Why do the best letters always come from prison?

This Thursday I went downtown to the Desmund Tutu house (across from the college), for a bible study I joined. Desmond Tutu house was started by Peace Study students at Bradford college. It sits right next to Treehouse Cafe', a fair trade coffee shop. Both places host all sorts of social justice related events. Soul Space, a church we joined a few months ago, hosts the bible study there every week. The group is made up of all different sorts of people. I've met people from all over the world at Soul Space, including: Germany, North Korea, Japan, Gambia, Sierra Leon, Canada, Brazil, and Kenya. Anyway, this week our bbs leader Andrew (who studied theology in Glasgow), brought up a really interesting line from one of Oscar Wilde's letters. Wilde wrote this letter while in prison. Apparently he had been betrayed to the french government by his lover. This deeply hurt Wilde. So, he wrote the man, telling him how much he loved him and asking him to do the right thing - giving him a second chance. He compares this moment of possible redemption to the life of Jesus.  He says this:

"Those whom he saved from their sins are saved simply for beautiful moments... Mary Magdalen, when she sees Christ, breaks the rich vase of alabaster that one of her seven lovers had given her, and spills the odorous spices over his tired dusty feet, and for that one moment's sake sits for ever with Ruth and Beatrice in the tresses of the snow-white rose of Paradise. All that Christ says to us by the way of a little warning is that every moment should be beautiful, that the soul should always be ready for the coming of the bridegroom, always waiting for the voice of the lover..."

("Those whom he saved from their sins are saved simply for beautiful moments..." - What a beautiful thought! Begging the question, why do the best letters always come from prison?)

The best part is you don't have to be a Christian to appreciate this thought. We all know what a beautiful redemptive moment looks like. 

They vary from culture to culture and family to family. Old people, young people, gay, straight, white, black, etc... everyone can be a part of what Wilde's talking about. It's the moment when someone realizes how utterly thankful they are, and in a moment of perfect appreciation, decide to pass the love they've been given by God onto someone else.

In the Qu'ran, Allah is always letting people into to heaven for last minute small acts of mercy. Apparently lots of religions know what God is like...

I don't know what else to say about this, except that I hope you pour your next bottle of perfume on the beautiful feet of someone you love. 

Jesus has saved you for such moments as this...