Yesterday was my first extended time driving. I drove up to Fallsburg, NY to visit David Berkowitz at the Sullivan correctional facility.
David is best known as “Son of Sam.” Thirty years ago he terrorized New York City as a crazed, elusive killer. After he was finally caught, he was sentenced to 300+ years in prison—an extended life sentence in order to make sure that he would never get out.
While in prison, David came to faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. People were understandably skeptical. “Prison conversions” can be short-lived affairs, often designed to engender sympathy or more attention. However, David’s conversion is sincere. The past 20+ years have confirmed that. He does not desire attention. In fact, he shies away from it. His only desire is to be faithful to God, ministering to other prisoners and doing all he can to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.
A lady in our church had an opportunity to meet and interview David Berkowitz in the 90’s. She developed a friendship with him and arranged for us to have lunch with him. Originally that date was in late November. My Achilles injury canceled that one. It was rescheduled to yesterday.
Driving to Fallsburg was a challenge. The doctor had told me that if I drove extended distances then I needed to get out at least every two hours to stretch my legs. Apparently blood clots are still a real issue if I am not careful. The distance to Fallsburg was not great but driving in NJ/NY is never easy. A two hour trip became a 3 1/2 hour one due to heavy traffic and frequent stops.
The prison was up in the snowy mountains of the Catskills. It was a unique little town. Hebrew writing was everywhere. The area is apparently a Jewish vacation spot. You would never know the prison was in the town unless you drove right up to it. It sits on top of a hill surrounded by mountains and trees. We drove up the long entrance way and parked in a gravel parking lot.
Getting into the prison was a bit of a challenge with crutches but not too bad. I was able to hop through the metal detector without too much of a problem. I brought papers from the hospital to verify that my injury was legit. I guess you can never be too sure what someone could put into a fake leg cast!
It was lunchtime. We were escorted into a large meeting area in the prison. Small tables were arranged throughout the room. A row of vending machines lined the back wall. Within a few minutes David came in. A smile is almost always on his face. After initial greetings and brief introductions, we went over to the vending machines to “order” our lunch. An array of processed sandwiches in plastic bags were on the menu. I selected A4, a cheeseburger. David got the roast beef sandwich. After many years of practice, David knows exactly how long to cook each sandwich in the microwave. My cheeseburger reminded me of the cafeteria ones I used to have in high school but with enough ketchup it was edible.
We spent the next three hours talking about ministry. That is David’s heart. He loves to hear news about ministry from the “outside world.” I asked him a lot about his own ministry. It was interesting hearing him share the struggles he often faces as a “prison pastor.” He has spent the past 20 years ministering to the suicidal and emotionally disturbed in prison. He even asked to move into this section of the prison at one point so he could be closer to helping these guys. While we sat there talking, two of the prisoners who were also there made a point to come over and greet “Brother Dave” before they left. The fruit of his life is evident.
It was hard for me to imagine this man as the former Son of Sam. He was humble, gentle, self-effacing. The only remnant of his former life was a large scar that ran from the front of his neck to the back of his head. David was attacked shortly after being imprisoned. His throat was slit. Miraculously he survived. It took 52 stitches to close the wound. God obviously wasn’t finished with his life. It would be eight years later, in 1987, that David would trust Christ as his Savior. You can read his testimony at http://www.mwtb.org/pages/display.php?id=201330.
Since being in prison, David has developed a writing ministry with Christian ministers around the world. He has a special heart for pastors in Africa and regularly corresponds with them. His testimony has also been used by Prison Fellowship in many of their prison outreaches. One of his greatest concerns is that young people do not fall into the same traps that he did as a young man. The destruction he caused weighs continually on his mind. He cannot escape it. Every day in prison reminds him of it. He sees his imprisonment as just punishment for his crimes and has regularly refused even to attend his parole hearings. He has issued a public apology to those hurt by his actions and has asked for their forgiveness. Many of his journal entries have been posted online at www.ariseandshine.org and collected in a book entitled Son of Hope: the Prison Journals of David Berkowitz.
I left the prison reflecting on David’s life. It is a testament to the power of Jesus Christ to change lives. I thought of the apostle Paul’s testimony in 1 Timothy 1:12-14
12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Grace. Abundant grace. Amazing grace. Poured out from God upon those who need it. And all of us need it…whether we recognize it or not.
Perhaps what struck me most after meeting David Berkowitz was the realization that his heart was not much different than my own. As we talked about the struggles of being a pastor and ministering to people, I sensed a kindred spirit, a person similar to me in emotions and personality. I rejoiced at the work of the Spirit in his life. But then it hit me. If my heart is not much different than his, then that means I could have easily gone down the same path. Presented with the same challenges and circumstances early in life and yielding to the same temptations he faced, God only knows what my own heart would have been capable of.
There but for the grace of God go I.
Grace not only saves us. It humbles us. And that in itself is a gift from God.
