The Righteous Gemstones is back in action, hitting HBO subscribers with a weekly dose of evangelical tomfoolery, now with Eric Andre. But truth, as ever, is stranger than fiction. Over the weekend, a video went viral featuring a Tulsa pastor delivering a fiery sermon about how embracing God may be “nasty.” And to his credit, he came up with a genuinely nasty way to convey the message.
The pastor is Mike Todd, who leads the Transformation Church in Oklahoma’s second-largest city. As per TMZ, Todd was preaching about how receiving a “vision from God might get nasty.” To demonstrate, he hocked a massive loogie into the palm of his hand. There it remained, as he told his congregation, “This is where most people would not face Jesus anymore. What most people would do is turn away.”
All the while standing next to him was a man, who calmly stood there as Todd rhapsodized with a reservoir of spit resting in his hand. Eventually Todd turned in the man’s direction, telling his flock that “when getting the vision, or receiving it, might get nasty.”
Then Todd rubbed the spit between both his hands and rubbed that spit all over the man’s face.
“And do you hear and see the responses of the people?” Todd proclaimed as his congregation yet out grossed-out cries. But their reaction, Todd, felt, proved his point. “What I’m telling you: how you just reacted is how the people in your life will react when God is doing what it takes for the Miracle.”
The video went viral, and as it made its way through social media, people were…well…maybe they simply didn’t appreciate the nuance of Todd’s holy message.
Mike Todd did WHAT to WHAT? pic.twitter.com/C9OoxEPe3m
— James.. (@jkennr) January 16, 2022
DURING A PANDEMIC MIKE TODD??? During a pandemic?! Gross any time but DURING A PANDEMIC!? pic.twitter.com/JGjIPyH9uv
— blackbiird 🐦⬛ (@quietlionness) January 16, 2022
https://twitter.com/BaileeZhane/status/1482841651823448064
Just saw why Mike Todd is trending and I—
God wasn’t nowhere in that🤢 pic.twitter.com/4EWJNCcqoc
— Shanelle Genai’s YeeHaw Agenda✨ (@shanellegenai) January 17, 2022
A message from Jesus about Mike Todd pic.twitter.com/vG8N12qTW1
— Hopsbride 🌎 (@TheHopsbride) January 17, 2022
https://twitter.com/ehlboogie/status/1482875018245718023
When the angels in heaven saw what Mike Todd did. pic.twitter.com/kjz72qF6l6
— J. (@J_Ceasar1997) January 17, 2022
When Mike Todd asks if you want to be a part of his sermon https://t.co/Jw3gatmvxV
— mk. (@kalakirwan) January 17, 2022
Sources later told TMZ that the man was Todd’s brother, though that has yet to be confirmed. Still, better a pastor with questionable hygiene than Joel Osteen hording secret bags of money.
(Via TMZ)