Pierre Du Plessis

Hi

I'm Pierre and I'm a preacher, a writer, and I make stuff.

It took me a really, really long time to call myself a preacher. That word has so much baggage for me, not to mention the baggage the church and religion carries, but this is who I am. I stand up and I speak about things, I speak about things that help people redirect their lives, change their businesses, and perhaps lift the world.

I have love for the obscure and the interesting. I have a habit of making the familiar strange, turning the world upside down, and speaking truth even when my voice shakes. In fact,

I'm a dissident preacher.

I'm a words guy. I tell stories and I play with words, I use words to whittle meaning out of madness.

To paraphrase my friend Len, behind every word lies a metaphor and behind every metaphor is a narrative. We need good narratives to live from. That is why I thoroughly believe in the ludicracy of preaching. I believe in the madness of a person standing in front of a group sharing ideas and stories. Words, metaphors, and narratives have the power to change the course of history.

We can mark the turning points in history with great speeches;

'Blessed are those...'

'Here I stand, I can do no other.'

'We shall fight on the beaches...'

'I have a dream.'

'Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.'

'Yes, we can.'

I'll speak to anyone who will give me a microphone, and to those who won't. I want to be better and I want you to be better. I want everyone to be better, not just the church.

Everyone.

The heart of kerygma, preaching, is to declare that which is true.

What is true?

You are enough, you are so enough, it is unbelievable how enough you are.

Chaos is the opportunity of a lifetime, don't waste it.

The table should be bigger.

There is something that you need to bring to the world.

I have spent most of my adult life in front of groups of people talking. I have spoken to 5 and to 5000. I have done 100's if not 1000's of talks and sermons.

Speaking alone is not enough though, I also make stuff.

I write books and daily emails. I make notebooks at HumanWrites that we sell so we can give storybooks to kids who need them. I used to make clothes, but not that much anymore. I try to make art. I work with a contemplative community of faith, aka a church, in Cape Town where we try to become better humans.

These two notes make up the chord that I play in the world. I speak, and I make things. I want you to make stuff too, good stuff. Stuff that will blow our minds. I would love to come beside you and help you make better stuff and be a better human.

And to steal shamelessly from one of my heroes, Parker J. Palmer, 'No, I don't have an elevator pitch, I take the stairs. Do you want to climb with me?'