The Gold-Hearted Man

 

The Gold-Hearted Man

Sometimes as life takes us in our chosen direction, it leads us to something special. Throughout my life I’ve fortunately met very some very special people, but I’ve never admired a man so much as I have Dr. Reverend Steve Pieters. Reverend Pieters has personally battled AIDS for several years and has amazingly managed to come up on top of it. The AIDS epidemic has inflicted suffering in the hearts and bodies of many families’, but he has managed to inspire others to deal with this affliction with the same faith and courage we can summons in other human struggles.

 

I recently sat down with him—and had one of the best conversations I ever had. He was so generous to me with his time. AIDS has been a burden for him for several years and has taken a dramatic toll on his life. He said that when he first was diagnosed with the disease, he asked himself “Will I ever have a family” or “Will I ever have kids?”.  All Steve felt initially was pure grief and he didn’t know what the next step was. Steve has also battled cancer and other sickness overlapping different courses of his life. He experienced these illnesses up to two years.

 

Steve told me about his life-long love for the theatre arts, and mentioned that he had wanted to be an actor. He felt the call to be a minister in October 1977 and received a degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in 1979. During our conversation he mentioned his love-inspired calling to become a warrior/survivor preaching  to and counseling AIDS patients. Reverend Pieters shared with me his experience being a chaplain, which—as the good life does—led him to help people to seek healing—and others to accept their plights when the healing process failed.  He became pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church, which is a welcoming place of refuge for LGBTQIA+ Christians.

 

Steve is perhaps most frequently media-mentioned for his appearance on Tammy Faye Bakker’s inimitable talk show. He told me that she wanted to be the first televangelist to interview a gay man with AIDS, and that her kindness in the ensuing appearance was so inspiring. Being young at the time, I knew I knew very little  about Tammy Faye, but viewing the historic video, I discovered that the compassion and grace  she showed everybody inspired me as well. Many people have been changed by that remarkable interview, and realized that there is no pathology—spiritual or physical—with being gay or Christian—or both.  Steve shared with me the first letter of John, and reminded me that God is love no matter what and that he is always present in the name  and course of  love.

 

Reverend Pieters was one of the few invited to The White House Prayer Breakfast during the presidency of President Bill Clinton. Steve mentioned what a wonderful experience it was and that he was able to directly address pubic issues with AIDS about which he had on-going concerns. He recalled fervently hoping that his discussions with the chief executive would empower the processes of increasing public understanding and universal treatment of AIDS.  

Most recently, he was asked and escorted by Actress Jessica Chastain to the 2022 Oscar’s luncheon. He told me what a thrill it was for him to accompany as prodigious a personality as Jessica, and to get the opportunity to meet so many celebrities. Steve even told me that although Will Smith was close behind him,   the unfortunate slap in no way tainted the experience he enjoyed with Jessica which has clearly become one of those that he will never forget. Ms. Chastain gave an unforgettable speech that was an inspiration to so many, and Steve and I talked about the impact it had on us.

 

Reverend Pieters encouraged me to follow my own inchoate dream in ministry and to keep putting one step in front of another. I will always remember his words of wisdom and his calling for perpetual love. He told me that “God makes no junk”, and that we are all made in the image of God. As I’ve gotten older, I have realized that everybody deserves to be loved no matter what their inborn attributes are regarding sexuality, race, or gender. We are and remain what we were born.  What we do is up to us. In my conversational “doings” with Steve, I learned that Steve has a golden heart and became a champion of AIDS through his love. I personally thank Steve because I couldn’t have asked for anyone from whom I could have learned more about my present search for direction, clarity and fulfillment.