"it sounds like you believe in the prosperity gospel."
“I never discuss anything else except politics and religion. There is nothing else to discuss.” // G.K. Chesterton
One of my favorite things to experience is when random people decide to join conversations I’m having with friends. When I say “favorite” I actually mean it's one of the things I despise. It’s always a mystery to me that some people are incapable of remembering the adage from middle school: “this is an A-B conversation, so C your way out.” Of course, I understand that on certain topics this is almost unavoidable. There is an interesting phenomenon that takes place when we discuss “controversial” topics in public. We seem to invite the opinions of strangers who almost seem to be compelled to give their take on our conversation. It seems as though I deal with this problem more than others around me. I think it is because I have a real problem with superficiality. If we’re not discussing important topics, what are we supposed to talk about? We may as well not talk at all. This is where I agree with the words of G.K. Chesterton mentioned at the beginning of this chapter.
One particular day I’m in the gym with a friend. And we are discussing the things we usually discuss. History, philosophy, religion and politics. A stranger overheard us and approached me after my friend left and asked an interesting question: “Hey, are you like a pastor or something?” I promise I’m going to finish the story. But let me digress. Technically, I am a pastor. But I don’t like the box. I think it’s weird how hung up people - pastors and people in churches - are on the term. In many environments, being a pastor is like having an honorary doctorate. I mean, sure you “kind of” earned it. But, also, not really. I understand the importance of roles and clear titles in any organization. Yet at the same time, there’s a strange fixation on titles like this in the church-world. I don’t really want to be a part of that. I used to tell people “just call me Josh, my parents didn’t name me Pastor Josh.” And then my dad reminded me that he made me a pastor, so they did technically name me that. If you see me, I really personally prefer Josh over Pastor Josh. My dad tells me all the time I shouldn't say this. And I understand, but it's important to the story.
Hence my dilemma with this stranger who approached me. I decided to say “I’m really more of an ‘or something’ than a pastor, but sure.” I decided not to explain to this person my internal dilemma on the title of pastor. He said: “Where is your church?” I told him the intersection where our church, Elevate Life, sits in Frisco, on the corner of Main and Teel. Then he hit me with it. “Oh you’re one of those prosperity gospel churches.” I responded by asking him if I could ask him a question, he said sure.
I asked: “What is the prosperity gospel?”
He said: “Well, it's kind of what all these mega churches teach.”
I asked if I could ask him another question.
Then I asked: “Do you want to make more money”
He said: “Sure”
I then asked: “Do you want to win in life, be healthy and successful, however you define success?”
He said: “Well, of course.”
I asked him: “Do you think that God wants that for you too? Or do you think he doesn’t want you to win in life?”
He said: “I think He wants that for me.”
To which I responded: “It sounds like you believe in the prosperity gospel.”
Which may or may not be true. I was already so annoyed at this guy that I just smiled and walked away and didn’t continue the conversation any further. Some of you might be saying “that’s not very pastoral of you.” And you’d probably be right.
This story illustrates a phenomenon that happens all over the western world when people are trying to classify churches and teaching. People seem to love to take a term like “prosperity gospel,” ascribe their own definition, and then apply that definition however they see fit. Of course, people are free to do this as much as they wish, but that doesn’t make their definition or application accurate, or true. This isn’t a new development. It’s just the way we as humans tend to do things. Go beyond the term “prosperity gospel.” We use terms like: truth, love, kindness, and justice as if there is a common shared definition. Yet most of us, when asked, cannot define these terms very easily. What is truth? What is love? What is kindness? What is justice? Without defining what these things are, and agreeing to the definition, how can we pursue them?