Christianity Today

Colson learned in Dormitory G that the only difference between obstructing justice in the White House and murdering your stepmother was a matter of degree. One of the hardest moments he faced during the prison ordeal was the moment they took his identification. Then he was prisoner 23226. He was nobody.

Today when he stands at the podium and receives accolades from Christian superstars, he remembers that number. It reminds him of who he is. He's just like Willie. They both relate to Adam. Willie is still behind bars, but he's free. He doesn't smell like pee. He stands with Chuck Colson. They know where they are.

Wendy Murray Zoba is a senior writer for Christianity Today. Her latest book is Day of Reckoning: Columbine and the Search for America's Soul (Brazos).

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

United Press International notes that Chuck Colson is again powerful in Washington—even though he lives in Florida.

Slate.com called Colson "one of America's greatest Christian leaders" but worried that he's becoming "just another Gary Bauer.".

Religion flourishes behind bars thanks to Colson's ministries, Reuters reports.

The San Francisco Chronicle examines the ministry work of the InnerChange Freedom Intiative.

Facing old ghosts, Colson wrote for U.S. News and World Report on the pros of impreachment.

BreakPoint Online offers transcripts, articles, and columns by Colson and even a list of Colson's favorite books.

Listen to Colson's daily or archivedBreakpoint broadcasts at oneplace.com.

Prison Fellowship Ministries and subsidiary programs (InnerChange Freedom Initiative, MatchPoint, Angel Tree (new site | old site), Operation Starting Line and The Wilberforce Forum) offer background, the official newspaper and ways to help online.

Programs absorbed earlier this year, Justice Fellowship and Neighbors Who Care, are still online.

The Institute for Prison Ministries site has information on the Charles W. Colson Scholarship at Wheaton College.

President Bush's first executive order formed the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

Charles Colson's books include (available on Christianbook.com): How Now Shall We Live?, The Body, Against the Night, Justice that Restores, Science and Evolution, The Christian in Today's Culture, Why I Believe in Christ, Life Sentence, The Problem of Evil, Loving God, and Born Again.

Amazon.com offers Nixon: A Life by Jonathan Aitken.

Colson's columns for Christianity Today are available at our site, including:

Merchants of Cool | We should be angry that the media hawks violence and that parents allow it. (June 6, 2001)

Slouching into Sloth | The XFL is but the latest sign of the coarsening of our culture. (Apr. 17, 2001)

Checks and (out of) Balance | Moral truth is in jeopardy when the courts enter the business of making law. (Feb. 27, 2001)

Pander Politics | Poll-driven elections turn voters into self-seeking consumers.(Jan. 3, 2001)

Neighborhood Outpost | Changing a culture takes more than politics. (Nov.8, 2000)

MAD No More | In this post-Cold War era, it's time to rethink our nation's defensive strategy. (Sept. 27, 2000)

Salad-Bar Christianity | Too many believers pick and choose their own truths. (Aug. 8, 2000)

A Healthy 'Cult' | A lively response by one unusual audience shows how God's power transforms culture. (June 12, 2000)