Introduction

 It's a privilege to be involved in the Restorative Justice process within prisons. Lives are changed, attitudes challenged and relationships restored. However, it would be far better to reach people before they were incarcerated, before so many lives were broken. Many inmates, some of whom have been in and out of prison since a young age, have said, "If only someone had told me these things years ago, my life would have been very different."

On Monday I joined my friend Ashley (once an effective gang recruiter and drug dealer, now living a completely changed life for Jesus, often in prison but this time as a spiritual worker, not inmate) and we met gang members in his community to invite them to join us in six sessions of encounter (with self, others and truths), repair (of relationships) and transformation (of thinking and behaviour).

Our vision is to hold these gatherings one by one in the different gang territories around Wellington, exposing as many people as possible to the idea that there is a different way to live, a better way to think, and a chance to lead a life not determined by violence, fear and destruction. That's the long term aim - Monday was the first step.

I was a little perturbed in the morning to see heavy rain and thunder forecast for the time we hoped men would be walking to the church hall where we'd be meeting. What could be done? Pray that God would reschedule the rain slightly so that possible participants wouldn't be put off. 

Whilst I waited at the hall that afternoon, watching heavy dark clouds move slowly across the mountains as they advanced over the town, I couldn't help thinking of the darkness that imprisons so many of those who live there. There wasn't a opening in the cloud so a cliched beam of sunlight shone down to spot-light the hall but there was a sense of God's power moving and lightening the darkness. Later I was listening to O Gracious Light a track on Resound Worship's album Downcast Souls, Expectant Hearts. The line that stood out was "Even this darkness is not too dark for you." That's what I felt.

The rain didn't fall until all the men were safely inside the hall. Then it came down with a vengeance.

Five teenagers took shelter in the doorway. Ashley called them in and invited them to join the group. When I questioned the wisdom of mixing these youngsters with the eight older men, he told me the boys were already gang members. They needed to hear what we had to say just as much as the adults did. 

Earlier, as I waited outside before the meeting started, I watched the schoolchildren on their way home. An 11 year old girl came up to chat to me.

 "Why are you here?" she asked. 

"I've come with Oom (uncle) Ashley to talk to people."

"People here aren't lekker [nice/right]," she answered, looking concerned at my choosing to be in her neighbourhood when I could have been somewhere else.

Pray for God's blessing upon this venture as a contribution towards change in the community so that 11 year olds aren't worried for adults who visit their neighbourhood and adults aren't concerned that 11 year olds think their best prospects lie in joining gangs.