Tony Cummings talked to multi-talented twins the CHRISAGIS BROTHERS

The Chrisagis Brothers

To devotees of left-of-centre pop America's Chrisagis Brothers are witty communicators with songs like "Spare A Prayer" and "Barbies, Badguys & Guns" making their 2009 album 'Playing With Life And Death' one to search out. To regular watchers of YouTube the Chrisagis Brothers are skilled exponents of Pythonesque-style stabs at life and religion. They are responsible for an award winning children's TV series. And to next year's cinema goers Shawn and Brian Chrisagis could become favourites when a groundbreaking Christian comedy in the style of Dumb & Dumber hits the screens. Yet all their array of talents fade into insignificance beside the staggering testimony of miraculous healing that encompasses their early years.

When twins Shawn and Brian were born in Oklahoma it was discovered that both babies had life threatening allergies. Sunlight, grass, most food and clothing, all threatened the lives of the twins. Explained Shawn, "We were taken from our mother and put into incubators for two whole years. What happened was the doctors didn't think we could live past two and we surpassed what they thought and they did tests on us. Our mum stayed with us for those two years at the hospital. The doctor came and told her just to take us home because they didn't think we'd live and that they were just wasting time. Our tests were flown to Canada, France, Italy, you name it. We were getting famous for all the wrong reasons but doctors found out there was no hope. Mum brought us home and our dad filled in the windows because if the sun hit us, even at all, we would instantly die. All we could eat were sardines, rice cakes and peanut butter and soya bean milk."

When the twins were seven years old, their mother Marguerite, who suffered from a serious heart condition and was in a wheelchair and on oxygen as a result, went to a healing service at a Full Gospel Businessmen's meeting. She went forward after the sermon to ask the preacher, Father Michael Scanlon, to pray for her sons' healing (she didn't care about herself - she was only concerned over her sons' healing), but he insisted on praying for her. Father Scanlon told her that as a parent she had the authority in her home to stand in the gap and pray for her sons' healing and deliverance. That is when she learned how to break the blood-line of sickness, death and disease over her home and loved ones.

After Father Scanlon prayed for Marguerite, she got out of her wheelchair and took off her oxygen, ran around and wasn't winded. When she got home she had the whole family pray over her sick children. Marguerite "felt an evil spirit push her onto the floor" and the twins were set free instantly from all sickness. In an act of faith, Marguerite asked the boys to name anything they would like to eat. "Hot fudge sundae!" was the unanimous response. For the first time, the family went out to a nearby restaurant for the boys' first ice cream. The entire week, the family went to the doctors, who "redid the tests and x-rays about five times" before he finally confirmed the twins were completely well and that their mother had "a new heart." Their doctor became a born again believer that day.

Brian spoke of the twin's reactions to their first experiences in the outside world. "We were scared because we had never been outside before; it was a new thing. Actually we have created a children's character named Whoozee-Whatzit, a green character, and we felt like him. We didn't know who or what we were and we were really questioning everything. But thank God for our Godly mother and Godly family because they really protected us and their love kept us going."

Brian explained how their interest in music developed. "We started taking music lessons when we were probably 10 years old - we were playing the piano and the guitar and we started singing. We were inspired by people like Farrell & Farrell, we loved their music. There was a whole bunch of different musicians that inspired us. We were called to ministry early on, we were 15 years old and the Lord called us into the music ministry, and we were also youth pastors at our church."

The twins became licensed ministers at the age of 20. Over the next couple of decades the Chrisagis Brothers made a couple of recordings ('Playing With Life And Death' is their third album) but it was their talents in comedy, broadcasting and children's work which made most impact. The Good News Gang Variety Series, which they wrote and starred in for the Sky-Angel Network, is currently running on KTV, the largest Christian Children's Network in the world. They hosted and wrote for Candid Camera and have worked with several well-known celebrities from Hollywood such as Erik Estrada, Jennifer O'Neill and Jack Scalia. The Brothers also hosted three hit syndicated radio shows, God Thing, Chrisagis Mania and Humble O'Radio.

They are working with Tommy Nelson on a five children's book deal from their popular toy line called The World of Whozee-Whatzit. In 2011 the brothers will be the first to ever have a comical Christian film, in the style of Dumb & Dumber, out in cinemas where the brothers will play two up and coming entertainers who hit hard times. The film will be directed by Warren Marcus.

Brian admitted that some of the Chrisagis Brothers' more zany sketches and skits bemuse some churches who have correlated being holy with being miserable. "We were on one of the networks and they said they thought we were too funny for their network. Yet the Bible says that 'He who laughs, will sit in heaven'. The Lord wants us to be joyful people!"

Shawn added, "I don't know if you've watched any of our music videos on YouTube but 'Jesus Everywhere I Go' is a really funny one. MTV called us up and said, 'Guys, we've never seen Christians take things lightly and fun, it made us sit there and laugh'. So they wanted to run it. In the video Brian play's Jesus. I wake up in the morning and Jesus is sitting right next to me; I get on a motorcycle and Jesus is on the back of my motorcycle wearing a helmet. The thing is Jesus looks like he's my brother, because it's Brian playing the part. Jesus has a great sense of humour, he created laughter, laughter is good, like a medicine. If we believe that then we should be the healthiest people on earth."