Pastor finds the funny side of the Bible
Christian comic mines the quirky side of the Bible for comedy gold
EDMONTON, AB—Dan Taylor stood up in front of 13,000 people earlier this year and made them laugh. As the opener for comedy legend Russell Peters, Taylor was the envy of almost every comic in the industry. The next Sunday he stood in front of 300 people and preached, like he does most Sundays.
Pastor by day, comic by night, Dan Taylor of Edmonton, Alberta is making waves in the Canadian comedy scene after being named Edmonton’s top comic by Sirius XM satellite radio network. It also nabbed him the opportunity to open for Peters in Edmonton.
The recent exposure has shot Taylor to the top of Canadian comic lists, an opportunity he is using to minister not only to audiences, making people laugh in a way that honours God, but also back stage, being good at the craft and living a life of integrity.
Taylor grew up in Charlottetown, PEI, before moving West and attending Briercrest Bible College in 2001. He was never the class clown. He was shy; he sung in the school choir. But after graduating from Briercrest and going into ministry part-time, he picked up side jobs like managing a Starbucks.
After going full-time ministry three years ago, Taylor was taken aback, feeling something was missing.
“I genuinely wanted to be around people who don’t believe what I believe,” Taylor says. So he began looking for a hobby to rub shoulders with non-Christians.
While late night comics may seem polar opposites of pastors, Taylor explains the basic mechanics of stand-up and preaching are very similar.
“The background skills are the same,” Taylor says. “It was a short learning curve when I started.”
Yet he says his own sermons are no “joke a minute.”
“I wasn’t the funny pastor,” Taylor says. “That’s not really what I do.”
However, part of his comic sense comes directly from his faith and the Bible.
“I think the Bible is funny, parts are supposed to be funny,” Taylor explains. “But it’s in-between what the text is saying, it’s imagination, it’s irony.”
Taylor points out Jesus’ images of pulling a plank out of our eye, a picture of a blind guide leading the blind, “that would’ve gotten a laugh from the audience,” he says.
“I take the Bible seriously, but some parts, the only thing to do is laugh,” he says.
Laughter, joy, surprise, all these emotions are ingrained in us, and a masterful preacher and comic knows how to elicit it from their audience.
“You choose to applause, but laughter is involuntary,” he says.
“I think wholeheartedly God has a sense of humour,” Taylor says. “Humour is a way to deliver truth around someone’s armour.”
However, because we live in a fallen world, even humour has been corrupted.
“We’re silly when we should be serious, and serious when we should be silly,” Taylor says, but that doesn’t diminish the goodness inherent in humour.
“God built humour into us,” Taylor says. “The first time you see a platypus you should laugh.”
While the entire experience and exposure has been quite the roller coaster ride, Taylor says it’s exactly that, a ride.
“It’s been such a amazing and positive experience,” Taylor says, adding there are times he can’t believe it all really happened. But he says he has no expectations for the future.
“I’m in the place God wants me now,” Taylor says. “Whether it’s back into obscurity or not, I’m willing to follow. Fame and attention is fun, but it’s just that, fun while it lasts. It doesn’t tell me who I am in Christ any more than 12 years of obscurity.”
To learn more or book Taylor for events, visit www.dantaylortalks.ca.
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