Born Again

Chuck was radically transformed by the grace of God and incomprehensible power of the love of Jesus Christ! Incredibly interesting view into the mess and manipulation of politics! My life will not be the same after reading this autobiography!

This book is timeless. What transpired in the Nixon era is no different than what surely happens with every administration: legal issues, political adversaries, government policy and more. When you finish it, the odds are great that you'll want to pass it on to a friend!

Born Again is a somewhat trite title, but the contents of the book are not so. There are so many biographies out there that are lists of events and facts that surround a person; this is not one of them. Colson explains to you what is happening in his mind and heart. It is not merely a book about his conversion, it is the story of the changing of his heart. Throughout the story, you see the power of God working, not only in Colson, but in the lives of the people around him. I sometimes wonder if Colson painted too bright a picture of the Christians he met like Doug Coe and Tom Phillips, but even if he did, those lights are surely what Colson saw in the midst of his darkness. The changing power of God was evident in them in this work, as was the power in him. Also evident was the power of Christian community that is often lacking in the church. Hughes' offering that the bonds of Christianity overrided their political separation and that he would be willing to give Chuck anything and trust him with it was a powerful statement. I read this book years ago and found it good. Having grown and come back to reread it, I found it better. It is very much worth reading.

If ever a gust of fresh air wafted out of the smog of Watergate, the story of Christ coming into the life of Chuck Colson has to be part of it. I loved this book. It is a simple, quick, and uplifting read. Colson rejected a full scholarship to Harvard on a matter of principle, and his grittiness, perseverance, and humbling transformation shine as examples of God's artistic handiwork. As other readers have mentioned, Colson is extremely forthright and honest, both in recounting his pre-Christian mentality and his post-conversion weaknesses. He does so to the point of making himself vulnerable and willingly so. I so much appreciate that decision, as I am sure do many others. He details the "obvious" at the risk of seeming simplistic, if only because those simple observations stuck with him and impacted him. One clear example can be found upon his entry to the prison at Maxwell Air Base: "Not only were all uniforms the same drab brown; so were the expressions on the faces. Something strange here. Then it struck me--no one was smiling." This is a fine book and worth reading. One final excerpt to encourage you: "My new friend then handed me a copy of the Phillips version of the New Testament, inscribed: To Charles--It is better to fail in a cause that will ultimately succeed than to succeed in a cause that will ultimately fail--God bless you! Doug. Matthew 6:33. How those words were to haunt and lead me in the days to come!"

Colson does not try to hide any of his sins from you. He tells the whole truth about how he turned from being Nixon's "Hatchet Man" to a follower of Christ. It shows that even in the hardest time's, God will prevail.