The metal slide bolt sounded loudly as the door locked behind me. The austere setting included two steel slabs that folded down from the wall with thin mattresses, no blankets, no pillows, and a metal toilet a few feet away. I was in my late teens, and I was in jail.
Though I was eventually found to be innocent of the minor offense, the law required me to be apprehended and held through the weekend until bail could be set the following Monday. I thought, Will I need to defend myself while I'm in here? What if something detains the family member who is arranging my bail? Though my lifestyle at that time didn't include church, I silently resorted to prayer. I went beyond myself to God for my protection, calmness of thought, and my freedom. As things turned out, I made a friend of my cellmate and my stay was conflict free, but Monday morning didn't come too soon. This brief loss of my freedom left a lasting impression on me; yet, it's small stuff compared to the injustices taking place worldwide.
Amnesty International reports human rights abuses in 151 countries and territories in 2002 ranging from disappearances and torture to illegal detentions. Amnesty International Report 2003 . Where is human justice for people in those conditions? I, like many people, long to help, even though I am far removed from these people and places. So I do what I did in that jail cell: I pray.
