Just a Fool for Christ

Laughing Matters for a Joyful Presence

By: Geoffrey Schmitt

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Just a Fool for Christ is a gentle, story-driven exploration of joy, presence, and holy foolishness, told through the unexpected lens of clown ministry.

Drawing on decades of experience as a priest, chaplain, hospice caregiver, prison volunteer, and clown—known affectionately as Pockets—Geoffrey Schmitt reflects on how laughter lowers defenses, silence creates space for grace, and vulnerability opens doors that authority cannot. From churches and hospitals to prisons and nursing homes, he discovers that the most faithful ministry often happens when performance is laid aside and presence takes its place.

At the heart of the book stands the conviction first voiced by St. Paul: “We are fools for Christ.” This foolishness is not immaturity or irreverence, but the courage to love without armor. Through tender stories—many centered on his late wife Lily, who ministered as the clown Flower—Schmitt explores how joy and sorrow coexist, how children instinctively recognize authenticity, and how even death does not have the final word.

Neither a how-to manual nor a theological treatise, Just a Fool for Christ is an invitation: to slow down, to notice, and to trust that God is already present in the room. It is a book for anyone who has wondered whether faith can be serious without being solemn—and whether love sometimes looks foolish precisely because it is true.