Remembering Charles Colson

Charles Colson has died. Colson was a driven man, who through hard work and a fierce intellect succeeded at all that he attempted. He served in the marines, then had a successful law career. He then entered into politics and served as special counsel to President Nixon. He had reached the pinnacle of power with an office right next to the Oval office.

And it is in this crucible of power and pressure that his life narrative takes an interesting turn. Colson had an intense, almost brutal way of getting things done. In a dramatic attempt to insure Nixon's re-election, Colson worked with a group that broke into the office of psychiatrist Daniel Elsberg, who had been leaking Pentagon papers. These leaks were proving to be disastrous to the Nixon administration.

In an attempt to protect the President, these men conspired a criminal act and then worked to cover it up. Colson was indicted on conspiracy charges for his role in attempting to cover up the burglary. Colson ended up serving 7 months in a Maximum Security Prison in Alabama. This experience of incarceration would prove to have a formative influence on Colson's later years.

As his fate was working its way through the judicial process, a friend of his gave him a copy of C.S. Lewis' book "Mere Christianity". Through that book and the change he had seen in his friend's life, Colson committed his life to Jesus Christ. Colson's life had unraveled completely at this point. The once powerful man was facing a jail term. He was poor in spirit, and therefore closer to the Kingdom of God. Even closer than when occupying an office next to the President of the United States.

Colson's post-prison life is remarkable. He went on to found Prison Fellowship, a ministry that reached out to men and women behind bars. The ministry started in America but soon went global. Colson spent every Easter in prison ministering to men whose life choices had brought them to a place Colson himself had once been.

In his later years, Colson had a growing concern to challenge Christian's to develop their God given intellect. Influenced by C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer, Colson spoke widely on the importance of developing a rigorous Christian world-view. He also authored several books that would prove to be classics. The story of his conversion "Born Again" became a national bestseller when first published.

Colson's life is an incredible story of redemption. A story of the power of God to take a mis-guided power hungry man and transform him into one of the greatest Christian statesman of the 20th Century. He has run the race and has now accepted the prize awaiting him in heaven. He received a lot of awards and accolades during his lifetime. But, now the greatest accolade of them all will be spoken over him by his Heavenly Father:

Well done, good and faithful servant. 

Enter into joy today.