By Eric Buehrer, president of Gateways to Better Education

We are sad that our brother and ministry friend, Chuck Colson, is no longer with us, but we are rejoicing that he is in the presence of our Lord.

We are grateful that he so enthusiastically embraced Gateways to Better Education and supported our work. It was a privilege to have written commentaries for Chuck on education issues and an honor to be part of the Colson Center Speakers’ Bureau. This Fall, we will help bring a piece of his tremendous work to the attention of a new generation of young people with a public school adaptation of his Doing the Right Thing video series on ethics.

Chuck’s life was an inspiration. Two words especially stand out to me when I think of him: compassion and passion. He was a wonderful example of Christian compassion for prisoners and their families, and at the same time he had a passion to bring a Godly influence to our troubled culture. Either field of work would be enough for one person, but Chuck managed both with excellence! His voice and example continue to call the Church to awaken to the moral and spiritual needs of a lost and dying world.

May we all use this time of mourning to rededicate ourselves to diligently continue the work he started. Thank you, Chuck, for showing us what life can look like when you allow Christ to work through you.

As recently as September 2011, Chuck sent us the following video-taped message…