U.S. broadcaster plays part of Jesus to take calls, offer advice

The Record.com ^ | Dec 16, 2006

[Alex Murphy]

Inside the KFI-AM studio, the face of this Jesus looks nothing like familiar images of Christ. Bald and goateed sans moustache, he wears a hoop earring and bears the tattoos of a rebellious youth.

The voice of KFI Jesus -- a strong, smooth bass -- belongs to Neil Saavedra, who does not believe he is the Messiah yet assumes the godly persona during a three-hour call-in show that airs Sunday mornings.

His tone is not sarcastic but loving, his aim not to deceive but to reach Christians in need of support, encouragement and pastoral advice.

For Saavedra, a lifelong Christian, it's a calling. Serving as marketing director for KFI-AM pays his bills. Hosting The Jesus Christ Show is how he gives back.

"Do I feel qualified to answer any of this stuff? No way," he said during a commercial break. "But sometimes the people are so desperate for help, my God, I've got to do something."

Listeners heed his wisdom; some consider it divinely inspired.

"Oh, Jesus?" caller Pete Moyes, 54, said after waiting on hold for about an hour. "Question -- I really appreciate you taking my call -- how can I be assured of my salvation?"

"OK, what's your concern?" KFI Jesus asked.

"Well, people that know me, and I've known you for 30 some-odd years and I know that you are going to perfect whatever work I start, but I would think that after 30 years, I would get rid of some of these character defects, things that I do that I know I have to apologize for," Moyes said. "Why is my brain still thinking that way?"

"Well," KFI Jesus responded, "Scripture says it via (the Apostle) Paul very well: 'The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.' . . . The benefit is that it's paid for: It's taken care of by the blood of the cross . . . You hit it on the head when you called, and that is that I will finish the work and the perfection I started in you. That comes from me and not you."

Weighty words from a man who didn't die on a cross and rise from the dead three days later.

The natural, if knee-jerk, reaction is to question the audacity of a self-trained, unordained minister of the Gospel who would answer people's most haunting questions and try to heal their deepest wounds by pretending to be a best friend and life guide.

The Christian Bible warns no fewer than seven times against false teachers who will twist God's message for their own gain.

Suspicions come from both the informed and ignorant. Some worry not about KFI Jesus' intentions but fear the nature of the show makes listeners too impressionable for human advice.

"This guy is just off his rocker," Brad Abare thought the first time he tuned in.

But after listening, Abare, director of communications for the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, a Pentecostal denomination, began to appreciate the show as a "fresh" way to sow the Gospel among a secular audience.

"I love the fact it is on a top-rated station," he said. "It is not on some obscure, cheesy Christian station that no one is listening to."

Saavedra, 37, who comes from a large Catholic family, was never much of a student. But he has audited courses at a Christian academy in Santa Monica and has pored over the writings of Christian apologists J.P. Moreland and Hugh Ross. In the Bible he has found his hero -- Paul -- and a verse to live by, 1 Peter 3:15.

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," the passage states.

For the past six years, many Californians have tuned into The Jesus Christ Show to hear what they believe to be Jesus' perspective on the mundane, the profane and the arcane.

"Two thousand years ago, he walked this Earth," a recent airing began just after 6 a.m. "Teaching, guiding, loving and preparing to make the ultimate sacrifice. 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' What if today you could talk to him, laugh with him, cry with him -- not just through prayer but through the radio?

"You're listening to The Jesus Christ Show. To be part of the show, call (800) 520-1KFI. And now, here's our host, Jesus Christ."

KFI Jesus opens with a monologue, and the show then becomes a call-in. Callers are screened and placed on hold for two minutes to two hours.

In the studio, "your holy host," as KFI Jesus refers to himself, has a stack of references -- his "safety net" and "security blanket" -- which include the Bible, commentaries on the Old and New testaments, the books When Skeptics Ask and When Critics Ask, and a thick stack of notes.

And, of course, the Internet.

During breaks, KFI Jesus prepares for the next caller's question, so when he answers without hesitation, it seems God-breathed.

But off the air, Saavedra's not perfect, and he doesn't pretend to be. Before beginning a lunch interview, he made it clear he wasn't going to speak for God. Only between 6 and 9 a.m. each Sunday does he play that role. Never in conversation with friends or colleagues. Never as a party trick or a Halloween costume.

Saavedra's faith is fervent, but he is not pious. His opening monologue usually is an indication of his recent struggles, and when it's about God's plan for sexual purity, his colleagues know he's not following it.

"He is very religious, but he is very rebellious," said Robin Bertolucci, KFI's program director. "He has sort of a love-hate relationship with religion."

Despite the faith some of his listeners have in him, Saavedra is aware that his message is like any other sincere minister: It's an informed opinion.

In arguing that the Bible must be the written word of God, he belies any pretence that man, even extraordinary men, can be a surrogate for his Heavenly Father.

"Elijah was suicidal; Isaiah preached naked. These are not perfect people. Job went bankrupt; John the Baptist ate bugs. It wasn't about perfection. It wasn't about them not having any flaws. It was about God using them, seeing in them the passion and intensity for the word of God," KFI Jesus told his audience one recent Sunday.

"My producer, Neil Saavedra, loves me -- no doubt about it. But is he the person you should follow or use as a standard? Oh please, heavens no. A work in progress, like anyone else."

[Fast Moving Angel]

Thanks for posting this. I LOVE this show and have learned a lot. Highly recommended to anyone, believer or not, sure of your faith or seeking for answers.

[bboop]

I like the show. But when he says, "This is Jesus, how may I help?" or however he answers, it always REALLY bothers me.

[Fast Moving Angel]

As he explains on the show, it's similar to role-playing in presentations such as those at the Crystal Cathedral. I think he may have somewhat moved away from direct claims as you mention ... I've heard him say ''Holy host'' which I take as a play on words -- i.e. a radio talk show host. Either way, I think he's done a lot of good with his show and perhaps reached many people who otherwise would not have been -- and that's really what it's all about. And after a while, people ''get'' it (which probably explains his high ratings). :-)