Nixon's Hatchet Man Falls
Charles Colson, once a pivotal figure in President Nixon's administration, was infamous for his ruthless efficiency, earning him the moniker 'Nixon's hatchet man.' However, his world crumbled in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal. In 1973, as the scandal engulfed his life, Colson encountered a turning point. A friend handed him C.S. Lewis's *Mere Christianity*, igniting a transformation. A meeting with Tom Phillips, the president of Raytheon Corporation, catalyzed this change. Phillips shared his faith and read from Lewis's book, prompting Colson to surrender his life to Christ. In a moment of deep introspection, Colson spent an hour in his car, both sobbing and praying, calling out to God.
Colson's Watergate Scandal Conversion
In his own words, Colson described, 'I simply quietly surrendered my life to Christ and asked him to come into my life.' This profound encounter with Jesus led him through a time of personal reckoning. Convicted of obstruction of justice, Colson served seven months in Alabama's federal Maxwell Prison. Reflecting later, he would say, 'One of the greatest things that happened in my life was going to prison.'
Prison Fellowship Ministry Born
Realizing that his time in prison had a divine purpose, Colson founded Prison Fellowship in 1976, dedicating his life to ministering to the incarcerated. He visited prisons every Easter to preach about Jesus's resurrection. His impact was vast, and by 2012, Prison Fellowship had become a significant global outreach.
Transformed Life Through Brokenness
Colson's words encapsulate his mission, 'Okay God if you want to take me and use me in the prisons...you take me and use me in the prisons. And he did far more with my life out of my brokenness and out of my weakness than I'd ever been able to do with my life out of my own power and influence and abilities.' Colson's life stands as a testament to Jesus's power to redeem and repurpose a life once entangled in scandal.
