Last week I posted about Oprah’s interview with Bryan Stevenson, which I’ve again embedded — I found it so inspiring, I want to make sure everyone has a chance to see it.  As I watched I also felt inspired to issue a big challenge.

I’m really issuing it as a two-tier challenge.  The usual challenge for everyone to consider crime and prisoners and heal yourself is below.  First, though:  as I watched and listened to Stevenson’s great compassion for prisoners I started thinking about Hew Len and his work with the criminally insane.

The short version:  Hew Len was asked to help out at a ward for the criminally insane where conditions were so bad the staff turned over constantly, inmates never improved, etc.  Without ever seeing a patient, Hew Len sat in an office with their files and healed IN HIMSELF anything he saw in the files that needed healing.  Because everything you see in the world you created, so if you see a problem healing yourself heals the problem.  Longer version is here.

It didn’t take long before patients went off meds, patients who had to be shackled walked free, staff came to work every day… and then things improved so much the ward closed.  He NEVER SAW A SINGLE PATIENT!  He only healed himself.  Info about the prayer he uses is here.

Suddenly I had a BIG idea.  What if we could get a network going all over the country — or better yet, how about all around the world??? — of groups who go to prisons and heal in themselves every problem they see in every file of every prisoner?  And/or catch it earlier and have groups reading the files of kids in Juvenile Detention and healing themselves of every problem they see?

So my first challenge is bigger than any I’ve made.  For this one I’m asking you to get it out there on social media.  Let’s spread the word and spark a movement!  I’m better at vision than execution but if anyone wants to take up the challenge and try to coordinate a broad movement I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.  If anyone wants help to start something in their state or province or county, etc., I’ll be happy to step up.

I see a threshold issue of getting permission to go into the prisons and get access to the files, so if someone has an answer for that, I’ll get the word out.  It may be as easy as asking or going in under the umbrella of a church or it may take forming a 501(c)(3) [for folks in other countries, that’s the U.S. tax designation for a nonprofit organization].

Results will be measurable.  When the prayers are healing the inmates, recidivism will start going down and to whatever extent they keep records on violent incidents within the prisons, the rate will go down.  Ultimately crime rates go down.  So this is a chance to use ho’oponopono in a setting where tangible results will occur.  Just as Hew Len’s work erased the need for the ward, a network praying at all the prisons can reduce prison populations and crime.

Is anyone in with me?  Does this inspire any of you?

My usual challenge is for all of you to examine this issue in yourselves.  In this case, it’s a question of looking at your beliefs about crime and criminals.  Whether you believe in punishment or in rehabilitation, whether you believe many criminals have excuses due to hard childhoods or you believe there is no excuse, where does your belief come from?

Is fear involved in forming your view?  Does your view come from your heart and a place of compassion?  If not, why not?  What do you think causes people to commit crimes?  Name all the reasons you can think of for why people are in prison.

For every reason you name, say the prayer.  Heal those reasons in you.  Or if you have another healing modality you like, do that.  For every problem you believe exists in society related to crime, heal it in you.

Examples:

For all my beliefs that I have been abandoned or mistreated, “I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.”

For all my fears that someone may hurt me, “I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.”

For any feeling of lack within me, “I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.”

For any violent feelings I hold toward others, “I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.”

You’ve got the idea.  Go forth and heal!

Even if we never go into a prison, I think if we pray for the “us” in every “criminal” we see on the news and for every prisoner in general and heal in all of us the “problems” in us that we project into what we see in the world, we can change the world.