Sunday Morning Infomercials

This morning I was lying in bed flipping through television channels looking for Sunday morning inspiration. This is not my normal routine. Typically, I am getting ready for church. Therefore, this particular morning, I was subject to glimpses of things I would not normally witness on a Sunday morning. I was not prepared for the number of fantastical, magical, and superficial sales pitches people made in the name of Jesus. Within 30 minutes I saw people selling “miracle prayer cloths” that will bring “supernatural debit cancellation”, “miracle spring water” that will bring “miracle bill payment”, and seeds that when sown would produce “miracle millionaires”. Oh, please let me not forget the “miracle pills” filled with natural herbs that promise to extend life. I finally got so angry at this spiritual abuse that I cut off the TV and decided to blog. Before you read on, let me warn you that the following rant is entirely subjective and shamelessly opinionated.
My refusal to filter what I am thinking gets me in trouble sometimes, but I consider this blog a safe space. After all, it’s not as if I am in a room with you infringing upon your audio space with my unwanted diatribe. You have chosen to come to this space and read this blog. I count that as permission to be brutally honest.
I am sick (let the church say, “and tired”) of the idea that it’s alright to make money by taking advantage of the ignorance of the masses! I am not an economist, but I do believe that the proper function and value of a free market economy is sullied by unchecked greed and unethical application. Selling useless products to an unknowing and unsuspecting public is NOT a healthy application of free market theory. Furthermore, taking advantage of vulnerable populations: the elderly, the poor, the undereducated, the uninformed, the sick, the mentally unstable, the lonely, and victims of economic collapse (or any other type of victim for that matter) may be an easy way to make money, but it should never, not EVER, be called a ministry!
God is not contained on a piece of cloth, in a bottle of water, or in bottle of pills. God cannot be bought, sold, or otherwise manipulated. God is not a magician. God does not pull rabbits out of hats, make things mysteriously disappear or reappear, or intentionally endanger us just to prove God can rescue us.
Lest I be misunderstood, please know that I am not making a blanket accusation against all income generating ministries, nor I am opposed to giving money to religious causes. There are counseling ministries, educational ministries, and social service ministries that actually help people use faith to navigate their way through the vicissitudes of life. Giving to churches is a necessary component of organized religion. Churches need funds to pay administrative costs, maintain physical property, and (in the best examples) provide needed services in the communities in which they operate and elsewhere.
I do not protest these reasonable applications of free market theory as it pertains to the practice of religion. I am perturbed by a particular type of exploitation that takes needed income out of the pockets of very vulnerable people in the name of God, while promising them something that the seller cannot ever deliver.
Despite the fact that I want nothing more right now than to stand up and walk without pain, I recognize and accept, that there are no religious products I can buy to make that happen. Moreover (and perhaps more controversial in some circles), I do not expect God to wave a magic wand and make the pain go away. I believe in every fiber of my being that there is a God. My faith in God and attention to the teachings and example of Jesus Christ has guided me through many dangers, toils, and snares. But in no case did this happen in the magical, non-participatory way that is promoted by some charlatans. Each major trouble in my life, each seemingly insurmountable obstacle, each apparently fatal mistake, has been overcome through a combination of faith in God’s grace and power and actions I took on my own behalf while trusting that God would act in the places that I could not.
I was in terrible pain a few weeks ago. I had to seek out medical professionals, have the necessary examinations and then allow a skilled surgeon to repair the damage. I prayed that the surgery would go well. I had faith that it would, and that I would one day walk pain free again. But, I also researched the educational and professional background of the surgeon. I pray that the post-surgery healing will be complete. But I will also obey the doctor’s orders and participate in physical therapy as often as needed.
I do not discount the fact that there are some cases in history where God has intervened supernaturally despite the inactivity of humankind, but I do not try to rationalize or explain those instances. I just believe them to be. I certainly would not try to harness Divine intervention and sell it in the form of a bottle of holy water, or a miracle handkerchief. I simply accept the fact that there are some things that we will never be able to fully explain. A great AME Bishop, John Hurst Adams, once preached a sermon during which he said the following: “If we got here by evolution – God was the evolver. If we got here by creation – God was the creator. If we got here by a big bang – God was the banger!” That’s the simplest way to illustrate how one can be both intellectual and spiritual in thinking.
This morning I turned on the television looking for inspiration. I was frustrated and bored because I have been at home recuperating and still have a long healing journey ahead. Instead of inspiration for my journey, I found people seeking to take advantage of my need. I was thrown sales pitches for everything from miracle healing vitamin pills to bottled holy water. What I needed was someone to encourage me to keep on taking care of my body and keep on having faith in that which I do not see.
The day is coming to a close now and I have found the inspiration and encouragement I need. I found it inside myself. I found it in the historical narrative of God’s unfailing grace that has continued to unfold in my life.