Having frequently corresponded with the legendary cartoonist Charles Schultz in the past, perhaps Greg could have become a world famous artist himself. But God had bigger plans for him, and drove his creative energies towards a higher purpose. He still makes people laugh.
Now a world-renowned pastor and head of Harvest Ministry, Greg is set to overturn the Silicon Valley in San Jose this weekend with his highly anticipated crusade. In this interview with Christian Today, Greg reveals a heart-warming scoop on his past and future, while expressing his intelligent humour as he talks about his family, hobbies, and the upcoming crusade.
How did you feel when the ultimate question 'What is the meaning of life?' hit you?
Well, when I was asking that question, I was a 17-year-old boy and I felt like I was 70. I felt as though I was much older than I was because of all that I had seen and experienced. At home, my mum was an alcoholic, marrying several different times. It was such a strange environment for a child to live in. So I had to learn to fend for myself and take care of myself. I was grappling with the big issues of life in a very serious way. For me it had become something of a process of elimination at that point. I had seen the 'hedonistic', 'rat pack' life my mum was living. By rat pack, I mean that sort of swinging life-style that was emulated by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin; a life of affluence and alcohol and multiple marriage partners... and I knew the answer was not in that. I knew that wasn't the life I wanted to live.
Did you change immediately after you had accepted Christ at your high school campus, or was there another process that followed?
It would almost be described as immediate. I mean, when I prayed this prayer at my high school campus, I knew something had happened but I wasn't quite sure what because there was no one there to explain it to me. But I felt an immediate peace in my heart and I felt as though a huge load had been lifted off my shoulders. I remember having that distinct sensation. And it wasn't until later that I understood that God has forgiven my sins and taken my burdens from me. I didn't know what to do, though, because in my case, no one gave me a Bible or told me I needed to go to church - my prayer ended because the bell rang for the next period class. I just wandered about aimlessly for the next few days - not sure what had happened to me. But thankfully, a Christian who had seen me make this commitment sought me out, befriended me, and personally discipled me. His name is Mark, I never met him before, but he kind of took me under his wing.
Did you ever imagine you were going to become a pastor?
