Having edited a newspaper in which I gave every political party a fair go, decades later I thought it would be a good thing to publish a Christian magazine in which evangelists and pastors could have equal space. One Christian leader said to me: “You didn’t tell me that you were putting [a very well-known evangelist] in the same issue!” “Well”, I replied, “I didn’t tell him that I was putting you in it.”
“The Burning Bush” had a four-colour cover and middle page spread, and spot colour throughout. A good look.. I interviewed Sir Lionel Luckhoo, KCMG CBE QC, who was renowned for successfully defending 245 consecutive criminal cases. He was a real life Perry Mason from Guyana. (I asked him how as a Christian he felt about defending those who had committed criminal acts. He said: “My role was to defend them, it was the prosecution’s role to convict them.”)
Sir Lionel was also a politician and later an ambassador who represented two countries. He told me that Queen Elizabeth once asked him: “Which hat are you wearing today, Sir Lionel?” When I say that I “interviewed” him, I recorded his monologue and wasn’t about to interrupt the legendary man! I also interviewed others whose names were known worldwide.
“The Burning Bush” attracted advertisers and things looked good — until I featured a well-known evangelist after being warned not to do so by the leaders of my denomination (“We like you, Peter: if only you would stop writing!”).
But what difference was there, I thought, between pics of politicians in a weekly newspaper and pastors in a quarterly magazine? After all, the late Jamie Buckingham, author of the top-selling “Daughter of Destiny”: life story of evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman, had read a book I had written and wrote in a letter: “Whatever happens, don’t let the devil prevent Peter from writing!” )
How green was my valley! Four issues later it appeared that before long I would have no friends in the ministry or anywhere else; and so, reluctantly, I dropped the project. I had thought that heaven might break out but it was more like the other place had done so!
However, “The Burning Bush” had influenced the great Dr. Benson Idahosa to fly from Nigeria to Australia and be Guest Speaker at a national event, and had been rell received overall, apart from the Young Turks who ran the biggest Pentecostal denomination at the time. So, without any fuss I resigned from that denomination and soon became the national secretary of another (which asked me to produce their magazine).
In my younger years, though adept in adopting and adapting, I must confess that in the matter of denominational powerplay I was still naïve. My valley is still green and I like it that way, but since those halcyon days I’ve been more particular about who I allow to enter it.
That said, I remember that the great promise of Mark 11:20-23 includes an end clause, which is verse 24. The four verses are very much to the forefront with preachers but verse 24 is, to use a popular term, the ‘kicker’. I have no enemies, just a few people that have treated me badly but whom I have forgiven and love regardless. But my valley is a green, kind place and I try to keep it so. I understand the reason behind the words of the following ditty, but work at keeping my spirit sweet:
“To live above with saints we love, O that will be glory; Living now below with those we know — that’s another story!”