Hello from Kairos Outside (KO) Lubbock.
Kairos means “in God’s timing,” and Kairos Prison Ministries serves all individuals and families who have been affected by incarceration. Kairos Outside specifically serves the women affected by incarceration. We seek to replace the pain of “time served” with the spirit, community, and support of “God’s timing.”
Jesus has called us as a body to cover and care for all people especially in times of tribulation. While Paul was incarcerated, he ministered, baptizing prison guards and prisoners alike, and sang praises until the chains fell off. He was also visited and people brought him food, water, and clothes during his time in jail. From lock up, Paul held churches accountable for preaching the true gospel. The prophet Daniel was thrown in jail and literally was to be fed to lions and in that moment God protected and shielded him. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers and with his gifts from God was able to overcome betrayal, false accusations, and prison to provide Egypt with the means to withstand famine, plague, and war.
All of these instances prove God’s love for every person no matter their circumstance, background, or surroundings. Each family serves time with their loved one. And as that time is served they should receive the same love, protection, and grace from God’s people as they do from God Himself. Their needs are not lessened during these hardships, in fact it is the opposite. The women we are blessed to touch every day have the same needs as our own close friends and families. They all deserve to be listened to, fed, clothed, and live in homes where they can feel safe and secure.
Hebrews 13:3 “Remember those who are in prison, as though you are in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.”
This verse is an example of the many verses where the Bible tells us how to treat individuals who are behind bars. Each one of us serves time with every individual convicted of a crime, and should celebrate every time an individual gets to hear “time served”. When our brothers and sisters rejoin our families, they should receive the support God would have us provide to renew their lives and step into God’s light. Anyone that has lived life on the “inside” for any period of time and serves their sentence has paid for their transgressions. And Jesus paid for everyone’s transgressions so that we would be allowed to live our lives in forgiveness and be allowed in the presence of God. These men and women and their families have served their time and need the forgiveness that we have all been guaranteed.
KO is an international ministry that God has blessed us with here in West Texas. Through this ministry we are able to touch the lives of women that have been affected by incarceration of their loved ones or themselves.
– Kat McCoy
