The importance of personal integrity.

I recently read a secular book about prisoners on death row in the State of Texas, and was encouraged by the comments made about the chaplain, one Jim Brazzil.   He was a Southern Baptist minister who had been in pastoral ministry for some 25 years before becoming a prison chaplain. In particular I was impressed with 3 facets of his ministry, and wanted to share these with you.

Firstly, he had such a sincere concern for these condemned men that, not only did he give them much time in the months leading up to their deaths, but he also spent 3 hours with them before they were executed, even going into the death chamber, and being with them to the end.

Secondly, the spiritual care  he gave to each man was the same as that offered to a six-year old girl he prayed with, in hospital, as she was dying of cancer.  Given the fact that these prisoners were murderers who, in some cases, had wiped out entire families, that level of dedication to his calling is truly remarkable.  It reminded me of  Matthew 9 v 36 where we read that Jesus had compassion because they (the crowd who followed him) "were like sheep without a shepherd".  Perhaps this is why so many of these hardened men were willing to sign his Bible.

However, impressive though these matters are, what really struck me was the high level of personal integrity displayed in the following fact - when Warner Bros. offered Mr Brazzil 2.5 million dollars for the serial rights to his story so they could do TV programmes about him, he refused them; the reason he gave being that he didn't want to cheapen the work he was doing for God.

Given the constant scandals of televangelists who frequently make outlandish appeals for money, to fund their lavish projects, I consider Chaplain Brazzil's example to be highly commendable.  

It was this, perhaps, more than anything else that convinced even non-Christians among the prison staff, that this man was worthy of the utmost respect.

Is it not the case that the biggest complaint levelled against professing Christians by the world is that so many who claim to be followers of Christ are simply nothing more than money-grabbing hypocrites, in it for what they can get out of it?  When confronted by the integrity of  men like Jim Brazzil, opponents of the Gospel have no case.

If we are people known for a high level of  personal integrity then, even if many do not like our message, they will have to acknowledge that we are sincerely seeking to live up to the faith we profess to have.

May the conduct of Chaplain Brazzil be an example to all of us in our daily lives, lived before a watching world -   2nd Cor. 5 v 20