André Levet’s conversion in prison

Born in 1932, André Levet, a runaway kid, became familiar with prison and crime from his teens. He organized armed bank robberies, then drug trafficking. He escaped several times from prison, only to be caught again. One day, on the street, André met a priest by chance. This priest wrote to him regularly over the years, sending him a Bible while he was in prison. An inmate at the Château-Thierry prison for difficult prisoners, André Levet challenged Jesus to a meeting in his cell at 2 a.m. At the appointed time, Jesus came to him in person! This event, combined with the discovery of God’s love for him, changed everything in his life.

The following is excerpted from André Levet’s own account:

My name is André Levet. I was born in 1932 in an atheist family.  I had never heard of God. During the war of 39-40, my father was deported. No longer having either a father or a mother, I was abandoned, then taken care of by people in a Pyrenean farm. My father was released in 1945; he tried to start a new life, but I did not accept my new stepmother and I fled to  Marseilles, at the age of 13, sleeping in the streets and unloading trucks. At that time, the police arrested me and put me in prison,  at Baumettes, while waiting to return me to my family.

Influenced by other inmates, I  became a petty criminal, learning all the tricks of the “trade”. At 15  I was arrested for an armed robbery, and put in prison until my majority. At 18, we had the option of enlisting in the Indochina war,  which I did to avoid prison. I was injured, repatriated to France and nursed in a hospital.

After that, with my military and prison experiences, I became the leader of a band of gangsters,  specializing in bank robbery. One day, when I had come to Laval for “business”, I saw a priest wearing a cassock, on the other side of the road. I went to him, and having never seen one before, I asked him if he was a man or a woman.

He replied: “I am a servant of  God. God, He’s my boss!” 

I told him: “Your God, where is  He? We do not see him.” He replied: “I see that you don’t know  God, but if one day you have  time, come and discuss it with  me, at 12B rue de Solferino.” I have  never forgotten this address…

Several months later, when I was in Laval on “business”, I stumbled across this street. I went to see the priest. He was there and said: “I’ve been waiting for you.” That priest became my friend, giving me advice that I didn’t follow, and every time he talked to me about God, I said: “Leave your God where he is…“.

Sometime later, I was in Rennes to rob a bank. The holdup went wrong, my friend was killed and I was arrested. I escaped and fled to South America where I  organized drug trafficking.

Back in France, I was arrested again, only to escape again. I was arrested three times, and escaped from prison three times. I would have had to serve 120 years if I added it all up. I was transferred to Clairvaux, a prison for hardened criminals, and I tried to escape with some friends by digging a  tunnel. The escape was nearly successful, but we were caught. I attempted yet another escape, alone, by holding up a  guard with a weapon. Again I got caught. They decided to send me to Château Thierry. The director  received me with these words:  “Here, you work or you die!” I  responded by hurling his desk at his head. They put me in a very small cell with a bed anchored to the wall.

My priest did not abandon me; he sent me letters from time to time. He spoke to me of  God, telling me that He was good.  I answered him: “If your God is good, why are there so many wars, so much misery, why are some people dying of hunger while others have too much? Why do some people  have several houses while others do not?” The priest replied:  “André, you are responsible.”  What? Me? I was willing to be responsible for the robberies, but not for the misery of the world!

And then one day, the priest sent  me a big book saying: “André,  you can read this book any time you want, even after your death,  starting with any page.” The  guard brought it to me, saying  to me: “This is a good book, you  should read it; you can even take  it to solitary confinement.” “What’s it about?” “The good God,”  he answered me. No way! I can’t believe it! He brought me his good God again all the way to my cell! I threw the book away. My priest was writing to me all the time, begging me to read the book.

So, to make him happy, in 10 years I  opened it 9 times. I started by  reading the wedding at Cana,  where Jesus changes water into  wine. I turned on my sink faucet and said: “Hey man, make it run wine!”  It did not work. I wrote it to the  priest saying: “Your book doesn’t  work.” My parish priest replied:  “André, you are reading the wrong way. Persevere.” 

I read the story of the Samaritan  woman, and the story of the raising of Lazarus. This story revolted me, I couldn’t believe it. My  friend who was shot by the cops,  he didn’t come back to life, did  he? Then I went back to reading, long after, and I read how  much good Jesus had done to  people and how much they had  mistreated Him: they had spat on  Him, they had scourged Him, they had reviled Him, then they had  nailed Him to a cross … I was revolted, I didn’t understand why  they were doing so much harm to  someone who was doing so much good.

I gave up reading and continued trying to escape. I was expecting a weapon and a file, but these objects were intercepted. I had no hope left, so in desperation I called on Jesus. I told Him: “If  you exist, I’ll set up a meeting time. Come tonight at 2 a.m.  to my cell to help me  escape.” 

I fell asleep that night, and suddenly in the middle of the night  I was woken up. Ready to jump to my feet, I felt a presence in my cell, but I saw no one. Then I heard a clear and strong voice inside me: “André, it is 2 a.m. We  have a meeting.” 

I called the guard, shouting: “Are  you calling me?” “No,” he told me. “What time is it?” I asked. “2 o’clock in the morning.” “Two and how many minutes?” “2 o’clock exactly,” the guard answered. Then I heard the voice again: “Do not be incredulous,  I am your God, the God of all men.” “But I do not see you!” I  answered. 

At that moment, towards the bars of the skylight, a light appeared.  And in that light, a Man with pierced hands and feet and a hole in His right side. He said to me: “It is also for you.” 

At that moment, the scales from my eyes, heavy with 37 years of sins, fell off and I saw all my misery and wickedness. I fell to my knees and remained in this position until 7 am. I cried before God and all evil came out of me.  I understood that for 37 years I had driven nails into His hands and feet. 

At 7 a.m. the guards opened the door to me; they saw me on my knees and crying. I told them:  “I won’t spit on you anymore;  I won’t hit anyone anymore;  I won’t rob anyone anymore,  because every time I do it, I do it to Jesus.” The guards were surprised; they initially thought it was a trick on my part. Then quickly, they understood that I had completely changed.

Several other inmates were touched by what had happened to me, and they too were able to meet this wonderful God and turn their lives around. I’m now free, my life has totally changed and I spend all my time talking to others about the love of this God.

Source: André Levet’s testimony

My last run with Jesus Christ, by André Levet (New city, 1996).

The video testimony of André Levet (with English captions)