Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   EDITORIAL Friday, December 19, 2003 Della’s view of the Gospel doesn’t square with scripture It is a never-ending source of amazement how the Gospel which Jesus preached so directly and so powerfully has been endlessly perverted and diluted by the very men and women who call themselves his staunchest followers. A recent Los Angeles Times story concerning Della Reese, the talented former co-star of television’s “Touched By An Angel,” provides only the latest confirmation of this realization. For years, her role as the supervisory angel on that series warmed millions of hearts as she spoke of the good things that awaited those who turned their lives over to God. It turns out she was acting in more ways than one. These days, in real life the former television star is the Rev. Della Reese Lett, a preacher in the Understanding Principles of Better Living Church. Whatever she may be preaching under the guise of Christianity, it bears scant resemblance to the Gospel as taught by the Master himself two thousand years ago. On “Touched By An Angel,” Reese’s character helped others serve those in need or in trouble here so that they might enjoy an eternal life to come. In real life, she shares a distinctly different message with a reporter: “There ain’t nothin’ up there. If you would read the Bible, you would know…so whatever it is you need, desire or want, you better try to get it now, ‘cause this is the only time there is.” Her congregation’s adherents embrace the so-called “prosperity gospel,” that pale imitation of Christianity which teaches God rewards the faithful with riches in the here and now, whether or not there is an afterlife to come. It is a far cry from the selflessness Jesus preached and lived, teaching that the Kingdom is both here and in the life to come. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Casting aside his mission as Savior, Rev. Lett reduces Jesus to a role as “the Way-Shower,” preparing his disciples for material success and what her interviewer calls “unabashedly abundant living.” This must come as news not only to the Twelve and to millions of disciples who have given up everything to follow Jesus through the centuries, but even to those modern-day Christians who live on next to nothing so that others in need may be cared for. When one thinks of the core of the Gospel message, abundant living in the physical world is not what comes to mind. Jesus promised abundance, but not as the world understands it. He taught his followers to store up lasting treasures in heaven where “no thief can reach nor moth destroy; for where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Luke 12: 33-34). After three years of preaching, Rev. Lett has attracted some 600 adherents; with her star power perhaps she will draw many more. But the irony is that she and others in the “prosperity gospel” movement preach a soulless, spineless, flabby, feel-good Gospel in a world desperately in need of the real-life demands, and the very real spiritual rewards, of the Gospel as Jesus embodied it. So we are left to ponder this: Jesus the Christ comes into the world to bring the greatest Good News ever, giving His very life in the process to make the point in unmistakable fashion; the adherents of the “prosperity gospel” reduce this stunningly unique call to some trite formula for unashamedly living higher on the hog than one’s neighbors. Oh, the riches and the depth and the grace that are missed in such a shallow interpretation! Lou Jacquet/Editor   Back to Exponent Menu Printer Friendly Page   Other Articles of 2003   Della’s view of the Gospel doesn’t square with scripture   The great, gray expanse ‘twixt sinner and saint   Focus on Jessica Lynch misses Hopi woman’s compelling story   Episcopal Church has problems we don’t wish on anyone   Wording in news release downplays great gift of humanity   TV ‘reporting’ on John Paul’s anniversary was pure commentary   Democrats sort out candidates while civility issue looms   Clarett lawsuit against NFL latest episode in sorry soap opera   Killer of abortion doctor wasn’t true ‘pro-life’ activist   There’s something about that watch worth watching   Layoffs in Stark County don’t bode well for diocese   Skills, not race, should be determining employment factor   Attacks against French, others who disagree show small minds   Americans deeply conflicted as nation goes to war   ‘Winter of our discontent’ fueled by economy, war   Pragmatism, prudence should be WTC design bywords   30th anniversary of ‘Roe’ decision demands introspection   Canonization of Mother Teresa has instant credibility   Past Articles From 2002