A large group of inmates gathered on Christmas Eve for a special moment at the Genesee County Jail in Michigan.
The event was a prayer circle that was caught on video and shared online, Mid-Michigan Now reported on Friday.
The clip shows the men, most of whom are wearing orange jumpsuits, standing next to each other and holding hands. At one point, a man in the middle of the group appears to lead them in the Lord’s Prayer, according to the video posted by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.
“I’ve NEVER posted a jail surveillance video like this one. Last night on Christmas Eve, inmates on one of the biggest pods came together on their own. No direction. No prompting. They joined hands and quietly recited the Lord’s Prayer,” Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson wrote in the caption.
The words the inmates prayed are those of Jesus Christ in the Bible when he is teaching his followers how to pray.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one,” the passage from the gospel of Matthew chapter six reads.
When the inmates finished praying together, they were led in a joyful chant and erupted in applause and cheers.
“In a place that’s often defined by mistakes and consequences, I saw unity and hope. I saw people choosing something better for themselves and for each other. When this happens, communities are safer and generational incarceration is broken,” Swanson added. “This is what real culture change looks like and it doesn’t happen overnight. Please join me in thanking the entire jail staff for being a part of the culture change. It matters! Merry Christmas!”
According to the University of Saint Andrews, Christians all over the globe pray the Lord’s Prayer. When writing of it, theologian and bishop Cyprian of Carthage (210–258) said, “For what can be a more spiritual prayer than that which was given to us by Christ, by whom also the Holy Spirit was given to us?”
