>> peace and forgiveness, especially those who imprisoned him. that's major when we talk about prison being so essential to our faith and he's practicing it. i think that's very impactful not just for the christian church but the world. >> mandela is the number one story of 2013. >> make the assessment, it was mandela and then i'd say pope francis. just chose him as the person of the year because he's in the center of all the major conversations of our time. conversations about wealth, poverty, fairness, justice, transparency, technology, about globalization, the role of women, the nature of marriage,

the temptations of power. here's a man who comes along without weapons of mass destruction but has tremendous power. every time he tweets, the world looks at it. he has that kind of influence. >> what's your sense with him? are you optimistic he's going to move positively in the issues? >> i'm hopeful. i think some of the theology and the philosophy is going to be a challenge but it seems like he's the kind of person who wants to be engaged, involved and the center of addressing that. he sees the church dirty, bruised, hurting in the world instead behind comfortable walls. i think he might be the one who breaks down some of the walls of gender and sexual assault

and especially class. he puts so much emphasis on the poor. >> the first jesuit pope. >> first jesuit. i went to jesuit schools, the university of san francisco. i was trained by the jesuits. >> who are they? >> jesuits are considered the great educators. they go back hundreds of years putting emphasis on education and educate people in the faith and a lot of training. it takes a long time to be a jesuit. 30s after years of schooling and training. i took primarily theology and scripture from them and i was always impressed. in fact, one of the teachers taught me greek for two years with a recommendation to go into seminary at the school of religion in berkeley and was going to come to my ordination

but got sick. >> fight presbyterians but that's another story. so mandela and the new pope. two big stories of 2013. what else? >> also, you have to look at gay marriage. 16 states i think approve gay marriage now. you have gay unions. but the church still resists on the whole. some churches are open but some churches like ours is almost split around it. we, for 40 years, have dealt with the issue of homosexuality. we say it's not compatible with christian faith but i think it's a justice issue. it's a fairness issue. are you going to allow people to have the same rights as heterosexuals? some in the church are against that, unfortunately, i think

and we've recently had pastors defrock the the orders taken from them. one of my former bishops formed a union and now he's under fire because of it. even though he's retired. he's bringing great harm to our church. lutherans and it's still a major issue. talk more about gay, lesbian and marriage with ron swish er, stay with us.

good morning nelly! woah. hey! have you ever tried honey nut cheerios? love 'em. neat! now you on the other hand... you need some help. why? look atchya. what is that? you mean my honey wand? [ shouting ] [ splat ] come on. matter of fact. [ rustling ] shirt. shoes. shades. ah! wow! now that voice... my voice? [ auto-tuned ] what's wrong with my voice? yeah man, bee got swag! be happy! be healthy! that's gotta go too. ♪ hey! must be the honey! [ sparkle ] sweet. >> we're talking with ron swisher, usual host in fairfield. he's running down the big stories for us at the end of '13. mandela was one, the new pope

and got into this, sticky with gay marriage and rights and how it impacts the various denominations. the united methodist church, as an example, what's the stance and the repercussions? >> the stance is for years, in our popular conference, colorado and nevada, we performed blessings of gay couples and ten or 12 years ago, they said we cannot even do that. some people said no for 25 and 30 years, supported gay and lesbian in our communities but voted against it. anyone who does a marriage now,

has orders taken from them. >> if you're clergy, they remove from you and no longer ordained. >> you surrender orders and taken from you. all the rights. felt he could not walk past and let the rule determine when he felt compassion for his son and anyone in that regard as i was saying earlier. it's a justice issue, but clergy who do it -- >> and then defrocked is the techny technical term. let's take the major protestant denomination. what's going to happen as it gets legal in the eyes of the state. what's it going to do to say, the methodist church? >> the supreme court is behind it. what do you do?

do you continue to go against that in the rights of people and i think our church might be greatly in trouble as some people have said because we're not going to seem to have been that way. i think we've got more against it in the last four years with 70 or 30 against in the nation of gays and lesbians. >> presbyterian church, they're churches that leave and saying they're going to take our missions and just go over and form another denomination. you can try to stop that. is there more of a trend? >> i think we've lost half a dozen congregation. that's only in california and nevada. it's happened across the board

in other places but we're part of united union, so you can't necessarily take the property. some have won because we should have a deed to the property which is making sure that's happening. no church owns their property. >> we deal with the theology but the practical matter of you could be in danger if you're a clergy person or congregation if supporting that. but that's another big issue. what else? >> i would say gun control. canada across the border might have 35 or 50 people because of that. people kill people or whatever

it is. they had a major bill come up in senate and congress. just deducted even though i think people wanted some stricter gun control. i don't think taking guns away is the issue. some registration or idea of having ak weapons. the person who invented the ak just died in russian . he said i'm not responsible for et but the politicians and people are. you feel there's a direct impact on the availability on the guns registered and the violence. >> being from oakland, grew up

in alovida, it was an impact from west oakland. i think they're down this year a little bit in oakland, but it's been up there pretty high. >> we're talking to ron swisher. big stories to something we could look forward to in the new year and rejoice about. stay with us. ,,

>> back with reverend ron swisher. ron, you've outlined for us four of the big issues in the air. sort of startling in the pope and the loss of mandela and concerns about justice rights for gay and lesbian people in

marriage and talked about the importance of gun control from your perspective. now on to some happier lighter stuff here. you've been a pastor for how long? >> 41 in 2013. >> six churches you've served and district superintendent for a while. and then i think the the important thing is you seem optimistic still about the situation can be engaged and optimistic about people. >> i think so. i saw a quote from gandy. happiness is what you say, think, do is in harmony. i think if we can work on that, i think faith without words is dead and not just being a hearer of the word but doer of the word. living out some of the things we're in and one of my favorites is the fruits of the spirit. >> remind us all?

>> loves, joy, peace, goodness, gentleness, patience, kindness, self-control, king james' version but discipline. without discipline, there's no life, as some people said. robert frost said life is tons of discipline. i think if we have some of the fruits as what i've seen over the years, then it's important in living out our faith. of course, the seven deadly sins also with the pride and the lust and the greed and the envy and the gluttony and the about anger and the sloth. the four virtues, can counter some of that too. >> courage, temper, fortitude. same sort of thing. you see your ministry -- angels are a better nature, i guess is the phrase. when you look at people in

difficult situations, how do you try to encourage that which is positive and optimistic? surely into this new year, we need all the optimism and positive thinking we need. what do you council us when you get into difficult strains and scrapes and we don't see the benefit of generating kindness and mercy and charity when the guy next to you is running off the road or in my case, the bart guy said, hey, your ticket isn't good, but instead of going in, i see the bart train go away with my wife. could handle it differently. i don't think it's the big things but the small irritations of life. how do you keep those from overcoming the noble qualities? >> i think just refer to the pope along with mandela and

ghandi. get angry, but don't let the sun go down on it or the devil gets a foothold on your life, the the scripture says. i'm in ministry over these years because it's ongoing because it's never completed or final. i don't think i've gotten to the point where i arrived and know about ministry and this is all complete and so each week. i'm still appreciating you and gail coming for the christmas service. you never know what is transpiring and whether it's

transformative. you keep on praying constantly cheating. why should people get out in a community? what's the value versus the time it takes watching television or something like that? >> some people compared the church to a ship that's on a mission. sort of to meet your needs and give you all the food you want. that's what the focus is. whereas the church that's a

part of the mission is out there to rescue, out there to transform, i think that's what a community can blame the faith brings to this world and the community that you are intentional about it, it's purposeful. life is purposeful. it has a drive within us to have a sense of purpose and it's determination in us and life is alive. i think that's what the church can bring. >> people behind you to address it. that means what? >> i think sisters and brothers

in the faith values to see justice prevail and see truth that sets people free. i think that's powerful to have people let people go and not just your own individual efforts >> ron swisher, thoughts on individual virtues. and the church. when we come back, we push him on how he gets through difficult stretches. great. we'll be right back.

look in 2014, ron swisher is sharing things like values and being in a congregation. let's talk a little bit on

break. we were chatting in the booth about the value of being positive and affirming people. how do you see that in your role? >> i think we alluded to it, but i think scripture is helpful here. i love my favorite scripture in the entire bible, 27 psalms and towards the end of it, i should see the goodness in the lord in the land of living. spirituality is not just what happens when we're gone but the goodness, the joy, the faith, the peace. to me, it takes place here now and begins here now. i think that's the emphasis. also, i could do all things through christ who strengthens me out of phillipians. i'm affirmed by that. encourage people who feel like

things are hopeful. you have the strength. the crisis is within you. so i try to affirm it that way. scriptures are to me quite helpful in getting us along the journey. >> so you're saying when you can't be upbeat and optimistic. you turn to one of the things in psalms and give the concept again. >> i think it's powerful. nothing shall separate us from the love of christ in love, jesus. not angels or devils, not anything in creation should be

able to separate us from the love in christ, jesus. god gave god's son. i think that love, believing we are somebody and we do count and we are valued is, to me, a very motivating powerful factor. i think you captured it. >> i think it's easier said than done. >> it's definitely not an easy thing to do, but i think that's what we're all about, constant practice. it's a constant preparation and constant prayer that i alluded

to. it's ongoing. it's still being upbeat and hopeful about it because it's ongoing because it's complete. i do feel i'm on a journey and have had wonderful experiences on a journey. meeting all the people i've met. they've been so wonderful, particularly during this time of year. the cards i've received. all of it. you know, i'm an avid leader. i must have gotten so many cards from barnes and noble. >> we were hoping for some of ron's best books. what are you reading right now? >> biographies that are so important to me. it's on lincoln. i'm reading a biography on mike tyson, of all people. i'm reading -- i love biographies. my favorite kind of reading. >> what do you get from that? >> because it tells how people make it, how people struggle, how people fall and get up.

you know, give it a second chance. how people ruin their lives, like mike tyson is candid. went through $100 million and so forth and given another chance with a spouse and kids all that. examples after examples. duke ellington's biography, i'm starting soon. richard pryor. i love to hear about how people struggled, overcame, failed and sometimes did not overcome but they share the story. i'm moved by that. >> so you're optimistic? >> i always have a faith. the scripture said without faith is impossible. please god. >> we're grateful to you, ron swisher, and hosting on mosaic and this new year. >> you gave me that opportunity.

13 years now. >> the world will be a better place and probably you too. we'll see you next week as well. ,,,,

>> if you have a show idea, we'd love to hear from you. go to kpix.com. click on the logo and scroll down to base sunday via facebook with archive shows too. there's a couple of nonprofits and most of you remember the horrific murder in 1998. the national media covered it and the trial was a hate crime. investigative journalist spent 30 years traveling to 20 states and interviewed more than 100 witnesses about the murder. here to talk about the results