Would you like to be locked up for a little bit? I confess that the idea sounds somewhat appealing to me some days. Being locked up with no access to obligations like some meetings, email, and the mundane things of life sounds alright. Of course, I could probably get the same effect with better food by going on a cruise someplace. But people in Switzerland are actually choosing to be locked up in jail…and the jail has a waiting list.
A new corrections facility is about to open in Zurich and the corrections authorities are asking for people to test out the new facilities for 1, 2, or even 4 days. Recently there were 832 applications for the 117 cell spots available.
As someone who has spent a little time in a jail cell (that’s a story for another day), I can almost guarantee that the people in those spots are going to grow tired of their cells in not much time at all. Thankfully, there’s a “safe word” that these faux-prisoners can use to get sprung out of their cells and into freedom.
The whole thing makes me think of how sometimes we willingly sign ourselves up for the imprisonment of sin. Perhaps with even well-meaning intentions, we sign up for sins that will trap us. Sometimes, we’re even willing to go on the wait list for them. But then when we hear the barred door of the consequences of our sins slam shut, we begin to regret our decisions.
Thankfully, we too have a “safe word” of sorts. Christ has provided us the safe words of confession and absolution. He has told us that all we need do is cry out to Him and say “I have sinned, I need your forgiveness” and He is there with the keys to set us free. This week, if you find yourself in a prison that you have signed up for yourself, cry out to Jesus with the safe words of confession. He will be there to open the door, announce His words of forgiveness to you, and set you free again.