If it’s a Friday night you may see Derek Penwell drinking a PBR with friends. But if it’s Sunday you’ll definitely find him delivering a sermon at Douglass Boulevard Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Penwell is a minister – some might say unconventional, we just think he makes a lot of sense.
Let’s take his thoughts on Muhammad Ali for instance.
In the passing of the Greatest, the country has been mulling over his legacy. Ali was a legendary boxer, activist, and also a devout Muslim – the latter causing a whole lot of criticism, especially from the Christian community. Derek Penwell, however, thinks Ali was a leader who truly understood the true meaning of the words ‘compassion’ and ‘tolerance’.
Things Jesus never said: “Go ye therefore into all the world . . . and make sure everybody hates Muslims.”
— Derek Penwell (@reseudaimon) November 17, 2016
At a Sunday service shortly after Ali’s passing, Penwell lamented the loss of Ali’s strong voice. “We need a voice who knows that true power is to help us to see that our determination to love in spite of our fear is the greatest expression of power that human beings can muster.”
To all who step through their doors, the church says “You’re welcome here”, and they really mean it.
