Customer Reviews

Life Sentence

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I started reading this book because of my involvement with presenting Success Skills Seminars to inmates and staff in prisons. I never expected this book to be so compelling. Although I knew that Chuck Colson made a great impact with Prison Fellowship, still I didn't know much about Chuck or his work. Even though this book was originally published about 20 years ago, it is timeless. Some day soon, I hope to meet Charles Colson in person. This is must reading for everyone who enters a prison, whether they be family, friend, staff, volunteer, inmate, or simply someone who cares.

If you haven't read Chuck Colson's first book, "Born Again", you should read that one before "Life Sentence". This book continues the story begun in Born Again with the events surrounding the beginning of the Prison Fellowship Ministries. The sad truth is that prisons don't rehabilitate those who break the law. More often than not they produce criminals who are more hardened and more of a menace to society upon their release from prison than when they entered. Prisons are often overcrowded, dehumanizing and dangerous. I think it's safe to say that Prison Fellowship and its sister organizations have done more to reform prisons and the criminal justice system than any other single organization. They have demonstrated a powerful combination of the Evangelical and Social Justice traditions of Christianity to redeem lost souls and wasted lives.

This book is very honest and humble as well as inspiring. Chuck Colson is honest about his own failings and those he sees among Evangelical Christians (with whom he identifies). He was often treated very badly by the news media and others, but his love for prisoners and commitment to Jesus Christ allow him to take such incidents as lessons from a loving God to help him grow in character and in spirit. Chuck Colson's example of love, devotion and integrity should be considered carefully by everyone. Even after 25 years this book is well worth reading.

As was Colsons goal, this book was encouraging and challenging. It makes me want to go and start helping in prisons. It also challenged my faith and helped me to grow.

I was in high school when President Nixon resigned from office. It was fascinating to learn some behind-the-scenes information about people I remember from news stories in the early '70's. Also, I was inspired by Mr. Colson's story...good things truly do come from the broken pottery pieces. Great book!