PREACHERMAN

Barach Obama has recently resigned from his Church, the UCC (United Church of Christ) in Chicago. All of us are familiar with the controversy over the remarks of his now former pastor. I didn't get very excited as I understand preachers like the good Reverend Wright since I "are" one. The preachers have to stoke their ego, create controversy, stir the mix, fire the people up with outrageous statements and views of oppression. The demomination, UCC, was created out of several other denominations and has moved to where much of their leadership are minorities. And, as minorities have felt oppressed. Reverend Wright has made a theme out of the issue and I understand. Obama resigned, he said, so that simply he would not have to deal with it, nor would the Church: too distracting (my paraphrased view).

I continue to be amazed at how religion seems to dominate so much of the political life of our nation. And, so crazy in so many ways. Recently, I saw a "b" movie in a sense, Brooklyn Rules. So much of it, amidst the "f" word, had to do with being a Catholic: the Virgin Mary, the total lack of reality in tying everyday living to the Church. "Let's go out and kill someone and then go to Church and possibly confession, get forgiven for our sins and then we'll be cleansed and ready for our next murder." Really! And, truly, we talk about the fanatical Islamists--somewhat sisters under the skin with the views of the Brooklyn Catholics. The Brooklyn Catholics, however, are not going to blow the infadels up nor view that they are getting virgins in heaven. However, if I had a pulpit and preached this, I could stir folks up: and, if a member of my Congregation was a possible future president, look out news media. Get it?

I recently saw this letter to the editor, "Not to be outdone by Obama's pastor problems, John McCain turns down another pastor's endorsement from a preacher who said that God sent Hitler to help the Jews reach the promise land. All these wacko preachers make me 'thank God' I'm an atheist." I like it.

Just when you are at the point of shaking your head at how people use religion to convey such idiocy views or for their own purposes, making hypocrisy the rule rather than the exception, along comes something or someone that makes you stop and think. This stoper was an article in the local paper about a young preacher in Oakland, California who somewhat mirrors the ministry of Jesus: walking among the down and out, the downtrodden, dope heads, the poor. From the account, there doesn't seem to be any reward for him personally. I am slightly worried that now he has attained some notoriety, he might go "south" himself. It has happened before.

The "preacherman" as he is called has a flock of about 50 who mostly sleep on the streets. He gave up a comfortable life, a wife and child, was a PhD candidate at Berkeley. What gives? He shows up seven nights a week, rain or shine, to gently sermonize and pass out sandwiches, blankets and a few dollars he makes through day labor. This may be the only chink in his armor: giving away money to dopers, etc. might be a motivator for them to show. But, overall, a minor thing.

It surely appears that the "preacherman" believes his preaching. His message is very simple and basic and right out of the gospels. His prayer, "Lord, help us against the cold, the poverty, the loneliness, and keep us on the right path so we can love our brothers and sisters."

He works on odd jobs as a carpenter, hmmmmmmmmmm: At his 30 minute service, he hands out a few dollars to each--about $50 from a deck rebuild job he had done--blankets and food. "I don't expect people to become saints listening to me, I just hope they walk away with seeds in them that someday will flower. I want them to live better lives."

What gives? What would cause someone to give up a good life to live life on the streets with some elusive idea of helping people? Preacherman is a graduate of Rutgers--"I'm not nuts. I'm basically just a regular guy. But at one point I began really reading the Scriptures, and they really blew me away. God gave me faith. This is what I must do."

He got married right after college and was into his doctorate when he received the "calling." The marriage hit rocks when his wife couldn't deal with the homeless sleeping in their home. Yeah! "That was terribly difficult but we just disagreed about how I do this work, and I can respect how she felt." His ex wife moved back East. He rarely sees her or his son. "It hurts like a thousand darts in my heart not to see them, but this is the path God has chosen for me." The peacherman's mom said that he was not an unusually devout Catholic growing up. She thinks his transformation began when, as a history PhD candidate, he began reading the Bible in one of its ancient Aramaic-language versions. The Mom says, "My son is a hard worker and a good man, but he simply dropped out of school and chose his calling." The last time she visited him was about three years ago. "I didn't know where he was, but all I had to do was go to East Oakland and ask around to the homeless people. They all knew him."

Preacherman said he didn't start sleeping outside until four years ago, when he decided the best way to reach his audience was to live like them. He sold his collection of 300 scholarly books, turned in his apartment key and hit the streets. "It was pretty scary taking that step and I do miss the comforts, my family, all those things. But this is where God led me. And I will be out here until He has other plans." One non-homeless says of the Preacherman, "I was never that religious, but when you see the effect he has on these people who are just trying to survive, I have to say this: "You can feel God's love in him."

Contrast the Preacherman to Reverend Wright, Obama's pastor or these mega church preachers. I am amazed and always think: what is it that would lead this promising young man who wanted to be a college professor to end up on the streets of Oakland as a Jesus figure.