A well-known camp-fire chorus has these lines,
“BE KIND TO YOUR WEB-FOOTED FRIEND,
FOR A DUCK MAY BE SOMEBODY’S MOTHER”
Nonsense of course, yet concealing a very important truth. The truth that everyone, but everyone, is a member of a family. This truth was underlined for me the other day when I read a death notice in our local newspaper. This is what it said, “In loving memory of Andre, a much loved son, brother, grandson, nephew and cousin.”  What was true of Andre is true of everyone.
We need to be reminded of this when we come into contact with disadvantaged members of society such as prisoners in our jails.  Every single one of them, o matter how heinous their crime remains a son, or brother or husband to some family.
However the sadness is that just when such people need desperately the support and love of their families they are so often abandoned by them.  There can be very few more tragic scenes to witness than the disappointment and loneliness of such prisoners on visiting days when they realise that no one from their families has come to see them. 
But we need to remember that we are all not only members of a human family, but that we are also by virtue of our baptism, members of God’s family, the Church.   Before a baby’s baptism we pray, “May she become your adopted daughter.: And after baptism proclaim “That this child is now called a child of God, for so indeed she is.”  This is true of every prisoner in our jails.  They are all members of God’s family and are all members of some church.  However just as many prisoners are disowned and abandoned by their earthly families so are many of them abandoned by their fellow Christians. 
My appeal to you is that you resolve to rally around any  member of your family that has been incarcerated and that you seriously consider volunteering to work in a prison near you as what is called a “Spiritual worker” so that members of both our earthly and spiritual families may be strengthened by our support and concern for them.
“I was sick and in prison and you visited me.
I am still your husband, you are still my wife.”