Like thousands of others, I call Jim Armstrong my friend. I first met him in 1959 when he was the brilliant and handsome young minister at the then great Broadway Methodist Church in Indianapolis. One Sunday I told him I was worried about my dad, a struggling and perpetually depressed artist, who operated a little dry cleaners called "Fine Art Cleaners" in the inner city. The day after I shared my concern Jim visited my dad at the dry cleaners.
Jim is old, even older than me. But he remains the smartest person I've ever known. And that's saying something because I'm surrounded by brilliance. He's also the most liberal person I know. And that's saying something as well.
Jim remains controversial. He's had a wild and crazy professional and personal life. He's been a United Methodist bishop, president of the National Council of Churches, a professor at Iliff and is currently a professor of Ethics and Philosophy at Rollins College. His graduate studies were in psychotherapy and he's spent a lifetime as a professional counselor.
He was one of the people who helped keep me sane during my husband, Ken's, long illness.
Do we agree on everything? Absolutely not. I almost gave him a stroke a couple of years ago when I told him I was voting for a local Republican. I have traditional Christian beliefs. He does not.
He has a new book out. I love it. You'll be reading quotes in this blog soon. He's full of wisdom.
The book is: Living & Dying With Purpose and Grace - Rider Green Book Publishers. You can find it on Amazon.
The forward to the book is written by one of Jim's other thousands of close friends, George McGovern:
...Jim Armstrong is not afraid to probe the depths of both religion and politics...he has toiled in a world of sin and virtue...I first heard Jim Armstrong more than forty years ago and believe he has been one of the most effective (speakers) of our time. His fluency and power have been a joy and inspiration to me and to thousands of others.
When Dave and I had dinner in Jim's home last week his beautiful wife, Sheri, prepared a beautiful meal. But the time before that when we ate in their home, Jim fixed the meal. That's kind of the essence of this man.
***
Jim is old, even older than me. But he remains the smartest person I've ever known. And that's saying something because I'm surrounded by brilliance. He's also the most liberal person I know. And that's saying something as well.
Jim remains controversial. He's had a wild and crazy professional and personal life. He's been a United Methodist bishop, president of the National Council of Churches, a professor at Iliff and is currently a professor of Ethics and Philosophy at Rollins College. His graduate studies were in psychotherapy and he's spent a lifetime as a professional counselor.
He was one of the people who helped keep me sane during my husband, Ken's, long illness.
Do we agree on everything? Absolutely not. I almost gave him a stroke a couple of years ago when I told him I was voting for a local Republican. I have traditional Christian beliefs. He does not.
He has a new book out. I love it. You'll be reading quotes in this blog soon. He's full of wisdom.
The book is: Living & Dying With Purpose and Grace - Rider Green Book Publishers. You can find it on Amazon.
The forward to the book is written by one of Jim's other thousands of close friends, George McGovern:
...Jim Armstrong is not afraid to probe the depths of both religion and politics...he has toiled in a world of sin and virtue...I first heard Jim Armstrong more than forty years ago and believe he has been one of the most effective (speakers) of our time. His fluency and power have been a joy and inspiration to me and to thousands of others.
When Dave and I had dinner in Jim's home last week his beautiful wife, Sheri, prepared a beautiful meal. But the time before that when we ate in their home, Jim fixed the meal. That's kind of the essence of this man.
***
