by By Kayla Mendoza
As an up-and-coming comedian, Leon Purley, also known as Leon the Jokester, is gaining positive momentum thanks to his clean, family-friendly style and his unique story. Born and raised in San Diego, California, Purley moved to St. Louis to further his education, but eventually came to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he studied journalism at Oral Roberts University.
While in Tulsa, Purley married his beautiful wife of 16 years with whom he was blessed with a son and worked as a case manager for people with disabilities at a local non-profit. His story and approach to life changed dramatically in 2016, however, when he was diagnosed with a hereditary condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, which caused him to become fully blind in one eye and partially blind in the other.
In this interview with A Special Purpose content creator Kayla Mendoza, Purley talks about how he is using his disability to show others how God can use any circumstance to help them experience joy, discover purpose, and find true vision:
Kayla Mendoza: How has your diagnosis changed your life?
Leon Purley: For a while, I thought to myself, “Man, what am I gonna do?” God spoke clearly to me and said, “You’re gonna make people laugh for the rest of your life.” When I heard this, it didn’t make sense. I began to feel doubt and question how God was going to use this in my life. Well, it was funny how it happened because I was feeling down about having to resign from the job as a case manager helping people. Not many businesses are looking for a CEO who is blind to work for them, so I had to trust God like Peter in the fishing boat and hold Christ’s hand and believe something because I have a family to provide for. So, I told the Lord, “We’re going to do this comedy thing and I trust You with whatever You have for my future.” After God provided for me and I could fully surrender my daily needs, He began to drop things in my spirit. I started to believe that I could learn how to do it. And when you start something with faith, oh my goodness, it’s so authentic! It’s not like I’m leaning on my mom’s faith, grandmother’s faith, or even the church’s faith. I’m leaning through my own faith in Jesus Christ the whole way! God would continually bring people into my life or resources into my life and I just kept taking this transition step by step. I encourage others to lean into whatever season they’re in because God is preparing them for that next thing that’s coming down the road. Psalms 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delights in your ways.” Having low vision in my left eye and being completely blind in my right eye, I’ve held fast to this scripture. It reminds me that the Lord is in front of me and I will go wherever He tells me to go. I haven’t lost. I’m undefeated. God has never lost a battle and we’re just gonna keep moving forward.
Mendoza: I can’t even imagine what that must have been like. Knowing what the world looks like for so many years and then slowly lose color, faces, and opportunities due to something you can’t control must have been so hard. I’m glad you mentioned that your disability wasn’t from birth because I think it brings up an important point that not all disabilities happen from the start. In my own journey, I’ve only known a life with complications and wheelchairs but I think I had it a little easier because I couldn’t compare it to anything else. How has living with vision impairment while caring for a family affected your walk with the Lord?
Purley: People have asked me these questions before and my answer is this: “Lord, I want to be healed, but if that is not Your will then I want to break the stereotypes of being a blind person. I’m abnormal when it comes to having a disability because I don’t have the typical “why me” attitude and question why healing hasn’t happened for me. In fact, I do the opposite. I rejoice! I know that sounds crazy, but people tell me all the time, “Leon, you’re always smiling! How do you smile with a disability?” I say to them, “How can I not smile?” I could be hooked up to an IV in the hospital, unable to move, unable to impact people’s lives through my story and the joy God provided me. Who cares if I don’t get to see it? I wake up every day ready to practice and rehearse to be prepared to impact people’s lives through laughter. I take my eyes off the disability. If you remove “dis” you just have the word ability. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That word strengthens is present tense, meaning I can reach out to Jesus at any given time in life, so that’s what my motto is. At the end of the day, I feel like God has given me a level of grace. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying that we can’t grieve, not saying that we can’t have doubts, but someone asked me a few years ago, “Aren’t you mad at God for losing your sight?” Listen, it’s not about me seeing with 20/20 vision again, because there are people that have sight and there are people that have vision. Sight is what you see with your natural eyes. Vision is what you see from your heart and my spirit is transforming my heart every day.
Mendoza: How did you get into comedy and why did you decide to use your disability as part of your act?
Purley: I wanted it to be God over comedy, not comedy for God. The covenant I made with God was, “Whether You give me one comedy show a year, 10 comedy shows a year, or one hundred, it’s all for your glory!” I think it would be amazing to be the first Christian comedy special on some TV networks like Netflix. Many other comedians have been on networks and focus on ungodly topics, so I think it’s time for God to allow the Kingdom comedians to have a comedy show that can speak into people’s lives! Make them laugh to bring laughter the way Jesus loved to laugh. He created it, so I think He’d want us to enjoy it this way.
I’m currently preparing for three summer camps next year. I’m going to be working at the local library teaching kids and adults how to do comedy. I have three books about to be released and I have a 10-city tour that we’re about to release. The opportunities that have opened up have been so amazing, almost astronomical! I’m receiving the opportunity to rebuild the walls that have fallen in comedy. Your gift will make room for you, but you have to remain obedient because obedience is better than sacrifice. It doesn’t matter what the disability may be, your whole purpose in life is to love God and love people. So, if you wake up and think, “What is my purpose today?” look deep into your heart and ask God, “What is it that You will want me to do today with my gifts?” Sometimes this means I will do a show for free because I still get to inspire others and make others laugh. Other days it looks like just being faithful as a teacher or connecting with the people at the nursing homes and the retirement homes. I might go over here and spend time with the kids who may be fatherless or may need a boost; being faithful with the small things so that when the time comes you can be trusted with much, and being focused on God’s mission and remembering that where logic ends, faith begins. If I try to understand my disability or my mission through reason and logic, it will never make sense. I’m walking with faith and faith can see all things that we can’t through logic. Every day, I have to remember to walk by faith, not by sight.
Check out Leon’s videos and tour dates at: