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Joseph Beckman, known to his friends as Father Joe, battled adversity for most of his life. Born to a loving, caring family, he developed physical ailments that would thwart his early sports ambitions. Then mental distress began to show itself, with manic episodes and other manifestations that would beset him throughout his adulthood. When in college, he began to feel that God was calling him, and he eventually became an Episcopalian priest. After a failed marriage, he met Judy, who would be his partner and advocate as he tried, often without success, to find a home in a parish, even as an unpaid assistant. He then discovered a “ministry” as a cab driver, counseling his passengers. This calling was gradually transformed into his work as a nursing home minister until his death from cancer. He accepted all his difficulties as God’s will and remained admirably cheerful to the end.
Beckman assisted Father Joe in composing this book. The two discussed this new work before he died, while he was planning his own funeral with the same dedication with which he approached all challenges. She writes with frankness, as he undoubtedly wished, about his barriers, his setbacks, and his amazing accomplishments as he strove to remain true to his faith despite the daunting complications of church bureaucracy. As Beckman recounts, many questions arose regarding the difference between traditional churches and those designated as “charismatic,” which tend to be more spontaneous and often more congregation-directed. What was never in question was Father Joe’s active love for Jesus, as evidenced in quotations from his writings, nor his determination to help others in whatever circumstance he found them. Beckman’s book would make a fascinating Christian workshop focus and could inspire those outside the church to take a new look at religious possibilities.