A Touchy Subject
I was watching the Larry King show earlier this week (or was it late last week?)…oh well…recently. It featured Joel Osteen and his wife Victoria. I admire the man’s outlook on life and was kinda impressed with the way he handled many of the questions thrown at him about his life and his church and preaching methods. Personally I think the Bible is the source of religious foundation but Mr. Osteen seems to focus on life issues and how we deal with those practical situations and how we live or lives in relation to others. He has been criticised as being ”theology lite” among many other things including his wealth and lack of Crosses in his church…and the list goes on.
I raise the point of theology lite and I wonder if this is a fair accusation in view that his church has moved over the years from a membership of 6000 to close to 50,000 on a regular basis. Just thinking that maybe some persons need this type of simplistic view of Christianity to be able to accept the fundamental teachings of the Bible, which, when you come down to it, is really and simply put…LOVE. Maybe some persons really can’t or don’t need to comprehend the situations and applications of eros, phileo and agape. Maybe they just need directions on what to do and how to do it acknowledging that there is a God and that they are charged to live their lives a certain way.
Technically speaking a life of love (not making love or sex) should cover all the biblical requirements. Where I will move away slightly is that I believe that the Bible is God’s word to us and through reading we are able to develop a much closer and fuller relationshipship with Him. It leads me to my other point, can we have one without the other? Yes reading the Bible and knowing it is one thing but if not applied to life then….? On the other hand living your live according to a standard that is unknown may be just as pointless. Maybe we need the balance…
Do I agree with Mr. Osteen? I have no idea. I guess his works serves a purpose that draw people closer to God and I don’t think we are called to complete the full circle. So in that respect he has a very valid point. The fact is 50,000 people find peace in his church.
