"Hey, why don’t we start with a prayer?" Those are usually the words of a pastor when sitting down to discuss faith with someone. But they weren’t my words — they were Denzel Washington’s when we began an interview about his spiritual life. The conversation was part of a collection of 12 interviews I conducted for my forthcoming book, "Witness to Belief: Conversations on Faith and Meaning" (Church Publishing, October 2025). It may have seemed a small gesture, but it set the tone: the divine, not the human, is where to begin.

I started the book around the time I retired after more than 30 years of ministry as an Episcopal priest. We had spoken on the phone a few times before our first meeting, which began with a hearty, "Call me Denzel, and come on, man, give me a hug!" 

I knew from listening to his public speeches and interviews that he was open about his faith journey. I was eager to learn more and grow more — and Denzel helped this ordained pilgrim go a bit further in my own faith.

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At 20, while working in his mother’s beauty parlor, a customer named Ruth Green wrote a prophecy for him on a piece of paper: "Boy, you are going to travel the world and preach to millions of people." Ms. Green didn’t know how to spell "prophecy," so Denzel’s mother helped her and added the word "Reverend."

In our discussion, he recalled this moment 50 years ago and said, "I was thinking, ‘Who is this crazy woman?’ But now I understand. The Lord has given me the opportunity to get to the ears of a lot of people. And now I am talking more about my faith — as we are doing right here."

To my benefit, and hopefully to readers of the book, that’s exactly what we did — as I sat in the classroom of an Academy Award -- and Golden Globe-winning actor and director who told me: "The older I get, the simpler life gets. I don’t want to make more money... don’t care about winning Oscars... don’t want more things... I don’t even need those things. I want God to be in charge of everything and to take me where He wants me to go."

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Let me lean in on that word "need." It’s no exaggeration to say we live in a chaotic, divided and troubling world. One of the most tempting escape hatches is believing that "more" will bring deeper meaning — more money, power, influence, fame, success.

But Denzel hit the nail on the head. As Amy Grant, who was also interviewed for my new book, told me in our conversation, more of those things is "not the answer to any deeper connection or purpose. It’s no different than the dopamine hits people get from a thumbs-up on social media — and it lasts about that long."

So, what does last? My brief time in the school of Denzel reminded me that a life grounded in the divine outweighs anything this world can offer. 

At first, he resisted when I asked how he’d like to be remembered, but then said: "A man of God. Just as important as saying a man of God is the process, the development that comes from God—that does not come from wealth, fame, through the church, the pastor. It comes from personal conversation with God; it comes from your encounters with God."

And that is what one of the most well-known men in the world seeks daily. He prays and reads his Bible. He attends worship faithfully. But not as a path to greater knowledge — rather, to a deeper relationship with God. As he said of his faith journey: "It is not what you know, it is Who you know."

Though retired from daily ministry, I still long to learn. Denzel reminded me why I was called to the priesthood in the first place, and why I must hold fast to that calling until the end. 

Coming to know God in such a personal way has brought him peace amid our confusing and distressing world. As he said at his baptism five months after our conversation: "God has done a lot for me, but He will do a lot for anyone who trusts in Him."

Do you need a reminder of what matters most in 2025 and beyond? I invite you to join me in 12 conversations that reveal that truth. Let us listen and learn together from Denzel, Dr. Jane Goodall, who just passed away this week, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Dr. Francis Collins, Gary Sinise, Sam Waterston, Ambassador Nikki Haley, Amy Grant, sports commentator Jim Nantz, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, Adm. William McRaven and Fox News’ Brit Hume. 

My hunch is that by the end, you will agree with Denzel: "I don’t want more... I want God."