BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Conservative radio show host Glenn Beck shocked many last month when he announced he would be visiting an African American church in Birmingham this August, but on his program recently Beck explained exactly why he chose Guiding Light Church.
Beck said he’d felt called for several years to do everything he could to begin a revival in the nation, but consistently told God he wasn’t the one suited for that mission.
“I said to Him finally, you’ve got the wrong guy,” he explained. “I don’t have the resources to do this. I don’t have the connections to do this. I’m a stupid TV guy. That’s what I do. You’ve got the wrong guy.”
Then, about a year ago, Beck said he heard God tell him to “Sit down and shut up.”
Enter Guiding Light Church pastor Bishop Jim Lowe, a Birmingham native who was in the 16th Street Baptist church when it was bombed by a segregationist in 1963.
This preacher comes, and I’m speaking. He’s from Birmingham, Alabama. I know I’m starting this event. I don’t know where to start it. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know it’s going to be big.
This preacher is sitting there. I don’t know he’s a preacher, don’t know anything about him. He’s about the fifth row back. He’s about where you are. I’m talking, and I’m doing this whole thing. I keep looking at him. And God is like you’ve got to talk to him.
By the end, I think I’m doing all the whole speech just to him, okay? God wouldn’t leave me alone. Everybody leaves. He’s gone. There’s about 500 people. I said to one of the guys on my staff, “There was a guy in about the fifth row.” He said, “Right, the African-American guy?” I said, “Did you feel something too?” He’s like, “Oh my gosh, yeah.” I said, “God is telling me I’ve got to talk to him.”
I go out, we find him, and I said to him I don’t know what we’re supposed to meet for, but we’re supposed to talk.
Now, this happens to be the preacher, the bishop at this church, this black gospel church in Birmingham, Alabama.
He said it’s funny because God told me I was supposed to write you a letter last Monday. He said I didn’t know I was coming here, so I wrote you a letter because I’m supposed to do something with you, but I don’t what it is.
I said well pastor, the only thing I know is I’m starting this thing. At that time we both just kind of sat back, and he said I’m willing to do it.
I said ooh boy, having me in a black church in Birmingham, Alabama, that’s not going to be popular. He said God sure tells me that’s what should be done. I said well, me too. If you’re in, I’m in.
Beck will be visiting the Birmingham area on August 28th, the 52nd anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream Speech.”
Billed as an #AllLivesMatter rally by the church, he will speak at the Guiding Light Church, raising funds for charities that help victims of terrorism and persecution in the Middle East by shipping boxes of much needed aid to the war-torn area through vetted partner organizations on the ground.
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
