Colson's Redemption | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Home > 2008 > December (Web-only)

Christianity Today, December (Web-only), 2008

Interview

Colson's Redemption

Prison Fellowship founder says he doesn't want a pardon, but the Presidential Citizen Medal means a lot.

Interview by Susan Wunderink | posted 12/12/2008 10:58AM

Comments (6)

Related articles and links |

1 of 1

Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, received a Presidential Citizen Medal from George W. Bush on Wednesday. It is the second-highest honor for a civilian.

"For more than three decades, Chuck Colson has dedicated his life to sharing the message of God's boundless love and mercy with prisoners, former prisoners, and their families," the citation reads. "Through his strong faith and leadership, he has helped courageous men and women from around the world make successful transitions back into society. The United States honors Chuck Colson for his good heart and his compassionate efforts to renew a spirit of purpose in the lives of countless individuals."

While Jeb Bush restored Colson's civil rights in 2000, Colson has not received a pardon for his role in the Watergate scandal.

Congratulations on receiving the Presidential Citizen Medal. What does the medal mean to you?

Two things: The first is that redemption is possible, because it was 35 years ago this year that I left the White House in disgrace and now have come back to receive a very lovely award. And I told the President this is a great example of redemption. He started talking about the redemption that he'd seen in the prisons with me. So first of all, it stands for redemption — it's possible for anybody.

But what makes me probably happiest about the award is that the word will go through the prisons pretty quickly and every prisoner can know that there's hope. Which is what I've given my life to. That is the first thing that's really meaningful to me.

Redemption and that message now being spread to others who are in prison or who have been in prison.

So you feel that this reflects on your post-conversion life as a whole?

Oh, yeah. My Christian life.

Would a presidential pardon make a difference to you at this point?

No. I haven't asked for one, and I won't. I've gotten the only pardon I care about, which is from Christ.

When I was in the Marines, we had this thing called a Presidential Unit Citation, and that meant that if a unit was particularly valiant in battle, the whole unit got a Presidential Citation. Every member of that unit could wear that ribbon.

This [Presidential Citizen Award] was not a recognition of me personally. This was a recognition of the movement that I'm a part of, Prison Fellowship — the workers, the staff, the volunteers, the thousands upon thousands of volunteers. So I look at it as a — and I told a staffer yesterday — I look at it as a presidential unit citation for Prison Fellowship, not for me. I take it on behalf of a lot of people who make this work possible.

Related Elsewhere:

Charles Colson also writes columns for Christianity Today.

1 of 1

December (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 53

Comments (6)

Subscribe to Christianity Today and get 3 free trial issues. No credit card required.

Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only.

If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive nine more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The three trial issues are yours to keep, regardless.

Click here for international orders

2-for-1 Gifts!

Displaying 1–5 of 6 comments

See all comments

Jason

December 17, 2008 8:22am

Dick Cheney quote: “I supported it,” he said regarding the practice known as “water-boarding,” a form of simulated drowning. After World War II, Japanese soldiers were tried and convicted of war crimes in US courts for water-boarding, a practice which the outgoing Bush administration attempted to enshrine in policy.

Gail B.

December 15, 2008 9:08pm

You have inspired me for many, many years, Mr. Colson. Your life has demonstrated the Gospel message of Good News! Thank you for Prison Fellowship and your tireless efforts to share the Truth of redemption behind the wall. God bless you for showing other incarcerated people and everyone else the way to true Redemption through the birth, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank God that we have a President who is firm in his faith in Jesus Christ and His redemption, unwavering in giving thanks to God publicly, and who truly means it in his heart when he says "God bless America."

Sam

December 15, 2008 2:24pm

Thanks Chuck, and to Prison Fellowship, for all the love you have given my son Thomas, and others, in prison. God bless you.

Louise

December 13, 2008 7:17am

Good article. An honor bestowed upon those who do a much needed work among our prisoners. Our prison system isn't set up to allow restoration of a person. So much work is necessary beyond the essential paying the penalty for the crime. And as an added thought after reading the comments, I'm very concerned for America's future, do we not read our history books? Have we not studied what communism and other American-hating people have said what they plan for us? We are ever learning in our great institutions of higher-understanding only to come away unceasingly criticizing our nation. Do we not know there will never be an utopia on earth? There will never be a perfect nation. It could be worse... Let's be reminded of what good has come from America...missionaries, defending people globally against governmental tyranny, and the list can go on. The only thing we have to be concerned about in the 21st century is man's will imposed politically upon another.

Jack

December 13, 2008 12:18am

Nixon's former henchman and George W. Bush chatting in the White House about "redemption"? Surreal.

You must be a Christianity Today subscriber or have created a FREE registration to post comments