Kelvin Cochran, the Atlanta fire chief
who was ousted over anti-gay comments, called his firing “God-induced
suffering,” compared himself to Jesus and other biblical figures
and predicted that God would vindicate him “in such a way that
everybody will see it.”
In a self-published book titled Who
Told You That You Were Naked, Cochran described gay people as
“unclean.”
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed fired Cochran
after serving a 30-day suspension without pay.
“This is about judgment,” Reed said
in explaining his decision. “This is not about religious freedom.
This is not about free speech. Judgment is the basis of the
problem.”
Reed said that the chief did not
properly consult city officials before publishing his book, a claim
that Cochran denies. The mayor also said that Cochran had opened
Atlanta to possible discrimination lawsuits.
During a recent sermon
at a Cartersville, Georgia church, Cochran reiterated his claim
that he was let go because of his faith and called his firing
“God-induced suffering.”
“That's what this experience is for
me and my family,” he told congregants. “This is not as a result
of something that I didn't do that God is chastening me for. This is
something that God has chosen [me] to do because of his purpose and
design for not just me and my family but for a greater cause for the
kingdom of God.”
He explained that “God reminded me
that I'm in pretty good company.”
“He reminded me, brothers and
sisters, that Job was just minding his own business, being a faithful
husband, taking good care of his children, minding his flocks in his
fields and God volunteered him for an unimaginable God-induced
suffering. God blessed him twice as much as all that he had prior to
the suffering.”
“Then he reminded me of the ultimate
suffering servant, Jesus Christ, who suffered, bled and died, rose
again on the third day and because of his suffering he has the name
that is above every name, God blesses always during suffering.”
Comparing his “suffering” to that
of Daniel's, Cochran suggested that Reed would pay a high price.
“[Daniel] was so faithful and so
successful, [King Darius] was thinking about putting him [in charge]
over the whole territory,” he said. “The other two presidents
and some princes put up a plot against Daniel and they said, 'The
only way we're going to get Daniel in trouble, because he's so
efficient, is through his faith.' So they made the King sign a
decree that nobody could pray to anybody but the king for guess how
long? 30 days. Daniel says, 'As faithful as I am to you oh king,
I'm going to sustain my prayer life,' and he kept right on going.
His friends caught him praying, he ended up in the lion's den, the
punishment for praying to anybody besides the king. The king was
brokenhearted. He loved Daniel, he prayed and fasted all night and
ran to the lion's den the next morning and realized that Daniel's God
had saved him from the lions. He made a decree that nobody could
worship any other God in this kingdom but Daniel's god and threw the
plotters, the schemers against Daniel and their families, in the
lion's den and they became food for the lions.”
Cochran ended his sermon by predicting
his full vindication.
“I found out there are worldly
consequences for standing for righteousness, but what God is about to
show everybody is that there are also kingdom consequences for
standing for righteousness. And he's going to vindicate me in such a
way that everybody will see it and everybody will know that it's
nobody but the most high God who is vindicating me.”