C .A .P.


             C.A.P. Remember those letters for they stand for something that is very important.
             In 1921, Louis Lawes was appointed warden at the Sing Sing prison. No prison was tougher than Sing Sing at that time.
             But when Louis retired some 20 years later that prison had become a humanitarian institution. Those who studied the system said credit for the change belonged to Lewis Lawes. When asked about the transformation that had taken place he said,  "I owe it all to my wife Catherine, who is buried outside these prison walls."
            Catherine was a young mother with three small children when her husband became warden.  Everyone warned her from the beginning never to set foot inside the prison walls. That didn't stop Catherine. When the first prison basketball game was held she went into the gym with her three small children and sat down in the stands with the inmates.
Her attitude was that if she and her husband were going to take care of these men then the men would take care of her and her family so there was no need to worry.
            She insisted on getting acquainted with the inmates and their records. In doing so she discovered one convicted murderer was blind so she paid him a visit. Holding his hand in hers she asked, "Do you read Braille?" When he said he could not she taught him to read. Years later he would weep in love for her.
            Another time she learned of a deaf-mute in prison. She enrolled in a class to learn sign language. Many said that Catherine Lawes was the body of Christ that came alive again in Sing Sing from 1921 to 1937.
            One day Catherine was killed in an automobile accident. The next day, Louls didn't come to work. It seemed almost instantly that the prisoners sensed that something was wrong.
            The following day her body was resting in a casket in her home 3/4 of a mile away from the prison. As the acting warden made his morning rounds he was shocked to see a large crowd of the toughest, hardest looking criminals gathered at the main gate. As he came closer he noticed tears of grief and sadness in these men's eyes.
            He knew how much they loved Catherine. He turned and faced them and said, "All right men, you can go. Just be sure to check in tonight." Then he opened the gate and a parade of criminals walked without a guard 3/4 of a mile to stand in line to pay their final respect to their beloved Catherine Lawes and that night everyone of them checked in. Every last one of them.
            In the gospel today we hear God the Father telling us that Jesus is His beloved Son and we should listen to Him. Jesus came to tell us about His loving Father and also to teach us how to live with each other. This is what C.A.P. is all about. It means, "CARING ABOUT PEOPLE."
            Now there are three main ingredients about CAP that, if we follow, will have a great impact, not only on us but on others also.
            First, FRIENDLINESS. I deliver bread 4 days a week for some friends of mine and every time I meet someone I say, "Good morning, how you're doing?"  They usually respond, "O.K how about you?" Then I give them my positive answer, "Any better I couldn't handle it." That usually brings about a smile on their faces. Then I tell them, "Have a good day. That may have made that person's day. We never know what effect a smile or a good morning will have on someone. Making contact with people is important.
            I'm a hugger. I tell everyone I need two hundred hugs a week to function. I believe if we hug our children each day and tell them, "I love you" we will help them to become the person that Jesus created them to be.
            Second, FAIRNESS. There can be no favoritism in Jesus' world and there can be no favoritism in ours. Everyone has a right to be able to work and everyone should have the same right and chance to a promotion as the next person regardless of race, religious belief or gender. We treat all people alike. Jesus tells us, "Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you." One of the greatest compliment and sign of respect someone can give us is when they say; "He's fair."
            Third, FORGIVENESS. How many times have we seen relationships break up because someone was too proud to say, "I forgive you."? Children leave home because parents or the child can't forgive. The common cause of marriage break-up is due to unforgiveness. Sometimes we think that forgiveness is a luxury. But Jesus made it very clear that it is a necessity when he said, "If you do not forgive others of their faults than neither will your heavenly Father forgive
your faults."  If Jesus nailed on the cross could turn to his Heavenly Father and say, "Father forgive them for all they have done to you and to me" than who are we to continue to harbor ill feeling towards others. No, forgiveness is not a luxury it is a must for salvation.
            C.A.P. CARING ABOUT PEOPLE is a way of life that if we practice it will not only transform us but those around us. And maybe we could start doing that right now. Would you all please stand up and turn to the one on your right and then to the one on your left and give them a big hug and say, "Have a good day." You have just put into practice the first step of CAP. Now all we need to do is to start on the other two.