Edward Thomas, coolest priest on earth. Photo: Rickard Kilström

The United States has given us a lot of crap over the years but one of the best things they’ve handed over is Ed Thomas, priest in the Church of Sweden and a friend of mine. Well, actually the United States is not responsible at all in sending him here, nor any American, but God Himself called Ed to Sweden. And I’m not talking about a vague feeling or a subjective interest that many Christians normally identify “calling” with – Ed was actually ordered to become a Swedish priest by the audible voice of God and an angelic visitation.

Ed shares this experience in the video above. He used to be a chef in the states, cooking food for celebrities like Tom Cruise and started to earn a lot of fame and money. He was a passionate believer and went through some program to know the will of God, praying every morning with some friends for almost a year in trying to figure out what God wanted them to do. Since his chef job was going very well he simply concluded that this is where God wanted him, and he was pleased with that since he was making a lot of cash out of it.

But one night, everything changed as Ed awoke hearing someone say “Edward!” There was no one there. He woke his wife up, who just told him “You’ve eaten too much strong food! It’s just a dream, go to sleep!” Ed fell asleep and a second time the voice woke him up saying “Edward!”

Now he was getting worried. Was he turning crazy? Nobody was there. He tried to sleep again, and before he closed his eyes he was reminded of the story in 1 Sam 3 where the Lord calls Samuel’s name three times to give him a prophetic message. Ed fell asleep, and the voice woke him up: “Edward!”

Ed simply said “All right, if you’re the devil – leave. If it’s God, tell me what you want.” Then the room was filled with light, and Ed’s jaw dropped as he saw an angel stepping into the room. It was a shining, transparent being that told him that he would go to Sweden and become a priest there, and that God would send a revival. Then the angel left and the light disappeared.

Ed woke his wife up again and told her what happened. She said “Well firstly, you don’t know any Swedish. Secondly, priests are proper – you are totally crazy!” But she eventually realized that this was God’s calling and they came here. Ed is know priest at the Löten church, which is connected to Johannelund Theological Seminary where I am studying.

Now, we’re not seeing revival here yet – that would be an undermining of most other events that bear that title – but what’s happening in the Löten church is what I would call the embryo to a local revival. There are so many youths coming to that church, kids from the streets with various social problems at home. Few of them are Christian when they get there, several receive Jesus after a while.

Ed has an amazing laid back style and language that attracts them, and so has his co-worker Henok who is my classmate at the Seminary – I have rarely seen Christians that can adapt the Gospel so easily to the street/hip hop/gangster culture. We’re already so blessed by Ed, and I’m sure God will use him even more to spread the fire of the Holy Spirit in this secular country. When I get to Heaven, I will personally give a big “thank you” to that angel.