Dear John,

Today our nation celebrates the life and contributions of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who worked to share the biblical truth that all people are created in the image of God. King once famously said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

We at Prison Fellowship wholeheartedly believe and strive to minister the truth of those words. I can’t think of a place that idea is better exemplified than in our own Prison Fellowship Academy, where the love of Christ shines bright and drives out the hate that is all too prevalent in prison and in our own culture as well.

We recently interviewed Kevin Bruno to talk about his experience being incarcerated for 27 years and how he was able to rise above a culture entrenched in hating and judging people based on the color of their skin to a place of love for all people.

When he entered prison, Kevin quickly learned it was a place where, “Compassion was weakness. Compassion was an invitation for you to be hurt.” But near the end of his second prison term, Kevin was transferred to the Carol S. Vance Unit in Texas, where he participated in the Prison Fellowship Academy. It was there that Kevin learned there was a different—better—way to live.

“Those [racial] lines that I had always seen and always knew existed disappeared when I got to the Vance Unit,” shared Kevin. He experienced genuine Christian compassion and concern from others in the program, and it broke down the racial walls and barriers that he had experienced his whole life. He learned to love like Christ, and now Kevin shares his own story in order to help all of us understand that we are called to love all of our neighbors, including those who look, act, and experience the world in a way that is different from us.

Our founder Chuck Colson once wrote, “I contend that a biblical worldview is the only one that can produce a system of true justice, one that holds individuals responsible for their actions (that is, fallen individuals have a moral duty) under an objective rule of law (which we believe is rooted in revelation) but always in the context of community and always with the chance of transformation of the individual and the healing of fractured relationships and of the moral order.”

The Prison Fellowship Academy, which nearly 25 years ago Chuck started with Carol Vance in the same unit that bears Mr. Vance’s name, continues the work of healing fractured relationships and transforming its participants in the context of healthy, peaceful communities. Its continued success is a testament to both Chuck’s vision and the work of the Holy Spirit that is impacting prisons across the country today.

Your continued support is helping to bring Chuck’s vision of Spirit-led transformation into prisons today. J.M., an Academy participant in California shared this with us: “I have gained much from the six core values [of the Academy]. One area that has impacted me the most is the value of integrity, knowing and doing the right thing. The curriculum and personal interactions with the other Academy participants have fostered this core value in my life. I love our program and can see the ripple effect far beyond the walls of the prison. Thank you, Prison Fellowship staff and volunteers. Because of you, I am a better man today. Better than yesterday, not done yet!”

Praise God! Because of your faithful prayers, lives and communities are being transformed. Hate is being replaced by love, and darkness is being replaced by light. Your support makes this work possible, and all of us here at Prison Fellowship, including those we serve each day, would like to thank you for being a part of this family! God bless!

Praising Him,