How I Met Mark Driscoll
I don't get easily star-struck. I've interviewed hundreds of authors, artists, theologians and other newsmakers, and generally see them as real people with normal lives, busy schedules and their share of faults.
With the exception of Bill Gaither whom I've simply chosen to put on a pedestal, and John Piper who every time I'm around him seems to be thinking, Lisa could certainly stand to be more serious, sacrificial, prayerful, missions-minded—and quite frankly, more godly, there aren't many people who intimidate me.
Mark Driscoll was no exception. I was scheduled to interview him (the first interview airs on this week's show) and his wife, Grace, on their home turf of Seattle, WA. I hadn't known tons about Mark prior to preparing for the interview, and what I learned was a laundry list of average tough-kid-turned-megachurch-pastor-type stuff. I had a lot of questions, and approached the interview as I would with a brother who perhaps used to be annoying, but had grown up, matured, taken some hard knocks and now occasionally had some wise things to say.
Justin, Mark's PR guy, picked up Dave (our show engineer) and me and whisked us off to Mark's offices. We pulled up outside a warehouse-y structure that looked more like a cannery than a suite of church meeting spaces.
It was raining (of course), so we dashed inside and were greeted by Frank, Mark's assistant of several weeks. He looked to be in his early 20s, single, and wore (surprise, surprise) a hoodie and jeans. He ushered us into a spacious area resembling a family room, and, no doubt assuming that I with my trendy boots, Flip™ cam and armful of research material was an Incredibly Important Person, quickly darted out to fetch me a bottled water.
Dave set up the recording equipment as I strolled around Mark's office, noting the glass bookshelves, portrait prints of greats like Calvin, Luther and Spurgeon, contemporary couches, and assortment of pens, magazines and random bric-a-brac.
I asked Justin if there was a restroom nearby, and he pointed behind me. I walked around the corner and stepped inside a private bathroom complete with shower, hair dryer and hand-drawn pictures by Mark's kids. Hair products and a bowl of Ricolas graced the counter around the sink. A bath towel hung on a nearby rod (Mark's personal towel! Yes, I used it to dry my hands.)
I stood in the bathroom and prayed for a few moments. I then returned to the office, and a few minutes later Mark and Grace walked into the room. We smiled and shook hands. They were warm, friendly and gave off an air of We just cleaned up the breakfast dishes and mediated an argument among the kids at home, but here we are. Mark, an introvert, looked uncomfortable in his forced role as host. Grace was quiet, too—a sweet woman with a great laugh—the type of woman of whom Mark would certainly say, "Yep, I got the better end of the deal."
We all shuffled into an adjoining conference room, Frank brought French-press coffee and more water, and we began the interview. And nope, I wasn't intimidated. As Mark and Grace began to tell their story, I was reminded of what I said above: These are normal people, a husband and wife saved by God's grace who have weathered their share of challenges and confessed their share of sin.
It was good for me to see this. For all Mark's popularity—for all his podcast subscribers, Twitter® followers and rock star reputation—Mark is a guy who knows he's not in charge. Out of the spotlight he's a casual, funny, self-effacing guy. He expects criticism from the public and welcomes rebuke from godly mentors. He's rough around the edges. He's still learning to love his wife and kids well. He's serving his church and drawing boundaries on his time where he can.
We wrapped up the interview and took some photos. Mark signed one of his books to me, inscribing it with Lisa, thanks for being helpful and hilarious! It was a fun thing for a non-annoying brother in Christ to say.
Mark and Grace had given us an hour and a half of their time. We put on our coats, grabbed our umbrellas and exited the building. It was a good day.
I'm glad I met Mark Driscoll.
Lisa Anderson
Director of Boundless/Young Adults
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Podcast Episode 206: Mark and Grace Driscoll Get Real
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