The Deacon's Bench
It’s rare to hear a Hollywood star of this magnitude talk so openly about religion. Denzel Washington spoke recently at a Church of God in Christ (COGIC) banquet in St. Louis.
Aleteia’s Italian edition has some highlights:
In Saint Louis, the actor began: “Although it can not be said that I was always faithful, God has always been present in my life in the world, unconditionally.” said the actor, adding “He never lost faith in me.”
Denzel focused in particular on prayer has also asked to be forever grateful for the blessings that God gives us: “Say thank you all days, embrace the gratitude, encourage others. It is impossible to be grateful and to hate at the same time.”
And there’s more, from The St. Louis American:
“My father, my earthly father, Denzel Washington Sr. was a pastor for the Church of God in Christ for 60 years,” Washington said. “I can remember the most important time in our house – and he would be so excited – was when he was preparing to attend Convocation in Memphis, Tennessee. I didn’t know what he was doing when he got here – in fact I couldn’t even say the word, but I knew it was important to him.”
Washington then described the care that was taken as his father prepared to make his annual trek from upstate New York to Tennessee.
“He would get his best two suits together and my mother would fry him a tin of chicken and prepare a thermos of coffee and he would make the drive,” Washington said. “I know he’s smiling in heaven, seeing his son doing the best I can do today, by the grace of God.”
He took a moment to take it all in – and contain his tears.
…Washington gave his denomination a nod for recognizing the importance of sowing into young people both in faith and finances before offering his own testimony on how doing so changed his life.
“Forty years ago, march 27, 1975 I was in my mother’s beauty shop. I had flunked out of college. I had a 1.7 grade point average. I had no future,” Washington said. “I was sitting looking in the mirror and I see a woman behind me sitting under the dryer. Of course, the voice of God always comes from under a dryer.”
The woman, one of the oldest members of his family church, began asking for a pen and paper so that she could write down the prophecy she had for Washington’s life.
“She said, ‘young man, you are going to travel the world and speak to people,” Washington said. “Now mind you I was 20 years old, with a 1.7 grade point average and had flunked out of school. She said, ‘you are going to preach.
In this 40 year journey, I guess she was right,” Washington said. “Through my work I have spoken to millions of people. In 2015 I said I’m no longer just going to speak through my work. I’m going to make a conscious effort to get up and speak about what God has done for me.”
Photo: Shutterstock
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