Son of Sam, Son of God
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
“There's no one so lost that God cannot bring them to live for Him.” – Os Hillman
I’ve told the story before, but it bears repeating…
David Berkowitz, perhaps the most notorious serial killer in American history, is serving multiple life sentences in a prison in upstate New York. Personally, I think that the “Son of Sam” should have been executed for his heinous crimes and David agrees.
How do I know? Because David told me so to my face. He then added, “Life in prison has been hard, but God has shown me mercy… and I don’t deserve mercy.”
Mercy is often defined as not getting what you deserve, so the very fact that David avoided the electric chair is evidence of God’s mercy. However, God didn’t just stop there. He also extended grace to David by saving his once wretched soul. That’s right, the Son of Sam is now a child of Almighty God.
David’s conversion wasn’t a case of “jailhouse religion.” If so, he would have recanted… or at least put his supposed faith on the shelf many years ago. However, to this very day, almost 50 years after he murdered six people and wounded seven others in Queens, New York, David continues to spread the gospel behind bars and to serve as a deacon in the prison church.
To prove the sincerity of his newfound faith, David also refuses to grant any interviews or to cooperate with any depiction of his life unless all the proceeds benefit the families of his 13 victims.
My friend, you may not have murdered anyone in cold blood, but you may still be wrestling with the guilt of your past. If so, I have some great news! The God who forgave the Apostle Paul, who described himself as the “chief of sinners” for having murdered Christians before his conversion, loves you, sent His Son to die for you, and offers you not only forgiveness but also eternal life.
I strongly urge you to take Him up on that very generous plea deal!
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17 (NKJV)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
