The Good Life

I had an interesting interchange of e-mails this past week with a first-time reader of The White Rhino Report. He was put off by some of the spiritual content of the Blog, and he made the following statement: "I suppose I am a bit uncomfortable with executives leading with their spirituality as a business differentiator. It is not that I have a problem with spirituality. It is just presenting it as a distinction." I respect the opinion of this reader, but would like to respond briefly. I have made a choice to offer in The White Rhino Report my thoughts on a wide variety of topics - leadership, sports, books, movies, theater, faith, world travel, etc. In this Blog, there is no hermetically sealed boundary between personal and professional, because in my life there is no such barrier. Professional colleagues are often friends, and friends are often colleagues. The readership of this Blog is diverse, and I assume that regular readers scan the title of a posting or read the first paragraph or two and then decide if they wish to invest more time in reading the entire posting. I also assume that when I write about spiritual maters that are personal to me, some of my readers, whose perspective on faith is different from my own, may choose to ignore what I have written, privately disagree or choose to share their disagreement in the former of a comment or e-mail to me. I think it is a fair statement that anyone who knows me well, knows that faith is integral to my life, but that I do not beat people over the head with Bible verses nor do I use my faith in an exclusionary way. Having laid on the table this issue, let me offer some brief thoughts on a book I have just finished reading, and found to be valuable and thought-provoking. Chuck Colson has written over twenty books since his surprising bestseller, "Born Again," written in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Following his release from prison, he founded and has run for over thirty years a successful ministry called Prison Fellowship. For almost ten years, I was a member of the staff of Prison Fellowship and came to know and respect Chuck Colson's commitment to justice, informed by his Christian faith. Colson has one of the keenest minds I have ever encountered, and his faithful service for over three decades to prisoners and their families around the globe has silenced most of his early critics who were convinced that his talk of religious conversion on the heels of his Watergate conviction was a cynical attempt to garner sympathy. On the contrary, Nixon's notorious "hatchet man" has hewn an impressive path through the forest of prison injustice and has emerged as a thought leader within the Christian community on issues of applying faith to social problems. "The Good Life," written in collaboration with Harold Fickett, represents Colson's reflections based on thirty years of wrestling with how to apply his faith to his own personal struggles and those of society. In Colson's own words, here is

Thirty five years ago a White House cover-up shook the nation. In the midst of the national controversy were the individual lives that would never be the same. One of those lives is that of Charles Colson. After serving time in prison for releasing confidential FBI information, Colson underwent a transformation, a conversion. He told about his conversion in his popular book Born Again. More than three decades later he's telling his story again, but from a more developed perspective, in his recent book, The Good Life. The Good Life isn't completely about Charles Colson. In fact, his is just one of many stories the authors share to explore the issues of purpose, meaning, and truth in this life. Reflections are offered on men who "had it all," such as L. Dennis Kozlowski (former CEO of Tyco International), as well as people who endured devastating pain and suffering, such as Nien Cheng (a women who suffered under Communist rule in China). Each of the stories told sheds some light on what "the good life" truly is. Along the way, pieces are placed together in the puzzle. Colson and Hackett make the case that self-sacrifice in serving others is an essential element. So to, they claim, is a well-founded worldview that holds truth as valuable and morality as objective. Ultimately, "the good life" comes from complete surrender to Jesus Christ- embracing who He is and what He wants to do with our lives. I thoroughly enjoyed The Good Life. The stories were artfully told in a manner that drew suspense at times and thoughtfulness at others. Powerful points are made by the use of these narratives in conjunction with the clear thinking of a seasoned apologist. The Good Life by Charles Colson and Harold Fickett is exceptional book that will draw readers from almost every background. This is the first book I've ever heard. I was skeptical about how good listening to a book is compared to reading it, but I was pleasantly surprised at how great it was. Todd McLaren, the narrator has the perfect voice for the materials. Whenever there was a quote from someone else, he spoke in a different voice, one that was distinct yet fitting for the piece. I don't believe anyone could have done a better job.

Well, once again, Colson has written another gem of a book! The premise of The Good Life is that a good life can be found only in a two-fold purpose: serving others and serving them in truth. In other words, do not waste your life satisfying just your own selfish desires and do not serve others just to promote your own self-interest. Instead, we are challenged to serve others because of who Jesus Christ is and what He did for us on the cross at Calvary. The important points covered in the book include: 1. We acknowledge the evil to embrace the good. 2. When people are too idle, they lack purpose. We were wired to have a purpose in life. 3. Our own personal happiness must never be the ultimate goal in our lives. 4. Living independent of others is unhealthy - we are meant for community. 5. Instead of doing your own thing, the good life depends on giving yourself to others and losing yourself. 6. Integrity is more important than loyalty. Get that wrong and your world collapses. 7. When we feel a desire for something that this world cannot satisfy, then we can realize that we are made for another world. 8. The reality of our death spurs us on to accomplish as much in life as we can. 9. God wants our child-lie faith and wants us to come to Him on His terms. Read, enjoy, and be challenged to get outside of yourself and make the most of the rest of your life for God's glory! Highly recommended.

I've read so many of Chuck Colson's books and heard so many of his speeches, that I feel as though he's one of my great friends. Even though I've never met him, my heart definitely beats with his(!). This book centers on Chuck looking back over his life offering personal anecdotes and examples of how modern man defines the 'good life' in today's culture - and is left wanting. Colson, as usual, affirms the biblical worldview as the only perspective which offers the greatest joy and satisfaction in life. It's a book for 'seekers.' Chuck is one of those great men whose testimony for Christ, and articulate expressions about the Christian worldview in so many forms, makes one happy to have him as a fellow believer. He leaves a great legacy - although I'm sure Mr. Colson has a lot of great years ahead in Christian service. Continue on, my friend!

One reviewer called this the "thinking man's purpose driven life", and I read the book and completely agree with that summary. Whether you follow Christ or if you know there are many religions and you're not sure why and what is the difference - this book will speak to you. Colson, a former attorney, uses logic and reason to take the reader through methodical reason on many different real-life subjects - from evolution, consumerism, infanticide, homosexuality and much more. Colson takes you through these thoughts logically - not biblically - to present what it means to live the good life - to find purpose, meaning and truth. Colson takes the reader to the point of absolute truth. Rick Warren said about this book - "read this and be changed"; Warren is right. All thinking, well-read people should explore this book. Also Colson shares his own hurt - from his prison stay, alienation and information about his autistic grandson; a very personal book for Colson readers.