The Apostle Paul wrote thirteen epistles that have been handed down to us—perhaps fourteen, if Hebrews is his—and nearly all of them were written under some form of imprisonment, house arrest, or persecution. The greatest theological documents in Christian history are, in a very real sense, prison correspondence. This fact should inform our understanding of what a letter can accomplish. It is not a substitute for presence. It is a ministry in its own right, and one that God has used to transform the world.

During my five years, five months behind bars, letters, instant messages, and emails were a lifeline. I wrote extensively to my children and friends, sharing my daily life, spiritual reflections, legal struggles, and misfortunes. The many electronic communications and few letters I received in return were treasures—tangible evidence that I had not been forgotten, that people outside the walls still cared, still prayed, still thought about me by name.

The Power of Letters

Let me describe what a letter, email, or instant message means to a man in prison so that you understand why this ministry matters. The incarcerated man exists in a world of institutional monotony, interpersonal tension, and relentless uncertainty. His days are defined by routine—the same walls, the same faces, the same food, the same noise. A letter breaks through that monotony like sunlight through a crack in the ceiling. It brings news from a world he has been removed from. It carries the voice of someone who knows him as a person, not as a prisoner number. It reminds him that his identity extends beyond the concrete and steel that confine his body. Furthermore, it is a connection between him and the people he knows and cares about, rather than the strangers he is forced to live with day in, day out, for over 160 hours per week.

The letters that meant the most to me were not the ones that offered generic encouragement. “Praying for you, brother” on a pre-printed card is better than nothing, but not by much. The letters that sustained me were the ones that were personal, specific, and substantive. A friend who referenced a conversation we had had before my arrest. A brother in Christ who wrestled with a theological question and asked my opinion. A supporter who told me specifically what Scripture he was reading and how God was working in his life. These letters said, “I see you. I know you. You are still part of my world.” Handwritten letters are special in that way and cannot be compared to quickly written electronic communication, which is also wonderful and encouraging.

What not to write is equally important. Do not fill your letters with descriptions of your vacation, your new car, your promotion, or your home renovation. As I noted earlier, the imprisoned man is happy for your blessings, but every detailed account of the life he cannot live is a reminder of everything he has lost. Write about spiritual things. Write about the church. Write about your struggles—yes, your struggles—because the imprisoned man needs to know that life outside the walls is not perfect, and that his brothers and sisters outside are also “bearing the cross” in their own ways. Write about the man’s family if you have contact with them. Write about anything that connects him to the body of Christ. Write about jobs or work he might be able to secure and plan for once he is out.

What to Write and How

Be personal. Use his name. Reference previous correspondence. Ask specific questions about his situation. Show that you remember what he told you last time and that you have been thinking about it.

Be substantive. Do not be afraid of depth. Many incarcerated Christians are starving for intellectual and theological engagement. Send them your thoughts on a passage of Scripture. Share a quotation from a book you are reading. Ask them a question that requires thought and reflection. The state prison has robbed them of many things, but it has not robbed them of their minds—and a letter that engages the mind is a gift that far exceeds a greeting card.

Be consistent. Write on a schedule and keep it. Once a week is ideal. Once every two weeks is acceptable. Once a month is the minimum. The consistency of your correspondence communicates far more than the content of any individual letter. It says: “I have not forgotten you. I will not forget you. I will keep coming back.” Those emotions especially come through in handwritten letters, but even if you send only one of those a year and communicate electronically every couple of weeks, you do well.

Include Scripture. Write out passages in full. Do not assume the inmate has a Bible at hand—he may not. A letter that includes the text of Psalm 23, or Romans 8:28-39, Ephesians 3:20, or Isaiah 41:10, written out in full, is itself a piece of Scripture that cannot be confiscated, borrowed, or lost as easily as a Bible.

Be honest. Do not pretend that everything is wonderful. Do not offer false hope about legal outcomes you cannot predict. Do not sugarcoat the difficulty of the situation. The imprisoned man has an exquisitely sensitive detector for insincerity—he lives among liars every day, and he can spot dishonesty in a friend’s letter as easily as in a cellmate’s excuse. Be truthful, be compassionate, and be real. Tell him that the sovereign God who made him and saved him has ordained the exact number of days of his life as well as his length of time in prison.

Sending Books and Materials

Books are among the most valuable things you can send to an imprisoned Christian—and among the easiest to get through institutional barriers, provided they are in the local language.

Every facility has its own rules about receiving books. Some allow books to be mailed directly to inmates. Others require that books be sent through approved vendors. Some restrict the number or type of books an inmate may possess. Some ban certain categories of material entirely. Learn the rules of the specific facility before you send anything, or your carefully chosen book will end up in an institutional garbage can rather than in the hands of the man who needs it. In my case, books flowed easily to me in English, Spanish, and Italian. I was known for devouring books and read 204 in five years, averaging 390 pages per book.

During my imprisonment, I indeed read voraciously—truly, I was bound and determined not to waste my time in jail. I figured that if I could read a book or three a month, write a couple of books a year, and learn some Italian, all of that combined would amount to decent life progress. My wife, Dusan, Obed, and Valentín facilitated the flow of books—bringing some during visitation, sending others through encomienda supply sacks, and even having lawyers or the infirmary paramedic serve as couriers. I read Paul Johnson’s histories, Nancy Pearcey’s Total Truth, Rodney Stark’s The Victory of Reason, Rummel’s Death by Government, David Mathis’s Habits of Grace, Dickens, Conrad, and many other novels and serious books. I also read and reread the entire Bible (except for three books the second time). The weight of my reading material accumulated to the point that if I had to change cells or módulos, carrying my books was a significant logistical problem. I had to constantly send books out once I had finished them to lessen the load.

What books should you send a prisoner? That will depend on the reading level and interest of each prisoner under your care, of course. However, in general, you can prioritize in this order:

A study Bible in the inmate’s preferred language: The Spurgeon Study Bible, the Thompson Chain Reference Bible, the Reformation Heritage Study Bible, and the Reformation Study Bible are among the best ones. If he has one, send a replacement in better condition or a different translation for comparison study.

A systematic theology primer. Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology or Louis Berkhof’s Summary of Christian Doctrine are excellent choices for inmates with the literacy to handle them.

A confession of faith. The 1689 London Baptist Confession, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, or a similar doctrinal standard provides a systematic framework for understanding the Christian faith.

A devotional or practical Christian living book. Jerry Bridges’s Trusting God, or any of his books on holiness, plus John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, or a solid prayer guide, are great.

History and biography. The stories of Christians who suffered—Wurmbrand, Bonhoeffer, the Waldenses—provide powerful models of faithfulness in a prison context.

The Letter That Mattered Most