Something you just don't see every day...

The man seated on the left is Fr. Alister Anderson, a priest in the Orthodox Church in America (and a friend of mine).

Note that Fr. Alister is clean shaven, wears an Anglican collar, and is (on this occasion) wearing a kilt. That's just not something you see every day! This photo was taken this past August at the ball of the annual convention of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) who met in New Orleans this year (in honor of the 1906 SCV convention which also met in N'awlins).

Fr. Alister is also himself a decorated veteran, and sometimes attends the ball clad in his military medals (not to mention, of course, regalia from the SCV).

So, if you ever happen to run into a clean-shaven Eastern Orthodox priest in an Anglican collar, kilt, and a jacket full of U.S. military medals and other insignia emblazoned with Confederate flags - you really aren't seeing things.

Fr. Alister is a true Southern gentleman, a devout churchman, and a man of integrity. He was formerly a priest in the Episcopal Church, but left the church when the Episcopalians left the Church. In an organization (the Sons of Confederate Veterans) that is overwhelmingly Protestant, Fr. Alister served a term as Chaplain in Chief and earned the love and respect of the membership - including the many members who are clergymen from many fundamentalist church bodies (who would consider Presbyterians to be exotic and high church). ;-)

Not a bad accomplishment for an Eastern Orthodox priest in a fiercely conservative "Bible Belt" organization. If you ever meet this humble (and yet great) churchman, this soft-spoken, smiling, gentle and yet fierce warrior for the Kingdom of God, you'll understand why.