Real Live Preacher

Andrew Brown linked to an article about homosexuality from a Texas preacher. It’s not what you think. In fact, it’s great.

Real Live Preacher, as he calls himself, writes honestly and writes well. So, I sat and read the whole site, archives and all. I cannot help but think that, had someone like this been around when I was beginning to realise that I couldn’t stay in my church, things might have been different.

The Preacher’s life story had some echoes with me. That said, for me there was no great event in my life which was the final straw, no example of human suffering which finally showed that there could not be a good God running it all; instead there was just the drip, drip, drip of guilt and doubt, eventually wearing me down.

The Preacher came back to his faith by deciding that “faith is something you do, not something you think. In fact, the greater your doubt the more heroic your faith.” He decided to gamble his life, living in faithfulness to God, without really knowing or caring whether God existed:

I pushed all my chips across the table. The preacher bet it all. Why? Because the idea that there is a God who cares for us busts my heart wide open. Because I pushed reason as far as it can go but I wanted to go farther still. Because I wanted to, and… well… I just wanted to.

I can’t follow him where he’s gone, but I can’t help but admire him.

2 Comments on "Real Live Preacher"


  1. Subject: someone read it!!
    Browsing on the net and found your page.

    Interesting idea – posting a personal diary on the web.

    Baring the deep and complex parts of yourself.

    May you be rewarded – “He who seeks shall find”

    May your door be opened for you.

    Alex

    (alexdownunder@optusnet.com.au)

    Reply

    1. Subject: Re: someone read it!!
      Not sure how much I’m really baring in my LiveJournal: some people seem to be a lot more free with the stuff which is on view to the public. I’m pretty happy to talk about philosophy and religion online. Being open about these things seems the best way of dealing with them.

      Thanks for your kind words.

      Reply

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