The Dude Abides
Tonight DJ Jeff really had a surprise for me.
It was…well…me.
In between tracks from Cat Stevens and Bob Marley, Jeff picked out an obscure audio file I didn’t even realize I had: A recording of a long interview I did back in September 2008 with John St. Augustine for Oprah Radio.
I don’t even know if it ever aired. In the last couple of years before I left Chicago for the Shire of Laguna Beach, I was blessed to be a guest on Oprah Radio a few times, with Dr. Oz and the Rev. Ed Bacon (Oprah’s fill-in host for her “Soul Series” show.) But this one, with my buddy Mr. St. Augustine, was never broadcast as far as I know. In fact, I don’t know that I’d ever heard it myself. Still, all of a sudden, there it was, piping through my earphones tonite.
IMHO, it’s a great interview. Mostly because John is a stellar host and interviewer.
I was moved to tears a few times as it was like stepping back through time and into a story to which I now know the ending. When we recorded it, Vasco was still in Malawi, still undiagnosed, still not scheduled for surgery, and the thought that he would be my son someday only a distant flicker off in the vast, dark distance.
We must have recorded this right after the launch of my second book, Sin Boldly, because I talk about a dinner I had with some friends from college I hadn’t seen in years. Those friends are now among my dearest in the world. In fact, the fellow I mention in the interview who told me about three people from his church being in Malawi at that exact moment is now my neighbor in Laguna Beach and those people in Malawi are friends of my family and, blessedly, my son, Vasco, whose heart has been healed in myriad ways (as has his adoring mother’s.) The dude who told me about the folks in Malawi is now known as “Uncle Veen” to my son. Veen’s wife, Sissi, who I met only for the second time at that dinner, is one of Vasco’s godmothers.
It’s amazing how much life can change in such a short time. It’s stunning to see so vividly and with such clarity the hand of God’s grace in my life and the lives of others.
What a blessing, what a surprise to hear this tonite. I thought maybe one or two of you out there might be blessed to hear some of our rambling as well. I hope so.
So here below, in four parts, is the lost Sin Boldly interview from September 2008. Bless you, St. Augustine. I still listen to that CD all the time. And it still makes me cry happy, grateful tears.
Sin Boldly Interview with John St. Augustine/Oprah Radio: Part 1
Sin Boldly Interview with John St. Augustine/Oprah Radio: Part 2
Sin Boldly Interview with John St. Augustine/Oprah Radio: Part 3
Sin Boldly Interview with John St. Augustine/Oprah Radio: Part 4
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