Vigilance, Initiative, Matzoh Bread, and Cherry Kool-Aid (Prison Chronicles #6)
The Only In-Person Memorial Celebration in California in 2021?
NOTE: As with all the episodes of "The Prison Chronicles," the names of the protagonists have been changed to protect their privacy (in other words, the men mentioned herein are not really named Jermaine, Ken, and Gavin).Based on what is recorded at Hebrews 10:24,25, Jehovah’s Witnesses take meeting attendance very seriously. We have two meetings each week, a midweek meeting and a weekend meeting. There is a special meeting, though, which takes precedence over the regular weekly meetings in importance: the annual Memorial of Christ’s death.
Normally, volunteers from outside the prison come in on that evening to conduct the Memorial for the detainees, but during COVID, that was not possible — we were not allowed in.
That being the case, I mailed instructions to the incarcerated “brothers” on what to do if they had to celebrate the Memorial on their own (as opposed to being able to meet as a group, which was unlikely to be allowed). Among those whom I sent the instructions to were Jermaine, Ken, and Gavin, who all reside in the same wing of the prison.
I sent Ken the printed outline for the talk that was to be delivered, and advised him on how to proceed (namely, to prepare and then give the talk before as large an audience of his fellow worshipers and interested individuals as possible). Realizing they probably wouldn’t be able to meet as a group, though, I requested Ken to make copies of the outline for the other Jehovah’s Witnesses in the prison. I also asked Ken to relay the following instructions on how to observe the Memorial of Christ’s death on their own (if necessary): First say a prayer, then read the outline carefully, looking up all the scriptures cited in it, meditate on them, and say additional (private/silent, if alone) prayers over the Memorial emblems (the bread and the “wine”).
On the afternoon of the Memorial (it has to take place after sundown), Jermaine noticed that the regular evening guard (“Correctional Officer” to be more precise as to job title), who had been somewhat antagonistic toward them, was not on duty; in his place was a female guard who was favorable to Jehovah’s Witnesses. They knew she was friendly toward them because Ken had engaged in a brief conversation with her on an earlier occasion. Specifically, he had been on his way to the Saturday meeting we conduct at the prison (this occurred pre-COVID), carrying his Watchtower magazine and the New World Translation of the Bible, when she mentioned to him that she “has a Bible like that.”
With this favorable situation possibly working to their benefit, Jermaine asked her if there was any way that the Jehovah’s Witnesses in that Wing could celebrate the Memorial together that evening. She responded, “Let me look into it and see what I can find.” She returned later, saying that they could use the barber shop in the wing. However, due to the small size of the room and COVID policies, she added that only three people could attend. That suited them just fine, as there are three baptized Jehovah’s Witnesses in that wing: Ken, Jermaine, and Gavin, who all had been assigned to participate (Ken as speaker, Jermaine praying over the bread, Gavin praying over the wine). So in this way, too, things were working out for them.
All three of these men were very enthused about this serendipitous turn of events. They had the talk outline and a place to meet, but what about the emblems to be used during the Memorial, namely the unleavened bread and the wine? I advised them to be as authentic as possible with them: actual unleavened bread would probably not be possible for them to obtain, I had guessed, so salted crackers would be the most suitable alternative but, if need be, “regular” (salted) crackers or even generic bread would have to do, and some reddish juice or Kool-Aid could be used as a substitute for wine (the detainees are not allowed to have alcohol).
Circumstances for Ken, Jermaine, and Gavin kept getting better in this way, too: These three didn’t have to settle for makeshift bread, because they remembered that there was a Jewish man in their wing, and realized that he may have Matzoh bread in preparation for Passover. Again taking the initiative, Jermaine asked him for some of it, and he gladly shared. As for the “wine,” they had that covered, too: they would add some red Kool-Aid powder to water. At first, though, they were dissatisfied with the pinkish appearance of the Kool-Aid made from the strawberry powder that Ken had brought; Jermaine then quickly returned to his cell and retrieved a packet of cherry-flavored powder, which had the desired effect: a dark red concoction (a “reasonable facsimile” of the appearance of wine) was the result.
The unleavened bread represents Jesus’ sinless (unleavened) flesh; the red “wine” (outside the prison we use genuine pure unadulterated red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon) represents Jesus’ blood, which he shed for mankind. These are symbols only — we do not believe that they actually become Jesus’ flesh and blood (after all, not only would that be cannibalism for those who partake of the emblems, but also would require that Jesus have a gigantic body, when one considers how many people around the world are participating in this ceremony; and, besides, Jesus is no longer a creature of flesh and blood, having returned to the spirit realm nearly 2,000 years ago).That may very well have been the only Memorial of Christ’s death that was held in person in California in 2021 (all congregations on the outside held their meetings on Zoom during the time of COVID).
Ken, Jermaine, and Gavin were very enthused with how the Memorial turned out for them. Ken refers to it as the most encouraging Memorial he has ever attended. They will doubtless never forget it.