The Irascible Pastor

This episode originally aired last fall - since then, we are pleased to say, the New York Festivals awarded it a Gold Radio Winner prize.

Mary Magdalene means a lot to Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, so much so that she got a sleeve tattoo of the saint. Pastor Nadia doesn't like emotionally needy people, she swears, and she's a little cranky. In her words: "It's really hard to be a pastor when you're not that good of a Christian."

In her memoir, Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint, the sarcastic former comedian and alcoholic explains how she was transformed -- but not completely. The sarcasm is still strong, and so is the comedy. You can read and excerpt of her book by scrolling to the bottom of the page. 

Later on the show, if Pastor Nadia makes room for the imperfect in human beings, Rabbi Brian Mayer goes one step further. Rabbi Brian says it's entirely possible that god isn't so perfect, either. He's the founder of the online congregation Religion Outside the Box.

Finally, Elaine Chau takes us to 327 Carrall Street in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Over ten years ago at that address, Dave Diewart took an enormous risk to help the city's drug addicts stay alive.