So on the way to this week’s silent retreat, driving a most fun Fiat smart car, I was listening to “Fresh Air” (?) on PBS.

The director of the new film “Nebraska” was being interviewed – can’t remember his name. The conversation was just great, honest questions posed and some really fun and stark honest answers stated.

At one point the director argued that gifted actors were those who had easy and ready access to their emotion; this was for their good professionally though sometimes damned irritating personally. Whereas directors could and should be more “cool”, distanced and objected – able to “can” the emotions. Amazing that not all directors are British and that no actors come from the UK!

The interviewer suggested that, maybe, all actors want to be directors (and shield and protect their emotions more) and that all directors want to be actors (and have ready access to authentic emotions) – this the director poop-poohed.

It got me thinking – clergy are often described as actors manqué. I remember once a grumpy, irritable and irritating church visitor commented on my preaching, “It’s as if he’s an actor” – yes, your point?

Seems to me that many vestries and lay leaders want the clergy to be thick-skinned, invulnerable and packed to the gills with sang-froid – and yet come pastoral emergencies, therapeutic needs, effective teaching it’s suddenly all about accessibility, openness and vulnerability. You can see how schizoid some clergy are forced to become!

The best model, of course, is the life of Jesus – so consider, actor or director?