QiGong Prison Ministry

I am drawn inside
Two, three times a week
Driving the distance
Wearing the right colors
Labeled, screened, alarmed

So many locks, so many gates, so little invitation
    And Yet
Way seems to open as I make my way
Beckoned into that core sanctuary
    Drab, gray, stripped of idols and altars.

Beckoned inside,
over and over again,
into the Holiness that is calling …

The Holiness that claims the unique beauty of us all.
The Holiness that weaves us together
trashing the labels
    of saint and sinner, of male and female, of teacher and student.

The Holiness that beckons us further inside,
    further inside,
        further inside,
            with each visit,
                each communion,
                each movement,
                each breath.

Beckons us further inside
the sanctuaries of our own core being-ness
inside the harmonized movement of our group chi
inside of who we think we are.

The Holiness that beckons each of us
    inside the walls and gates,
        inside the guards and attitudes,
            inside our personal stories

Beckons us into the boundless,
    boundary-less freedom,
into the sanctuary of our core spiritual being.

I’ll meet you there
    Ducat or not,
    Gate pass or not
    Lockdown or not
    Capricious guards or not
    Fog line or not

Penetrate the barriers
    beckon yourself inside.