The prisons in Uganda are very different than those in the U.S. Those accused of a crime in Uganda are thrown into a prison designated for that crime until a trial can be held where they can have the opportunity to prove their innocence. In other words, they are guilty until proven innocent. Those accused of murder (or a crime of similar severity) are held in the death row prison until the trial. It could be many years before the trial is actually held. If they are found guilty, punishment is swift. Once condemned, they are held on the second floor of the prison out of contact with the other prisoners for the remainder of their natural life. This is actually an improvement over a previous law which required those found guilty to be immediately hanged.
The prison building itself is also vastly different than prisons in the U.S. The prison we visit is a 3 story row of cells built in an oval shape. In the center is a courtyard where most of the prisoners live during the daylight hours. At night they are returned to 10 x 12” cells where as many as 10 to 12 men are together in one room. There is no air conditioning, color TV, exercise equipment, or library. The prisoners must fix their own Ugandan meal of posho and eat as a group sitting on the ground.
The prisoners we worked with are the “condemned” who live on the second floor. We entered the prison, and after being questioned by guards we were allowed to go upstairs. The guard opened the gate and we walked in. The gate closed. The hallway was dark. It was at that moment that I understood hopelessness. Life was reduced to its most basic essence. The most valuable possession there was a bar of soap. With the prisoners standing all around, it occured to me that these men had been found guilty of serious crimes! I looked for Ron & George, intending to stay close to them.
As we are made our way down the dark hallway, some of the men rushed toward us. Thankfully, it was not to cause harm! They had been expecting us, praying we would come, and grateful that we had not forgotten. George then introduced me to Zep. Zep is a young man less than 30 years old who was saved in that very prison. He is the leader of the “Church of the Condemned.” This sounds very strange doesn’t it? That is not a name we would choose for a church in the U.S., but it is the reality in that prison. Zep leads a church of born-again believers on death row in a Ugandan prison. George & Ron are his mentors. As we gathered, they prayed and sang wonderful songs of worship. Zep and two other men gave their testimonies. Ron & George both brought a short greeting. I was given the privilege of preaching the wonderful words of life and hope to these men who live in a hopeless place. The 18 men who were there were a testimony of God’s grace and forgiveness. I was so humbled to be in their presence. These men live in total dependence on Christ alone.
Now that I have returned home to the U.S., I think about those men that are members of the “Church of the Condemned” and realize that I am one of them. In a sense, we are all members who have been condemned by our own sin. But, praise God that we are also the “Church of the Redeemed,” and so are these men. Our salvation is not of ourselves, but in Christ and His blood that was shed on the cross. It is available to all who believe and repent, calling on His name for salvation. Those prisoners are our brothers, forgiven and purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross!
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” ~ Romans 8:1
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