Dinner with Joel Hunter

A few days ago an email went around asking people if they would help welcome a pastor in his brief time in China for a symposium. All that would be required is eating dinner and talking with the man. I figured that free food is free food so why not. Today, shortly before the dinner I found out that the pastor is Dr. Joel Hunter, senior pastor of a megachurch in Orlando, author of a couple books and oh yeah, spiritual adviser to one Barack Obama.
As it turns out, Dr. Hunter and Danny Yu, who is my boss, have known each other for the past decade through various seminars and symposiums. Dr. Hunter was going to be in Beijing for a brief while and asked to learn more about TIP, which is how I found myself along with eight other facilitators eating dinner with a man who has the resident of the White House on his contacts list.
Dr. Hunter is a very humble man considering his list of accomplishments and responsibilities. He spoke quietly and mildly, but at length about his relationship with Obama and was able to clear up a lot of questions and mysteries surrounding him. Hunter maintains that Obama is a Christian, however, he is extremely private regarding his faith and bible studies and prayer are held in the utmost privacy, usually just himself and Dr. Hunter, aides and staffers are always asked to leave. Despite his lofty, confident mannerism on television, Dr. Hunter explained that Obama is extremely scared to address the nation publicly and always insists on private personal prayer time before any major address. Every morning, he texts Obama the daily devotional on his BlackBerry. I asked a few doctrinal questions to understand what this pastor is feeding the most powerful man on the planet, and I have to say it's solid. I don't agree with the man on matters of politics and a few other viewpoints, but I can attest that Obama is getting sound doctrine in his daily devotional. How watered down it is, I do not know, but I know the core of the message is good. As the dinner was winding down, I asked Dr. Hunter if he could relay a message to Obama for me. He said that he would, so I told him to ask Obama where my beer is. He laughed quite heartily and said that he would, even making a note of it. His wife looked a little confused so I explained that during the campaign, Obama offered to sit down and have a beer with some of the people who don't trust him, don't believe him and don't see things his way. That is a solid description of myself and I have wanted to take Obama up on that offer (free beer is free beer) since he made it. Now I just might have the chance.