Five inconvenient truths megachurch prosperity preachers (MP) rather
not talk about.
1)
Being rich in God is not the same as being rich in the world.
If I get a dollar every time a MP tells me that God wants to bless me with
material wealth and unlimited success, I will have retired rich and living
large before I hit 40 (and I am 46 now). Billy Graham once teased that the
checkbook (cheque book) is a theological document, and it will tell you who and
what you worship. Indeed, money has a powerful hold on religion just as it has
on other aspects of public life. The corruption that money invites doesn’t just start with the love of it – most times, it comes with the
over-exposure to it. In today’s money-driven religious world, serving two
masters are no longer mutually exclusive. The promises of prosperity is the
carrot that many MP use to spellbind their congregation and it is much easier
to believe in a rich and faithful believer than a poor and faithful one. MP
thus owes their congregation the pastoral obligation to present the full gospel
of Christ here. Ours is not a one-dimensional gospel of success. It is much
more than that. It is essentially the gospel of overcoming. More importantly,
being rich in God is more about possessing those values which money cannot buy.
A peace of mind, a spirit of resilience, a soul finding contentment, a fleshly
desire subdued at times of temptation, and an enduring hope beyond this world
are the first and last fruits of a rich believer in God.
2) They (MP) don’t know everything. That’s the
spoiler alert for their members. You see, MP may come up with books, DVDs,
audio-recordings, and online sermons, all of which boast about their ability to
explain all things, but there are still things or phenomena that escape them.
Although no one expects them to know everything, the issue here is not that. On
the contrary, it is about the image they project to their members. Every
Sunday, standing before the crowd, the impression given is that there is an
explanation for every unanswered prayer, every premature death or terminal
illness, every unexpected misfortune, every undeserved crisis and every
emotional betrayal. They will tell or hint to you that the problem is you, your
lack of faith, your lack of belief, your lack of trust, your lack of love, your
lack of truth, even your lack of bible knowledge. Well, there may be a little
truth there I admit, but the point again is not that. The point is
that the MP never falls short of making presumptuous explanations that seek to
elevate their know-it-all status so as to preserve that superficial arm’s
length respectability between them and their members. Somehow, being a leader,
these MP feel that it is their sacred job to offer an explanation for
everything. Alas, the last thing they want to disclose to their members is
their ignorance. Yet, that is also in my view the main obstacle they face
towards being an humble and respected leader.
3) The opposite of
faith is not doubt, it’s certainty. This third truth ties in with the
2nd one above. And because ignorance is to be avoided at all costs,
the MP demonizes doubts as a stumbling block of faith. For them, the expression
of doubt is the admission of defeat. But the truth is that having doubt is
part and parcel of being a believer because we are human after all. However, doubts
need not drive us away from the faith. Where doubts flourish is when we apply
it to question self-serving and misleading beliefs. Like faith, doubt compels
us to seek the truth. Although we now only see the glass dimly, we are called
to defend our faith with understanding of the gospel – and not with
self-conceited presumptions. The search for biblical truths is a lifetime
endeavor and having doubt can drive us to probe, dig and go deeper.
4)
There is a simple logic why most MP are wealthy. You
seldom catch them in second-hand cars, living in average houses or traveling in
economy class. Some even have private jets, large estate and mansions, and earthly
investment in the millions. They are rich because they sit on top of the
pyramid of devotion with a broad base of eager givers below. And the broader
the base, the wealthier the MP gets. Imagine the money collected every week,
every month and every year. Idling cash stashed aside for a rainy day. In their organization, they directly or indirectly control
the offerings and tithes offered by members. They largely decide on what to do
with it. Most of them amass the funds and remunerate themselves rather
generously. Personal prosperity inevitably comes with the territory. That is
just how it works. It is what they deserve or are entitled to – at least that
is how their members and staff strongly feel.
The reality is that they don’t preach for free. Neither do they write
books nor appear on worldwide broadcasts for free. However, I see two issues here.
First, the socioeconomic gap between the congregation and the leadership widens
as the latter’s pocket deepens. And second, at some point, there is always a
risk that they may cross that invidious threshold where their faith becomes
more aligned to their cheque book balances than to their first love or calling.
And alas, even if some of them have crossed that threshold, they are scarce to admit
to it, or at all, because it is just too much of an inconvenient truth
to face before their devoted, if not already besotted, members.
And…
5)
They are human after all. After all is said and done,
whether I offer five inconvenient truths here or two, the fact remains that
they (MPs) are human – flaws and all. They may like to think that they are
special, a spiritual cut above the rest, the one who has the favor and listening
ear of the divine, or the one who knows, interprets and conducts themselves
better than all, if not most. But the raw reality is that they are not. No
doubt credit should be given where credit is due and some of them are amazing
on stage, eloquent and delightful to watch, and some are flashy with charisma
galore, but I believe they stand equal with all in the temptations they face,
the emotional struggles they are embroiled in, and the distractions of the
heart that seek to derail them. The reflective ones will not disagree with me
on this. And if the many transgressions of MP past are anything to go by, with
their fall from grace coming close at the heels of a self-driven pursuit for
recognition or a belief in their own invulnerability, then MPs are no different
from individuals (like you and me) struggling with their own humanity. Alas,
some of these struggles are made complicated by the immense power, adoration
and wealth they hold, wield or demand. And the other struggles come about as a result
of their own belief that this time, it will be different – that is, this time,
they are different. Cheerz.
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