Oprah is not a freak

Oprah isn’t a freak, but if you think she is then you’re scarier to me than she is.

Here’s the thing, she’s taking action to make the world better when so many people seem more interested in American Idol, Brittany’s latest crisis, and spouting sound bites around the water cooler than in actually living to make a positive difference; heck, I’m guilty.

It’s Oprah’s alliance with Eckhart Tolle, author of A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, that’s making some Christians reminisce about the good ole’ Salem days.

Hey, I’m an evangelical Christian, with a fundamentalist leaning or two — and a preacher’s kid, too, — and a pastor… with earned degrees in religion, biblical languages, communication, and a Master of Divinity.

So do you think I always agree with Oprah’s theology? No.

Do you think I always accept Eckhart Tolle’s biblical interpretations? Absolutely not — not by a long shot — because, like so many spiritual teachers, he brings his presuppositions to the text and doesn’t always allow the context to teach what the Bible is really trying to teach.

So why am I approaching the issue sans the straw and burning torch?

It’s simple. If more people practiced the moralistic philosophy preached by these two, then the world would be better, safer, kinder and happier — and I can get behind an agenda like that, to a large degree.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe in Jesus Christ and His pure grace and I think that I’m one of the few people left on the planet who actually believe in a literal heaven, and that Jesus is returning just as He promised, to literally fulfill the New Earth prophecy found in Revelation 21:1-5 (and John 14:1-3).

There’s probably a pretty good chance that Oprah and Eckhart might consider me unenlightened, but I warmly accept them despite our theological differences because I, too, want to live in a world right now that has fewer tears, less sorrow, and much less pain (I also want a world without death, which is where my Friend, Jesus, comes in).

I like people who are on a crusade to make the world better, and who do it in peace, love and kindness, even when the flag they’re “riding” under isn’t exactly the same as mine, because Jesus was all about igniting people with life…abundant life…wonderful life…passionate life…right now, as well as forever. 

April 18, 2008 | Permalink | del.icio.us | StumbleUpon | | |