For the First Time, Bishop Edir Macedo, UBB Founder, Has Visited the Inmates Here in the US
On Tuesday, June 13th, in the Goree Unit, for the very first time, we received the special visit of Bishop Edir Macedo, the founder of Universal Beyond Bars. It was a day to remember!
First, the men had the chance to watch the first episode of the Genesis TV Series. They witnessed the Bible come to life, seeing where it all began, from the skies to the waters, light to dark, animals, humankind, and sin.
This mind-blowing film caught the attention of the inmates who were present. But this wasn’t all. After this great tv series, there was a moment for Bishop Macedo to give a word of faith, speaking of the topic: forgiveness. For those that do not know his story, he spent 11 days incarcerated due to injustices he faced because of his desire to preach the gospel.
If We Want to Have Peace, We Must Forgive
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)
The message hit home for many, especially being incarcerated. Forgiveness is one of the most challenging things for inmates because many have harbored grudges towards their prosecutors, judges, lawyers, family, friends, and even against themselves. They have this hate and this burden of questioning, “Why did I let myself get so far?” “Why didn’t I stop before it was too late?” However, during the service, Bishop Macedo spoke about how important it is to forgive and that if we want to have peace, we need to forgive.
Despite suffering with so many grudges, many came forward without hesitation and decided to let go of the unforgiveness they’d held onto for so long. After this prayer of forgiveness, they prayed to receive the Spirit of God. One inmate said, “After letting go of the grudges and surrendering them to God, I felt much lighter.”
To finish, Bishop Macedo laid hands on their heads and determined the blessing. He embraced all the inmates and blessed each of them.
The UBB greatly thanks Chaplain Holmes and Senior Warden Tilley for helping us put this great day together and allowing us to enter the prisons. We thank all the staff of the Goree unit. We also appreciate your support.
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If you want to learn more about the UBB, email us at ubb@universal.org or call 1-888-691-2291.
