I was invited by some friends, Lisa & Patti, to be on the ‘Joni Show’ to talk about Las Vegas, StripChurch.com & our ministries that are aimed at showing up in the darkest of places. The coordinators of the show, being vaguely familiar with one of our other ministries, xxxChurch, decided to make that the primary subject for the show. However, it became apparent rather quickly that not everyone there had done their homework before having me on. In an awkward moment for them in the greenroom, the producer decided she need to double check some last minute info. because she apparently couldn’t figure out exactly who I was. “You haven’t worked IN the porn industry as an actor… have you?” It was classic. I have been referred to as a lot of things before, but a ‘porn star’ is not one of them. I had to resist some smart-ass remark like, “no, I’m not qualified”. You would think that they would have nailed this bit of info. down before I flew to Dallas, came into the studio passed their double guarded doors and sat in their make-up chair for my touch-ups. Evidently, the subject matter was making them nervous.
Once the experience began, the hostess was gracious, but one thing more became obvious…. Christian talk show hosts have a difficult time talking candidly about sexuality. I didn’t sign on with Fireproof Ministries to spend more time talking about sex, porn, marriage, kids, society and the like. I signed on to launch the brand new work that we are doing in Las Vegas, StripChurch, but it seems even the timid and disconnected invariably want to talk about sex. It is after all a $14 BILLION a year industry that touches our lives in almost seemly subtle and insidious ways. So I guess it still startles me that we haven’t talked about this issue enough AND that we aren’t able as a church to talk about it as openly and candidly as we need to in order for us to bring hope, healing, perspective & God’s design into the very center of one of the most pervasive topics in our culture. Shockingly, the hostess asked a question that seemed to indicate a very basic lack of understanding about the nature of sexuality. I wish I could remember the exact wording, but the content of the question was, ‘what is it about porn that makes men click on those ads that sometimes pop up on your computer? Why does it have such a draw?’
Really? I came to Dallas to answer that question? Well here’s the answer. God made sex. As part of the nature of sex he made man attracted to the naked female body, all of the time. He made woman (during certain moments) attracted to being with the naked male body. It is tightly woven by God into our beings as part of the love and reproductive blessings that he gave our bodies. Satan has twisted God’s great planning and suggested to us as humans this great lie, ‘if a little bit with one person is good, then lots of it with many people in a variety of ways must be better!’ For the record, this isn’t true and that isn’t God’s plan for the BEST life ever. It NEVER works out that way. But I didn’t need to Go to Dallas to explain something so fundamental, did I? Apparently. Hopefully churches can start talk about this more. Hopefully we can get this message out: Jesus can bring hope & healing to our sex lives. If only we could stop being so squeamish talking about something that God made… Sex! God knows the world doesn’t have a hard time talking about what he made.
For the record, the experience was worth the investment. It was also worth the trip to Dallas to help some friends communicate about their ministry efforts PLUS it was another opportunity for us to talk to an audience about the ministries of Fireproof and XXXchurch. Never have had my make-up professionally done before either, so hey, new experiences abounded. AND I got to hang out with Jen & Justin Humphreys.
Hopefully their make up artist didn’t make you look like a wax figure or a morgue client like the last make up artist for Craig and Donny.