A friend from DC sent me this old Onion article about a Kind, Bearded Christian living in P-town.
Give me oil for my lamp, keep me burnin', burnin', burnin'," sings Portland-area resident Gerald "Jerry" Svoboda, a kind, bearded Christian with a guitar and a story to tell.
"Everybody!" he shouts before repeating the chorus.
In a time when community involvement often seems to be a thing of the past, it is rare indeed to find someone who reaches out to others in the hope of making the world a better place.
But here, on the outskirts of Portland, such a man exists. Though a community-mandated restraining order prevents Svoboda from actually entering the mini-mall complex, this modern-day minstrel continues his mission: to spread his message of love, hope and happy sing-along fun.
Mr. Svoboda also appears to be channeling Judah Smith.
"I enjoy talking to people, especially the kids. Because of my long hair, they trust me," he says, casually brushing aside one of his long locks like a young girl. "They know I'm one of them. I talk about this in my song 'C'mon Teens, Let's Hang Out With Jesus.' I admit, I may not know any songs by the Grateful Dead, but friend, I'm here to tell you all about the victory over death by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!"
Teenagers remain the primary focus of Svoboda's music and mission. He approaches a group of pierced, leather-clad rockers. "Say, how are you boys doing today? Just doing your own thing? I think that's neat. Say, do you ever think about God?"
Moments later, Svoboda is savagely beaten by the youths. His good-time spirit, however, is strong as ever.
Classic.
