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i
have a new hero of the faith
by
john o'keefe
i
have a new hero. you might be surprised
to know who this hero is; you might even
disagree with me that this person should be
a hero at all. but i have to tell you,
i am just as surprised as you that i see
this person as a hero; heck, maybe even more
suprised.
let
me share with you how this came to be - and
yes, i know i have not mentioned my new hero
yet, but that will come in time (it's a
writers trick to get you to read more) - i
was watching tv the other day. you
know, the "news" stuff on cable
(network news is just so very boring) when
this person came on to share their
story. the first thing that went
through my head was, "boy this should
be funny." but as this person
spoke, in there words, in all that was being
offered, i noticed that their heart was true
to their call, and even more to me was that
their heart was kind, loving and even
forgiving - i went from the natural cynic i
am to a person who desired to know more
about the person and the life walk they had
had. i was greatly impressed.
this person shared heart warming stories of
love, of faith, of acceptance, of hope, of
prayer, of grace, of a walk with God that
would envy a pastor at a "large"
church; and through it all - all the pain,
lose, hurt and joy, this person kept the
faith - while those around fell, this person
remained true to the call in their heart and
the expression of faith that is true to
their being.
i
noticed that as this person shared their
life, true, honest, open, and transparent
life with a joy and a humbleness that i have
not seen in religious leaders. over
the past years the media and the church took
hurtful shots at this person, called them
names and even declared that "they were
not christian." "great"
religious leaders called this person names
and tried to distance themselves from this
person. but thought it all, this
person remained true to christ, true to the
call, and true to the way they saw christ
work in the hearts of others - who is this
person? well hold on to your hats,
it's tammy faye bakker messner - yup, the
over made-up squeaky voiced, mascara
running, crying women of "jim and tammy"
fame - the fallen leader of the "ptl
club." she is my new hero in
faith.
i
was watching her on the "larry king
live" show and i have to tell you -
wow, i am greatly impressed with her heart
and her willingness to let God lead in her
life. but i know she is not the
"grand lady of the faith."
but what she is is much deeper then that,
she is real, open, transparent and mostly
she is who God created. i know i will
fall deeper out of favor with my evangelical
brothers and sisters for even thinking of
her as a "hero of the faith" - but
let me share with you just two reasons i
feel she is a hero of the faith -
adding
her voice to peta - i have to give props to
a women who became famous because of the
amount of makeup she was wearing to stand
opposed to the use of animals in the testing
of makeup. she could have taken a ad
with a makeup company and raked in the
bucks, but it looks like honor came before
the money and for that she is a hero.
her
support of "outside groups" (gays
and lesbians for example) - this is not the paper
where i defend, or reject, gay and lesbians
- heck, i will leave that the others.
the idea that she would take her fame and
speak at a small church with a large gay
congregation is a def prop in my book.
it is not our place to judge others, that is
in the hands of God - and by her speaking
there she is telling the world that she
believes God loves people and wants to call
all people to his side.
as
tammy talked on the show of her life, loves
and pains i saw a women who was open to God,
looking for others to know that this God she
loves so deeply is real and alive - in her
pain she saw love, life and peace.
tammy is a women who lives as God directs
her, and she does it with a transparent
heart and voice - tammy is who tammy is, no
pretense, not "hiding," and no
false face - tammy faye is a new hero.
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