The World's Okayest Pastor

As a chaplain working in a health care system, you are told to expect it all. You try to prepare yourself to hear and see pretty much anything and to be able to try to find a calm presence from within that you can bring to a situation – be the voice of reason at times. So when you visit a patient and they want to know more about you and your faith you know things are going to be interesting. Whenever someone immediately starts deflecting things and making the visit about you, you know you're in trouble. I worked in a hospital that is in the Bible belt and attracts folks who are steeped in conservative American based Christian traditions. It was not uncommon for me to meet folk, men almost always, who were missionaries. Most would be polite and figured if nothing else I could be the person to fluff the pillow or get some water. I figured that was as much ministry as was going to happen in those situations and I was cool with that. Then I meet "the one," he believed he wa...