Steven P. BarrettCHUCK COLSON'S "BORN AGAIN" CONVERSION: A writer's personal reflection on a 35th anniversary
August 12th 2008 19:15
By Steven Barrett
Few religious conversions in recent history have had as much an impact as those which occured to Alexander Solzenhisten, Malcom Muggeridge, C.S. Lewis and America's own Charles W., "Chuck" Colson.
Many people now in their forties and fifties on up will likely remember Colson, once described as the late President Richard Nixon's "hatchet man" who joked once that he'd "walk over his own mother's grave" for the eventualy disgraced president following the Watergate break-in which led to Nixon's resignation. Colson, was Nixon's White House lawyer was only kidding about his mother's grave, but before his world of power and political intrigue started to crumble around the time of Nixon's reelection in 1972 over George McGovern, he was beginning to sense a growing and gnawing sense of emptyness.
Imagine yourself a political lawyer in your prime and you'd just helped to bring about the greatest landslide in American history, losing ony one state, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. Though the satisfaction of knowing he and the White House succeeded far beyond anybody's expectations, there was that growing hole. Of course, he had something else that was growing to think about, too.
The widening probe and inquiries into the illegalities committed by Nixon and so many of his inner staff. Colson was also worried and he had plenty of reasons. Not only was he a target for investigation, he knew he might've done something wrong and "could go down" as a result. Faced with the prospects of more investigations, legal fees, the possibility of having to accept a plea bargan, incarceration and eventual disbarment, Colson's heart, mind and soul were understandably and even justifiably troubled.
But a young college kid in Miami was relishing in all the troubles Nixon and his crowd were going through. Hell, he figured, they put themselves in this mix, let 'em stew in it. Yes, I was all compassionate; a then much more liberal Nixon-in-reverse. What was good for the goose was good for the gander.
But when I look back at our lives, I see a lot of parallel interests, desires and yearnings that came, gone or simply faded as the circumstances dictated. Ironically enough Colson began his political career in the late Senator Leverett Saltonstall's office which was right around the hall from the U.S.District Court Clerk's Office where I worked nearly four years.
By this time, Colson, as his latest column (which I've linked) indicates, had converted, but I was still locked in the mode of partying, planning for the time when I could do "something more" after leaving Federal employment and simply making a mess out of my life in one way or another. Did I ever and even got into some very dumb legal trouble. So much for ambitions.
Really Long Link
But eventually I settled down thanks to marriage and fatherhood. But I still had a lot of "settling" and honing left -- not to mention a whole lot of pride to dump. So it was one day, an August day, and 17 years almost to the very day Colson broke down in Raytheon CEO Tom Phillips' (fellow Bay Stater's) friend's driveway some 90 miles to my east.
My future appeared pretty bleak then, too even though Ruth and I were expecting our fourth child the following Spring. It was bleak because I was blowing it, just as Colson had blown it through his pride. Nevertheless, as Scripture tells us over and over again, nothing's impossible for God to take and turn it around for good; including some pretty stubborn people.
Colson turned his prison experience into a world-wide ministry and this story's featured in his book Born Again (shown in the accompanying picture.) It hasn't been an easy job convincing a society more prone to punishing and making people more "accountable" instead of helping them become more productive again, thus helping us keep our prison populations down. And there's so much to share about the inner rehabilitative effects of God's work through Prison Fellowship. I couldn't possibly do Colson's legacy enough justice in this post or a hundred posts.
It took one of Nixon's "tough guys" to break down to regain his humanity to help others save not only their humanity, but their souls as well. One of those lives and souls is mine. Thanks Chuck, for all you've done for so many people you may never meet, including myself. But we all have you to thank.
If you're interested in learning more about Prison Fellowship, go to Really Long Link
Few religious conversions in recent history have had as much an impact as those which occured to Alexander Solzenhisten, Malcom Muggeridge, C.S. Lewis and America's own Charles W., "Chuck" Colson.
"Born Again"
Imagine yourself a political lawyer in your prime and you'd just helped to bring about the greatest landslide in American history, losing ony one state, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. Though the satisfaction of knowing he and the White House succeeded far beyond anybody's expectations, there was that growing hole. Of course, he had something else that was growing to think about, too.
Colson Under Fire
The widening probe and inquiries into the illegalities committed by Nixon and so many of his inner staff. Colson was also worried and he had plenty of reasons. Not only was he a target for investigation, he knew he might've done something wrong and "could go down" as a result. Faced with the prospects of more investigations, legal fees, the possibility of having to accept a plea bargan, incarceration and eventual disbarment, Colson's heart, mind and soul were understandably and even justifiably troubled.
But a young college kid in Miami was relishing in all the troubles Nixon and his crowd were going through. Hell, he figured, they put themselves in this mix, let 'em stew in it. Yes, I was all compassionate; a then much more liberal Nixon-in-reverse. What was good for the goose was good for the gander.
But when I look back at our lives, I see a lot of parallel interests, desires and yearnings that came, gone or simply faded as the circumstances dictated. Ironically enough Colson began his political career in the late Senator Leverett Saltonstall's office which was right around the hall from the U.S.District Court Clerk's Office where I worked nearly four years.
Chuck Colson
By this time, Colson, as his latest column (which I've linked) indicates, had converted, but I was still locked in the mode of partying, planning for the time when I could do "something more" after leaving Federal employment and simply making a mess out of my life in one way or another. Did I ever and even got into some very dumb legal trouble. So much for ambitions.
Really Long Link
But eventually I settled down thanks to marriage and fatherhood. But I still had a lot of "settling" and honing left -- not to mention a whole lot of pride to dump. So it was one day, an August day, and 17 years almost to the very day Colson broke down in Raytheon CEO Tom Phillips' (fellow Bay Stater's) friend's driveway some 90 miles to my east.
My future appeared pretty bleak then, too even though Ruth and I were expecting our fourth child the following Spring. It was bleak because I was blowing it, just as Colson had blown it through his pride. Nevertheless, as Scripture tells us over and over again, nothing's impossible for God to take and turn it around for good; including some pretty stubborn people.
Colson turned his prison experience into a world-wide ministry and this story's featured in his book Born Again (shown in the accompanying picture.) It hasn't been an easy job convincing a society more prone to punishing and making people more "accountable" instead of helping them become more productive again, thus helping us keep our prison populations down. And there's so much to share about the inner rehabilitative effects of God's work through Prison Fellowship. I couldn't possibly do Colson's legacy enough justice in this post or a hundred posts.
It took one of Nixon's "tough guys" to break down to regain his humanity to help others save not only their humanity, but their souls as well. One of those lives and souls is mine. Thanks Chuck, for all you've done for so many people you may never meet, including myself. But we all have you to thank.
If you're interested in learning more about Prison Fellowship, go to Really Long Link
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