Why I Chose Mister Rogers as My Spiritual Giant

I’ve seen it happen again and again.

When I tell people my book Journey with a Giant is about walking with a “spiritual giant”—a mentor from history who helps shape your life with God—their eyes light up with curiosity.

Then they ask the inevitable:
“So… who did you walk with?”

When I answer, “Mister Rogers,” a look of surprise and then joy comes across their face.
They were expecting a famous missionary or fiery preacher—not the soft-spoken man in a cardigan. There’s a sense of relief, even hope, that someone so kind, calm, and approachable could be a spiritual giant.

That’s exactly why God had me choose him.

A spiritual giant isn’t limited to the pages of the Bible or the pulpit of the church. It’s anyone—throughout history—who has walked faithfully with Christ and reflected His love in their generation. When we realize that, the door swings wide open. Suddenly, we can see countless spiritual giants… and even dare to believe that we, too, could become one.

Mr. Rogers was my third giant. My first was a woman who lived in the 1950s in England, named Evelyn Underhill. Evelyn was passionate follower of Jesus. She was a professor and a member of the Anglican church. She led retreats and taught both men and women at a time when women did not teach men, that everyone could hear the voice of God.

My second was a huge figure in the Christian church, Francis of Assisi, whose love for creation and humility taught me much about my calling, love of nature, and functioning in the church amid all its imperfections.

When I sensed God leading me to choose a new giant, I looked through my list of possibilities—C.S. Lewis, Mother Teresa, Queen Elizabeth—and then remembered a “Spiritual Giant Candidates” note on my phone. When I opened it, one name stood out: Mister Rogers.

I’d recently seen A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and was moved by his gentleness, his listening presence, and his love for people just as they were. I wanted to grow in those ways. And I knew instantly—he was the one.

Now, as Journey with a Giant goes out into the world, I’m deeply grateful that my guide wasn’t a powerful theologian few could relate to, but someone who reminds us that holiness can be gentle, kind, and ordinary. Mister Rogers beautifully illustrates what a spiritual giant truly is—and that each of us can become one too.

God is always leading us toward new ways to grow closer to Him. It might be through prayer, Scripture, or worship—but maybe this season, it’s through the surprising gift of a spiritual giant.

If you’re curious who yours might be, download the free Sneak Peek (Introduction + Chapter 1).

You may just discover a spiritual giant that God has waiting for you.