Chief of sinners

Chuck Colson (Richard Nixon's "hatchet man"). David Berkowitz (late 70s New York City serial killer "Son of Sam").

God saves the chiefs of sinners and makes them glorious --- in order that grace may be shown to be utterly gracious. That's how Paul ("Saul") explained his own conversion (1 Timothy 1:12-16).

We have a hint that Paul also dropped out of the newspapers about that time: "We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known" (2 Corinthians 6:8,9). Oh, sure, there was a certain notoriety, and the persecutions. But no respectable Rabbinical school would touch him after he "got religion" and became a gentle, godly man.

One thousand planes a day landing safely in Atlanta is not "news," I suppose. The media is by nature a rapacious and insensible beast, gobbling sensations at the speed of a swarm of locusts, not looking behind.

No one cares that David Berkowitz has labored joyfully for many years in a special ministry among emotionally troubled fellow inmates about a hundred miles north of New York City, but I was happy all day today just learning about it, and reading his 2002 testimony on Larry King.

About half my personal mail comes from prison inmates these days (thanks mostly to WORLD magazine, and my habit of answering all correspondence). And never have I been so blessed and encouraged.

And as for what's considered newsworthy, it's like C.S.Lewis said in his book about heaven, The Great Divorce: "Fame in this country and fame on Earth are two quite different things."