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Sunday, August 27, 2006

the prosperity gospel vs. The Gospel

“Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless”. Exodus 22:22

At the end of Psalm 6, after David has exhausted himself with crying, groaning and weeping, he writes: “Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.” Psalm 6:8-10

I am concerned that the prosperity gospel in this country has gone far too far. In our desires to better ourselves, have we taken advantage of the widow or orphan? Have we indirectly taken advantage of the poor, the minority, the fatherless? It is a dangerous game we play in these days.

Even as I think about going into the healthcare field, how can I be sure that I am not contributing to the problem? Where does my money come from, does it come from people being sick, or being well? If I am paid by insurance, how do the insurance companies affect the poor? Will my income come from the under-insured, unhealthy?

There is something dangerous about being in a field of work that depends on people being sick for income. They say that healthcare is the fastest growing industry in the United States – What an injustice!! We are abusing our bodies, and our bodies are coming back to haunt us.

I cringe to think that perhaps, after a poor David in the world prays and cries to the lord, as described in Exodus, that the LORD’s anger may be aroused against me. When David cries “Away from me, all you who do evil”, perhaps it is me that is the evildoer. I shudder to think that when the LORD hears the cries for mercy, that I will be the one ashamed and dismayed and disgraced.

How am I abusing the widow and fatherless and poor and alien and minority? Oh LORD my God show me so I do not become the Pharisee you spoke so strongly to.

How do my actions this morning affect the poor next year? My ignorance cannot be reason for inaction.

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