Joel Osteen
I hear people say that Joel Osteen is a feel good preacher. Some like his style and some do not. They say the same about Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, and many others that have the mega churches as well as the millions of followers on TV. Consider what draws people to these charismatic feel good preachers. Simply put, they make us feel good, they provide hope, which is the core ingredient for spiritual healing and formation.
Why do you think people flocked to Jesus back in the days when he walked the earth? It wasn't so he could lash out in condemnation towards them. It wasn't because he gave them mounds of rules and paperwork just to join his movement. People migrated to Jesus because he gave them hope, he showed them love, care, concern, healing, forgiveness, and yes acceptance.
I hear some righteous people defend what they call the truth. The truth as they see it is to judge harshly, expose the sins of others, force people to pray harder, use the Word of God as a weapon, or worse use the church as a weapon of fear. This group of righteous does not follow the teachings of Christ as it is played out in the Gospels. Is it any wonder that people are leaving organized religion in record numbers. When the righteous bully people to believe a certain way, that does not line up with the love expressed by Jesus. There seems to be a huge backlash of people condemning gays by using the written Word as their weapon. What I do not see or hear is people using that same weapon to condemn gluttony, love of money, bigotry, etc. The righteous chose battlefields that protect them from their sins while expressing hate to others.
What divides us in such a way that love has become a forgotten word or feeling? I think as I read the Gospels Jesus knew exactly what it would take to heal a wounded world. It took love and compassion. Two actions that he displayed on nearly every page of the Gospels. If love and compassion healed a world so wounded then can it do the same now. I believe that answer to be yes but we have to get started. As I write about the righteous I write about them to love them not to hate them. I honestly believe they too are hurting and seeking spiritual direction. We are all in this together, we all seek love in our own ways. The only way to find love is to find common ground.
The bigger question as I see it is where does it start? Do we wait for the cows to come home, Uncle Bob to get the crop in, the weather to get better, Sally to get married, income tax, a new government administration, etc. Do we just wait all the while depression, anxiety, bitterness, and division continue to cast it's pall on us. Or can we do as Joel Osteen and the other feel good preachers do and just show people a sign of peace and love. It doesn't take much to make someone smile, but it does take something. We can't walk through life expecting others to make us feel good, it is our role in life to make ourselves feel good from the inside out. Once we do others will see what we have and desire it.
I often wonder why we put so much emphasis on our differences and so little on our similarities. Is it because we get so much more adrenaline out of creating division than we do building bridges? Is it because exposing the sins of someone while concealing our own gives us power over them? Or maybe it is because we dislike ourselves so much that we want to make dang sure everyone we come in contact with shares our misery.
Today is a new day, with new challenges, but if you are reading this you are alive which also means you have hope. Do not allow another moment to go by that robs you of your joy for life. Stop blaming others for where you are, and for gosh sake stop playing the martyr card about your past. It is time to live, this is a time to build bridges and mend fences. Do not wait for others to drive the first nail, you bring the hammer and let's get busy. We have to build a playground in our lives that brings with it a place of good cheer, a place of warmth and compassion, a place of healing, love and acceptance. Our playground is a welcome place for all. It is time you fall in love with you and let the world feel the passion of your new zest for life.
peace and love
Dale
Why do you think people flocked to Jesus back in the days when he walked the earth? It wasn't so he could lash out in condemnation towards them. It wasn't because he gave them mounds of rules and paperwork just to join his movement. People migrated to Jesus because he gave them hope, he showed them love, care, concern, healing, forgiveness, and yes acceptance.
I hear some righteous people defend what they call the truth. The truth as they see it is to judge harshly, expose the sins of others, force people to pray harder, use the Word of God as a weapon, or worse use the church as a weapon of fear. This group of righteous does not follow the teachings of Christ as it is played out in the Gospels. Is it any wonder that people are leaving organized religion in record numbers. When the righteous bully people to believe a certain way, that does not line up with the love expressed by Jesus. There seems to be a huge backlash of people condemning gays by using the written Word as their weapon. What I do not see or hear is people using that same weapon to condemn gluttony, love of money, bigotry, etc. The righteous chose battlefields that protect them from their sins while expressing hate to others.
What divides us in such a way that love has become a forgotten word or feeling? I think as I read the Gospels Jesus knew exactly what it would take to heal a wounded world. It took love and compassion. Two actions that he displayed on nearly every page of the Gospels. If love and compassion healed a world so wounded then can it do the same now. I believe that answer to be yes but we have to get started. As I write about the righteous I write about them to love them not to hate them. I honestly believe they too are hurting and seeking spiritual direction. We are all in this together, we all seek love in our own ways. The only way to find love is to find common ground.
The bigger question as I see it is where does it start? Do we wait for the cows to come home, Uncle Bob to get the crop in, the weather to get better, Sally to get married, income tax, a new government administration, etc. Do we just wait all the while depression, anxiety, bitterness, and division continue to cast it's pall on us. Or can we do as Joel Osteen and the other feel good preachers do and just show people a sign of peace and love. It doesn't take much to make someone smile, but it does take something. We can't walk through life expecting others to make us feel good, it is our role in life to make ourselves feel good from the inside out. Once we do others will see what we have and desire it.
I often wonder why we put so much emphasis on our differences and so little on our similarities. Is it because we get so much more adrenaline out of creating division than we do building bridges? Is it because exposing the sins of someone while concealing our own gives us power over them? Or maybe it is because we dislike ourselves so much that we want to make dang sure everyone we come in contact with shares our misery.
Today is a new day, with new challenges, but if you are reading this you are alive which also means you have hope. Do not allow another moment to go by that robs you of your joy for life. Stop blaming others for where you are, and for gosh sake stop playing the martyr card about your past. It is time to live, this is a time to build bridges and mend fences. Do not wait for others to drive the first nail, you bring the hammer and let's get busy. We have to build a playground in our lives that brings with it a place of good cheer, a place of warmth and compassion, a place of healing, love and acceptance. Our playground is a welcome place for all. It is time you fall in love with you and let the world feel the passion of your new zest for life.
peace and love
Dale
Comments