Oprah

Much has been written in the blogosphere and in other places about Oprah's latest spiritual fascination. You can watch one particularly poignant video that is in reaction to Oprah's peddling of spiritual feel-goodism right here.

We should not be surprised though. Oprah, as she is free to do in our free society, has been off the charts from any Christian orthodoxy for some time. Does anyone remember her segment "getting in touch with your spirit?" Her latest guru is Eckhart Tolle and his book "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose." I am purposely not linking to them because I am not going to be responsible for it.

The problem is not that Oprah believes what she believes, as misguided as that is, it is that she seeks to sell the Tolle and Oprah kool-aid to her vast audience. The book pays passing reference to scripture and quotes just enough scripture to deceive people into believing it is in any way "Christian." All the while the book and the thinking (it is not a theology), denies Christ crucified, dead and risen.

I like to live by Wesley's dictum (he stole it from Augustine), "As to the essentials unity, as to the non-essentials, think and let think." The problem with this here is that we do not agree on the essentials. While the book talks about God in some peculiar ways it is very far from the mainstream of Christian orthodoxy as contained in the scriptures and the creeds of the church.

The sad part for the church is that this is another wake up call. All these Oprah-ites are starving for something to fill that God sized spiritual void in their hearts and are ready for anything. And yet, the church continues to argue about whether homosexual people can be ordained, who should be allowed to preside at communion, and the virgin birth all the while having in its grasp the greatest story ever told that is waiting to be shared. Wake up church before your lamp stand is removed!