Heated Discussions: A Compassionate Response to Corruption

Chuck Colson wrote a commentary at CNN today about the corruption scandal surrounding Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. In reading it, I was struck by the empathy and compassion he expressed for the governor. As a leading Christian conservative, one might expect him act the part of an intolerant moralist. Yet, Colson does not. As a convicted Watergate conspirator, Colson provides a perspective that is unique among the media.

As I have gotten older, I have struggled to encounter people as real human beings and not caricatures. It is a challenging proposition, since we all make presumptions about people, many times based on their political or religious views. There was a time in my life when Chuck Colson confronted me with that challenge.

Back at the turn of the century, I had the opportunity to produce two video projects with Chuck, "Countercultural Christians" and "Playing God". Many of my more progressive-minded friends were horrified I was working with him. Certainly, Chuck and I had very different views about theology, philosophy and some social issues. Chuck and his writer had seen another video I had produced for a more liberal Christian author. Still, he wanted to work with me. So I figured I would keep an open mind, since he had about me.

During the shooting, I disagreed with much of what he said to the point that there were times when I bit my lip to avoid shouting "Cut!" That is not my most vivid memory of the projects though. I remember one day scouting locations with him. We were in a county jail in Virginia. Having never been in a prison before, I was a little nervous. Chuck, however, was right at home. His experience of serving time and his subsequent founding of Prison Fellowship made him comfortable in this setting. At one point in our tour, I made a wrong turn and lost him. Since we had a few more locations to visit that day and were falling behind schedule, I became nervous when I could not find him.

Well, it wasn't quite like Jesus' parents finding him in the Temple, but eventually I found Chuck. There he was, pressed against the prison bars. His hands were extended into the cell and joined with those of a prisoner. They were praying together. Guess he was about his Father's business.

It came as no surprise to me today to see that Chuck is offering an empathetic view of the Illinois corruption scandal. After getting to know him just a little bit, that is exactly what I would expect. In the coming weeks and years, our country will have many heated discussions about a variety of issues. It will be tempting to react to our adversaries based on our preconceived notions about conservatives, liberals, evangelicals, whatever... However, in the midst of tossing around all those labels, I will do my best to remember that in the end, there is one label far more important. It is the one I saw on Chuck that day - integrity.