from the March issue of our newsletter:
The Vicar's View
A Tale of Two Bobs
I have never met these two Bobs, but they introduced themselves to me over my morning coffee on two recent Saturdays. They are guest columnists in the Honolulu Advertiser’s Faith section. On February 6th I read Bob McDermott’s column entitled “Here’s a Faith-Based View of How to Become Prosperous” and I about went out of my mind. The popularity of the “prosperity gospel” promulgated on TV (and now in my own paper!) by folks like Joel Osteen and TD Jakes drives me bananas because it is such an outrageous mischaracterization of Christian faith and opportunity. At least a hundred times that week I thought about writing my rebuttal to Bob #1.
But I was busy with other things and so I was feeling guilty and defensive as I opened the paper the next Saturday morning and looked for the Faith column. Oh, but God is good and happily, there are many laborers besides me in the fields of the Lord. The column on February 13th was written by Bob Dunham, and without vilifying Bob #1, Bob #2 completely undid and overshadowed him. His column was entitled, “No One Can Have a Fulfilling Life in This World Without Faith” and it did exactly the job I wanted to do but in a much better way. Rather than rant and rave, it witnessed. Bob #2’s story proclaimed a mature faith in God—one that is so much bigger and broader than just getting the stuff that you think will make you happy.
Bob #1’s theory about full life in Christ concludes that you ought to be able to get everything you want—that financial prosperity is your rightful inheritance. He outlines a “faith-based view of how to become prosperous.” He says that if you follow his five principles of having Goals, taking Action, imagining your future prosperity in Prayer, giving Value to other peoples’ lives, and Harvesting your riches, you will surely be enriched yourself. Some wisdom appears as he begins his conclusion with, “And remember, part of the enriching process is the journey itself,” but it’s negated by his very last line which is, “You learn so much along the way, thereby making yourself more marketable and valuable.”
Really? This is the end goal of Christian life? Becoming more marketable and valuable? Maybe you can see why I was so frustrated with Bob #1 and so happy to read Bob #2’s essay a week later. It’s subtitle is, “No one can have a fulfilling life in this world without faith.” He tells his own story of being a Viet Nam vet, falling into alcohol abuse and homelessness, and then fighting his way back. Now he says he has indeed received everything he wanted in life. “I asked God to help me help others who were dealing with the same problems that I was going through. My prayer was answered and ever since then I have been helping those in need of encouragement.”
Both of these men have prayed about their lives and feel that they have received the blessings they wanted. What’s strikingly different about them is the character of their requests. Bob #1 is looking for the things in life that are finite—especially money, which is a creation of our own making. Bob #2 is looking for things in life that are infinite and that we can’t manufacture for ourselves—things like love and compassion and humility. These are qualities of living that we can’t fully create on our own—we need God to give us the grace to enter into these blessings. This is the difference between the modern prosperity gospel being preached out in the culture and the traditional teachings of the church on the eternal life that Jesus promises. One lusts after things of the world, the other longs for things of the Spirit. One leads ultimately to pain, the other leads to life. One is a finite life lived in the world, the other is the eternal life given to us by our savior, Jesus. —Kate Lewis+