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