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Joseph A. Gervasi interviews the Rev. Kirk T. Berlenbach of Saint Timothy’s Episcopal Church Roxborough. Father Kirk grew up in Haddonfield, NJ. His father was a priest and he always loved being a part of the church. Moving through his teenage years, Father Kirk was drawn to rock, prog (!), punk, and gothic music. He had a desire to spread the word of Christ, but found different avenues from which to approach his faith and alternate means — at times outrageous — of expressing it. In this wide-ranging discussion, matters of both faith and social justice are discussed. Father Kirk has been outspoken in his support of LGBT rights, his opposition to the demonization of immigrants (and the xenophobic propositions to keep them out with giant walls and bigoted laws), demagoguery, the proliferation of guns and gun violence, economic inequality, and other hot-button (but essential) social issues facing our times. Pushing against cynicism and the despair and fatigue that comes after each successive mass shooting or terrorist attack, Father Kirk remains a champion of the worth of individual humans and the solace — and call to arms — that the troubled can find in the words of Jesus Christ. In a world of no easy answers, a compassionate voice is the first in a rising chorus.
