The Open Door
By Alice Lawson Sperapani
Election Night 2000. Mark Earley, former Virginia state senator and attorney general--and Navigator missionary before that--watched the returns. Mark was the GOP candidate for Virginia's governor. But as the night wore on, he sensed his season of public service was ending. "I never prayed to win any campaign," says the 47-year-old father of six. "But I always prayed I'd be faithful to the calling. The winning was up to Him."
The
next morning, after Mark's first loss in 14 years, he read the Bible,
prayed, and wrote in his journal. Words sprang from an aching, but
hopeful heart. "Lord, I accept this outcome as part of Your sovereign
plan for my life. I love You more than ever, and even though this is a
closed door, I'm excited that You will open another."
A few days later, Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship (PF), called to ask if Mark would consider being president and CEO of the nation's largest Christian outreach to prisoners and their families. Mark smiled. Once again he clearly saw the open door.
Mark became sensitive to God's leading in his life as a youth in Chesapeake, Virginia. "I grew up in a nurturing home where I always knew I was loved," says Mark, the younger of two sons. He attended a nearby Methodist church but recalls a time when Sunday school was just another activity lumped in with playing in the band and running track.
Then, midway through his senior year of high school, Mark's Sunday school teacher, Gary Bradley, walked into class one day and announced he'd become a Christian. "At first, I thought it was a practical joke," says Mark. But Gary wasn't kidding. He explained that, through a friend with The Navigators, he'd come to a new understanding of Jesus Christ, and he wanted to share the secret. A few weeks later, during an exploration of The Navigators' Studies of Christian Living, Mark realized the same truth and committed his life to God with equal fervor.
That August, Mark entered The College of William and Mary in nearby Williamsburg. He tacked a copy of Ezra 7:10 above his desk: For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to do and to teach its statutes and ordinances in all of Israel (RSV). Gary also gave Mark the best word of warning he's ever received: "You can get a great education but miss what God has for you." Thirty years later, Mark remains in contact with Gary, who has served on Nav staff for three decades.
In 1974, Mark joined The
Navigators' Military Ministry on the nearby Navy base. Going door to
door helped Mark overcome his shyness of sharing the Gospel. "It's
amazing how many fears we have," says Mark, "but when you take the time
to talk about your own journey and what the Bible says, nine out of 10
will respond positively."
The weekly rallies and Bible studies drew Mark even closer to God. "I learned that people are hungry," he says. "And I learned practical ways to share the Gospel." Mark still reaps benefits from establishing a Navigators' chapter at W & M. Now, when he visits prisons across the country, Mark employs skills learned long ago in sultry, southern Virginia. He takes time to visit with inmates, share his story, and talk about Jesus. The times have changed, but the needs--and the message--have not.
After college, Mark served a year with The Navigators near Philadelphia, then joined their International Training Program and worked at the University of the Philippines for two years. Romy Salvador, his supervisor, remains in touch with Mark. "In spite of our cultural differences, we have a bond that only Christ can bring," says Romy, who is still a Navigator. "Mark loves people and enjoys them."
Despite difficult living conditions, Mark thrived. He learned to cook Filipino dishes and to ride a beat-up motorcycle. Every day before he set off, Mark recited Psalm 91:11,12-asking God to give His angels charge of him, lest his foot strike a stone.
"My time in the Philippines was life-shaping," says Mark. "I learned that Jesus Christ transcends culture, and that we can't let the Bible be encrusted by ours. I also saw how fruitful ministry could be. And as I observed political instability and repression, I understood how much God had blessed America with liberty. I realized the passion for freedom and commitment to core values must be rekindled and passed on to each generation." With this ideal before him, Mark dedicated himself to a life of public service and enrolled at W & M's law school.
Mark credits The Navigators for the second greatest gift God has given him: his wife, Cindy, whom he met at a Navigators' retreat during college years. "I have always admired her walk with God," he says, "and I receive strength from her. She's a testimony to God's grace."
Mark and Cindy have three girls and three boys, ranging in age from 5 to 18. So now Mark's passion for igniting the next generation begins at home. Although their days are hectic, the Earleys strive to eat breakfast and dinner as a family. "This is a centering time," says Mark. He also enjoys simply hanging out with his kids--fishing, bike riding, guitar strumming. "I just want them to love Jesus, for Him to be the heartbeat of their lives."
Mark has a similar goal for prisoners and his PF staff. He stresses the need for a daily quiet time with God. "We need to fellowship with Jesus," he says. "If we don't get that right, we don't get the rest right." This desire for daily fellowship is the primary impact The Navigators has had on Mark.
He also thanks The Navigators for helping him see the dignity and worth of each individual. "Every person--regardless of race, gender, or social position--is worthy of investing time and prayer," says Mark. He also believes every Christian is called to be a disciplemaker and laborer for Christ. "This is a high calling, and it can occur in any setting."
For Mark, that setting has changed from Richmond's grand state capitol to dingy prisons across the country--where men and women are finding the open door of freedom in Christ. Last Easter, Mark took his family to Angola, Louisiana, where he and Chuck Colson visited 92 men on death row. "As a lawyer, I had visited prisoners before, but they were always clients," says Mark. "Easter weekend, I visited Jesus."
Mark is profoundly grateful for those who have invested their lives in him through the years. He is excited that PF unites his passions: missions, discipleship, concern for oft-ignored individuals, and biblically based public policy. And he is thrilled about the course God has set before him.
He's not living in a governor's mansion, but Mark is telling folks about a heavenly mansion that's even better. Helping people find Jesus and to grow in Him is Mark's ongoing mission.
Lawson, a freelance writer and former Prison Fellowship staff member, lives in northern Virginia with her husband, Carl, and three children. You can e-mail her at Sperapani@aol.com.
This article was taken from the Fall 2002 issue of One to One: Ministry Review and Resources from The Navigators. If you are interested in receiving a copy of this publication, please send your email request to Dean Ridings at dean.ridings@navigators.org.
