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Remembering Chuck Colson
Sunday morning’s local newspaper carried the AP story
of Chuck Colson’s life and legacy. Dead at 80, he was
remembered as Nixon’s dirty tricks man, a ruthless political
operative and central figure in the Watergate scandal and eventually
sentenced to federal prison for obstructing justice in the
whole affair. The article went on to note Colson’s claim
to a religious “born again” experience and following
involvement in a prison reform program, but it concluded with
quotes from a political opponent who doubted the sincerity
of Colson’s conversion, citing it only as an appeal for
a lighter prison sentence.
After reading the news article and heading in to church for
morning worship, I could only shake my head in disgust at how
badly the news writer had missed the point of Chuck’s
life, a man who for 36 post-prison years tirelessly served
the very least and the very lost of our society. Was it that
to acknowledge such a profound transformation would be somehow
to admit to the very real power of the gospel of Jesus Christ
to change the whole direction of a man’s life and character?
I well remember picking up Colson’s book, “Loving
God,” when it was published n 1983. Then a decade after
Chuck’s “born again”” experience and
seven years after the founding of Prison Fellowship, it was
a powerful challenge to Christians for a faith marked by a
radical obedience to Christ. Already I had read “Life
Sentence,” and I was an avid supporter of Prison Fellowship’s
Angel Tree Project, connecting kids with their incarcerated
parents at Christmas. But “Loving God” was a missile,
penetrating the shallow Christian commitment that all too easily
marks our lives. I remember weeping tears of conviction and
fresh resolve as I read the stories of men and women whose
courageous faith cost them dearly. Chuck’s call was for
the Church to live the love we so easily espouse, and his own
ministry among the profoundly broken gave credibility to his
challenge.
Down through the years Chuck Colson’s vision and ministry
moved beyond the scope of prison reform and prisoner rehabilitation
(though today Prison Fellowship still serves prisoners and
their families in 113 countries, giving them the gospel and
life skills for re-entry into life on the outside). Chuck’s
ministry expanded to launch Break Point Radio and the Center
for Christian Worldview that have compellingly called the Church
to a visible stand in our culture for Christ. With an influence
that has stretched across broad denominational lines, Chuck
has championed a biblical worldview on the core issues challenging
western culture; the sacredness of life, the uniqueness of
God ordained marriage and the necessity for religious freedom.
Always fueling his Francis Schaffer like vision was the conviction
that the Church is God’s plan for redeeming a culture,
one person at a time through the power of the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Monday morning I opened up our local newspaper and there on
the editorial page was an opinion piece from our own Colly
Tettelbach. I read the article and stood up and cheered. Recounting
her privilege of sitting under “Chuck’s intensive,
year-long, transformational discipleship in biblical worldview” as
one of Chuck’s 600 Centurions, Colly simply attested
to the power of God’s grace in Chuck’s life. “He
was changed from a ruthless, power hungry man into a loving,
gentle, kind Christian, who spent 36 years of his life pouring
himself into others.” Colly’s testimony to the
transforming power of Jesus Christ was the story missed by
the Associated Press. She finished with the words, “Chuck
is with his Savior; he is receiving his reward. And I will
see him again.” And I smiled a big smile as I thought
about how much Chuck would enjoy reading an opinion piece by
one of his Centurions, not glorifying his life, but boldly
attesting in the public square to the grace and power of Chuck’s
Savior and Lord. Such bold faith really is what Chuck’s
life was all about.
Though I never had the privilege of meeting Chuck personally,
I can think of few men who through their life and ministry
have so encouraged my faith as did Chuck Colson. He gave voice
and feet to Christ’s grace and truth, and I am more a
follower of Jesus because of his powerful example.
So grateful for Chuck’s life and legacy,
~Dave
Pastor Dave
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