The Gospel

All seven of my readers will probably be surprised to learn that I wanted to be a preacher since I was a young teen. I have the spirituality, vision and organizational skills to qualify for the role. But my temperment is ill-suited for attending to the daily personal needs of a large congregation. I sometimes speculate about how I'd stack up against today's great voices of my faith. I'd love to be like T.D. Jakes, but that's just not me. I'm more like Emanuel Cleaver. His deceptively laconic approach makes him one of Kansas City's best stylists. Earlier this week I heard Fred Craddock, the most celebrated voice of my denomination. Though physically unimposing, he's a truly inspired scholar. Everybody say "Amen."