Detention diary, day 2: “Good Friday behind bars”
Lent 2025, day 39.
It wasn’t your typical Good Friday service. The 15 detainees arrived in the visiting area
in waves. Finally, everyone was
assembled and a motley crew began to (ostensibly) commemorate the death of
Jesus of Nazareth – Muslims, Sikhs and Christians together, from all around the
globe. Indeed, during this time of
prayer and recollection, each individual had a very different experience and
understood something uniquely personal.
Isaiah 53 was read in French, the Psalm in English and St. John’s
passion narrative in Spanish. During the
“Laments of Christ against his faithless church”[1],
we sung the refrain, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom”. We ended this liturgical moment by forming a
circle, joining hands and offering spontaneous prayers of gratitude to Christ
and supplications for each other, each pray-er addressing his God in his
language.
Following
our liturgy, conversations broke out back in the living quarters. “England” has recently returned to the
holding centre and proves to be a longtime Christian believer who insists that,
despite the chaos concerning his relationships and his status in Canada, “God
has a higher plan”. We pray together
across the cafeteria table and I sing him the chorus from “Because He lives”.
After
lunch, I fall into a discussion with a Sikh believer, eager to tell me about
his faith. He hopes to marry someday –
his parents will probably be the ones to find him a match. He explains the rules surrounding the use of
the kirpan, the dagger often worn by Sikh men. As we talk, “Colombia” is eagerly writing away
on loose-leaf paper. He’s completing an
assignment for his weekend French class.
“Afghanistan” wanders by in a daze, looking forlorn. I gesture for him to join us, and he shares
that he’s hasn’t slept for several days due to anxiety about possibly being deported
– his audience on Monday didn’t go as he hoped it might. He’s on the run due to his conversion to
Christianity and his involvement in a project to evangelize young Afghanis. He had a harrowing time just to get to
Montreal, and now he is facing being thrown back into the lion’s den. Please pray for him and all those whom I engage
with every week. A blessed Easter to
all!
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