out in prayer from the depths of despair, or after becoming profoundly aware of the good in ourselves thanks to the faith of someone dear to you, have attained a newness of life in the way of the Gospel. In my mind, I have rechristened three of you Peter, James and John to express my keen hope that some kind of human fabric could be re-created from those "raised from the dead to life" (Romans 6:13), in this place where inhumanity always threatens to triumph." Forgiveness and Conflict We are called upon to build, alongside our brothers and sisters in the faith, a house where we can learn to reconcile ourselves with each other within the context of conflict and to live out conflict with tenderness. For Christ's peace, in the vivid phrase of the French Bishop Monsignor Etchegaray, is a peace of living beings in a hive and not the peace of the dead in a graveyard. We must learn to love each other not in spite of our differences but with our differences. The house of forgiveness must be a place where we overcome the temptation to suppress conflict by obscuring it in a misguided attempt at charity.
We need places where, in a symbolic context, we can learn the true meaning of reconciliation with oneself and with others. An authentic celebration of reconciliation can, in this respect, play a decisive role. Forgiveness and Reconciliation Partial liberation and reconciliation is a thing to be celebrated for complete reconciliation is unknown on this Earth and will only exist in the fullness of time. For now, we must celebrate our small victories on the road to complete reconciliation for they are tokens of hope.
To live forgiveness is surely to hope for reconciliation, but not necessarily to experience it. It often remains beyond our reach, utopian even. To forgive and to receive forgiveness in the midst of conflict allows the partners or adversaries (be they individual or collective) to recognize their differences or opposition; it requires going beyond the negation of the other and the isolation which conflict often engenders.
87 For example, a couple can experience forgiveness while recognizing that they have not resolved their dispute and still remain opposed. The oppressed can forgive their oppressors, even as they staunchly fight for their rights. Forgiveness opens up a new human dimension and can even inject an element of tenderness into conflicts, though it does not resolve them. Indeed, wanting to negate conflict through forgiveness would be a "perversion": before reconciliation can take place, injustice must cease and, whenever possible, reparations must be made. The sacrament of penance is too often distorted and used as a means of negating the reality of conflict, and forgiveness is often mistaken for reconciliation. This is why the term "sacrament of reconciliation" is ambiguous: though the sacrament speaks of hope and of the promise of reconciliation, that reconciliation must always remain incomplete. Forgiveness and New Sins The celebration of a liberating and "restorative" forgiveness requires an individual and collective (and generally slow) awakening to the cries of the exploited and the oppressed. These cries, by definition, are often poorly articulated, even incoherent. However, it would be unwise to ignore them simply because they are incoherent. Speech is a form of social power: those who have no power cannot easily integrate their speech into the discourse of those who govern society. It would hardly be reasonable to reproach the oppressed their inability to express themselves with the articulateness of a university professor or of a senior civil servant! Indeed, if they possessed that articulateness and the social power that it implies, they would no longer be oppressed. An awakening to the reality of new sins will require the intervention of prophetic voices. Prophetic voices can contribute the force of a moving and comprehensible initial articulation to aspirations that are still confused. Prophets articulate, in words that may sometimes be crude, the cries of others as well as injustices that are not yet perceived as such. They give a new name to sin and redefine responsibility in a specific historical context. The process wherein a given group gains awareness of new sin can unfold rapidly or slowly. In the United States, for example, the awareness that slavery was a sin dawned slowly and for many years, plantation owners kept slaves in all good conscience. In their society, the cries of the exploited fell on deaf ears. The slave owners could not even grasp the meaning of the uprisings and hatred that slavery had engendered. Quakers, on the other hand, began to articulate the cries of the dispossessed relatively early and found it impossible to reconcile slavery with the teachings of the Gospel.
88 But it took many more years before the majority of the population came to perceive slavery as immoral and, therefore, a sin.
This collective process has its counterpart in interpersonal relations. For example, it is often the tears of a loved one that we have wronged that impel us to reflect on our actions and to ask for forgiveness. Here again, it is suffering which brings about reflection and awareness. But, as we have said, the process can be a long one. This discovery of sin can only unfold in a healthy way if it is accompanied by great tenderness. For those who do not feel unconditionally accepted, the groWing awareness of hitherto unsuspected contradictions can be very threatening. However, we can rejoice in the discovery of new sins when this process is lived in the peace and joy that comes from knowing that we are loved. No one can live solely in the hardness of conflict, in the cool awareness of transgressions: another dimension is required. That other dimension is the coming together of people who live social relations that are sometimes satisfying, sometimes painful and often conflicting. We initiate this coming together by asking for forgiveness--a forgiveness that will not eliminate the bitterness of certain conflicts, nor necessarily lead to reconciliation, but that rejects the reduction of personal and social relationships to their conflicting aspects. Conclusion
If reconciliation in the Judeo-Christian system is to be a source of renewal and justice and an affirmation of the other, with all his conscious and unconscious limitations, it will be through the authentic experience and celebration of forgiveness. If we wish to live the Good News in an authentic manner, it is on this level that forgiveness must take place. And it is specifically to the poor and the powerless that the Good News message of hope for the future is addressed. WORKSHOP 8 & 10: SEXUALITY AND SPIRITUALITY Leader: Jeanine Guindon
Jeanine Guindon stressed that her address was directed towards chaplains for their own insights into their functioning in pastoral relationships. She asked several questions aimed at achieving a better self understanding: What is the place of sexuality in our ability to love and be loved? Which is your own vision which inspires your work. Is it by your own faith? The example of Christ?
89 A Christian way of loving should be a more human way of loving. Love is the link between sexuality and spirituality. She spoke of her work in helping to restructure the identity of juvenile delinquents in Quebec. Hers is a concept of learning through the "actualization of psychological strengths" i.e. affirming the positive. Human development is the actualization of psychostrength (les forces vitales humaines). She provided a series of questions to help identify our own psycho strength. To this end she asked us to recall an encounter with an inmate which held positive values for us, a good encounter achieved. We were to recall the incident and relive and to answer the following questions: • What did you want to do? (define objective) • What led you to do this? (your own values and priorities surface) • How did you go about doing it? (1st strength - purpose) • What made you choose these means? je. What did you have to put aside (2nd strength - will) • How did you manage your time? How long did it take you to achieve your objective (3rd strength - hope) • What have you learned through the process? (4th strength - confidence) • If an obstacle came up, how did you overcome the difficulty? (5th strength - fidelity)
All these strengths are needed far the ultimate strength - Love • the need for self love - the opposite of self-centredness • the need for self esteem - confidence for own way of being productive- no need for outside approval or for end results. These strengths build identity • Who am I is the way that I live in my body? Need to be in touch with one's own body. • Who am I in the way in which I execute the task - am I able to learn other ways of doing things? 90 • Who am I in the way that I recognize my own contribution? defining priorities • Who am I in the way I know my own psycho-sexual identity? • Who am I in the way in which I come in contact with others? In dealing with one's "vital human forces" the following are important: • both the affective and cognitive • share your experience with someone who can help you discover your own strengths • it is more important to emphasize the strengths of someone then the problems. WORKSHOP 11: THE ROLE OF THE CHAPLAIN IN 4TH AND 5TH STEPS OF A TWELVE STEP PROGRAM
Leader: Rev. C. Fred Olds
Overview of 12 steps Steps 1 - 3 the "Surrender" steps Steps 4 - 5 the "Story" steps Steps 6 - 9 the "Sorry" steps Steps 10 - 12 the "Sustaining" Steps The ideas were undergirded with reference to the presenter's personal experience. The third step is occasion for self-abandon; it is at this time that we can begin to recover the person whose malady is being addressed. To recover, it is important to return to our story. Awareness of a great woundedness of the human heart prompts delicate therapy. Spirituality is present in each of the steps as "sacramental signs". There were many questions indicating interest in and appreciation for the workshop.
91 WORKSHOP 12: WHAT IS A JUSTICE RESOURCE CENTRE Leader: Mr. Russell Loewen The establishment of an actual Justice Resource Centre, which officially opened in Winnipeg a few weeks ago, is seen as "A Practical Application" of many of the topics discussed at this conference, including the philosophy of Restorative Justice. It goes beyond four walls as these four walls facilitate the expression of feelings, emotions, facilitate counselling which can lead to Restorative Justice. The concept of a Justice Resource Centre was drawn from: a. the mission statement of the John Howard Society of Manitoba Recognizing a common goal to live in safe and peaceful communities, the John Howard Society of Manitoba, a voluntary organization, strives to achieve restorative justice through measures that resolve conflicts, repair harm and restore peaceful relations in society. b. a number of core values, including Justice is best served through measures that resolve conflicts, repair harm and restore peaceful relations in society. Justice is best served through the John Howard Society approach of encouraging responses to crime which include personalizing the process, attempting to resolve the conflict in the community in which it took place and developing caring environments. c. a number of principles, including • independent autonomous non-government organizations (such as JHS and maybe community chaplains) have a vital role to play in the establishment of the Restorative Justice philosophy • that the society advocates for a system of justice which does not utilize or perpetuate violence or revenge. • crime occurs within the community so "resolution" of the problem becomes (therefore) the responsibility of the same community.
92 • it is helpful to try to meet people's needs at all levels of the justice system (i.e. one stop shopping principle) • architectural design should be consistent with the above principles (e.g. installation of an elevator in a glass shaft depicting the connectedness of the whole building. He provided two handouts - Community Dispute Centre Newsletter, 1990-91 Annual Report of the John Howard Society of Manitoba In order to understand the whole concept of a Justice Resource centre, the presenter organized an (unscheduled) tour of the new facilities, which affirmed that this project indeed provide "a practical application" of a "Restorative Justice" approach. In fact, many of the tenants provide direct "restorative justice" services such as mediation services, advocacy services, a community dispute centre, etc. APPENDIX
The following texts and prayer were advanced by individual participants as a summary of the importance of the Conference and as mandates for ongoing work. • Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ. Ephesians 4:32 • Oh Great spirit, you have created the races of the world, the red, yellow, black and white people. Today, as the red stands before the yellow, black and white, we pray that you will enter into our Spirits, so that we work together as one body, one spirit and one voice for restorative justice. We, as native people will work in co-operation and peaceful coexistence. Noel Knockwood • O In the wilderness justice will come to live and integrity in the fertile land; integrity will bring peace, justice give lasting security. (Isaiah 32:16-17)
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HV National Chaplains' 8867 Conference (1991 : N3 Winnipeg, Man.) 1991 Proceedings C.3