LIHUE — In his more than 50 years as a pastor, Rocky Sasaki said there have been only a few times he has witnessed an elected public official openly share their faith. “You very rarely see that,” he said. But
LIHUE — In his more than 50 years as a pastor, Rocky Sasaki said there have been only a few times he has witnessed an elected public official openly share their faith.
“You very rarely see that,” he said.
But that is what Sasaki and about 35 other men witnessed Saturday morning when Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho spoke during the first IMUA Kauai men’s conference at The Aloha Church.
In a 20-minute talk preceding keynote speaker, evangelist Fred Felton, the mayor outlined his story — from his childhood, attending church with his grandmother, playing football on a full scholarship at the University of Hawaii, being drafted by the Miami Dolphins and being a husband and father.
Through it all, he said, God was there. And his spiritual journey is continuing.
He smiled and laughed often as he mixed songs, stories and sports analogies during the presentation he hoped would encourage men to stand firm in their faith and stand strong as the leaders of their families, too.
“I just wanted to speak from my heart,” he said. “Take off my mayor’s hat and talk to you as Bernard Carvalho Jr.”
Carvalho was scheduled to fly to Oahu later, where he was slated to be the team captain for the UH football team in its game against San Diego State University. He said he would get to pray with the team and be on the sideline and in the locker room.
“Win or lose doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s about being strong and staying together as a team.”
It’s the same for men, he said. They must be confident, courageous and committed. They must have character and compassion.
“Compassion is not a sign of weakness,” he said. “Compassion is a sign of strength.”
The 6-foot-4 Carvalho said being a leader is not about physical stature. What should guide men, he said, is what’s inside them. That’s what enables them to fall down, get up, fall down again, and still keep going.
He spoke of following gut feelings, of stepping back to regroup and finding a quiet place when things aren’t going right.
“That’s my message to you folks,” he said. “Sometimes, you just have to take your own self away from everything, go to your prayer closet to figure it out.’
There are three kinds of people, he said: Those who love you no matter what; those who want to get to know you; and those who will judge you.
Be prepared to defend yourself and God against your detractors, he said, not through confrontation, but patience and kindness.
“Those are the guys, you’ve got to love them,” Carvalho said. “Those guys might be having all kind of issues with themselves.”
Carvalho said he wants to work with dads, young and old, to help them be their best. Being a good father isn’t about money and having a prestigious job, either. It’s about being present with your children. It’s about just sitting down, talking and being together.
“It’s about a hug,” he said.
Men should walk together, as brothers, to find strength, because they are not alone, Carvalho added. They should count on each other.
“We are warriors in Christ,” he said.
Pat Thompson of Kekaha said he enjoyed the conference message, which he believed was timely for many men who face challenging situations, are uncertain of what to do, and are seeking balance in their lives.
He appreciated the mayor’s passion for his beliefs and declaration that he was a Christian.
“It was awesome he did that,” Thompson said.
Pastor Butch Kahawai echoed the mayor’s words as he closed with a prayer and told the men they should be ready to be called out as first responders for their faith.
“You know how to be men,” Kahawai said. “You just need to do it.”
Sasaki said Carvalho’s commitment could have an impact that stretches beyond Kauai.
“We pray it’s going to help make a difference in Hawaii,” he said.
