Connections

“One of the most wonderful things about being a Christian is that I don’t ever get up in the morning and wonder if what I do matters. I live every day to the fullest because I can live it through Christ and I know no matter what I do today, I’m going to do something to advance the Kingdom of God.” — Chuck Colson

Today we join with countless others in mourning the loss of our friend Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship.

Through his life, Dr. Colson was an expression of God’s power of forgiveness and redemption. And through his work, Colson inspired us to have a heart for those who’ve fallen through the cracks.

Colson’s life changed trajectory during the seven months he spent in prison in the 1970s for obstruction of justice. Reflecting on that time, he said, “I saw the world through the eyes of people who were disadvantaged and marginalized and rejected; the outcast of society, the untouchables in American life.”

This revelation resulted in a new purpose in life: “I decided if God put me there to live among them for seven months as I did, that I would speak for them when I got out.”

For the next 40 years, Colson followed through on his commitment to be a blessing to the disenfranchised.

Dr. Jack Smart, president of Teen Challenge, USA said, “Though his main purpose was to minister to prisoners through Prison Fellowship, he also recognized and endorsed Teen Challenge, which we greatly appreciated. Dr. Colson’s life and ministry were about redemption and discipleship, which are also at the very core of Teen Challenge.”

May the life of this man inspire us to serve the hurting people around us with fresh vigor, to offer them the hope in Christ that we’ve received, all the while finding our confidence in the God who takes joy in rescuing and redeeming the broken.