On occasion, on a day of exceptional clarity and humility,
it is possible to see one’s own holy judgment.
It happens when I catch myself in a lie and again when I refuse to
forgive someone who betrays me. But most
recently it happened when a very slight, but very real internal smile fell upon
my heart at the robbery of one of Detroit
richest clergy members. With sincerity I
tell you, the smile only came after I learned he was physically well, bruised
but not broken. However, when the dust
cleared and all that was left was a press conference, the smile was real. I lay before you my confession:
The Detroit Free Press reported that the Rev. Marvin Winans
was robbed at a gas station in Detroit
by a group of young men, all in the light of day. A clearly unashamed act of violence and
perpetration of ugliness, the young men did what they could to destroy their
victim’s ability to hold on to his possessions, much less his dignity. At the loss of his 2012 Infinity, Rolex watch
and a wad of cash, he was left as a Biblical traveler on the side of the
road. Finally, a person who recognized
his celebrity invited him into her car and carried him to his church home. Ironically, the new church home, a reflection
of his lost Rolex, is not yet completed due to years of financial backs and
forth. When the final bricks are laid,
it will be an honor to the Winans name.
Perfecting Church and the Rev. Winans are part of a
theological movement known disparagingly by its critics as prosperity
ministry. An extra-biblical theology,
prosperity roots itself in a particular kind of American capitalism, the kind that
made slavery profitable and women’s suffrage a threat. (Women tend to vote for policies that help
the poor more often than men do.) This
particular brand of capitalism, endorsed by slave owners and prosperity
ministers alike, upholds a false theology that claims God blesses through
wealth. In fact, it often, even usually
does not matter how that wealth is obtained.
As long as one has it, one is blessed by God. Rich people are blessed. Poor people have yet to receive their
blessing. Your blessing is achieved
while becoming a slave to the pursuit of more stuff.
Prosperity ministry relies on self-absorption and the
orientation of life toward the acquisition of material goods, such as Rolex
watches. When a person’s core value is
the acquisition of wealth, it makes sense that people who do not have wealth,
will do whatever they need to get it.
The Rev. Winans recently lived through the obvious result of his own
preaching. While I certainly do not know
the circumstances of the young men who perpetrated this crime against the
reverend, it can safely be assumed that they wanted what he had. They wanted their blessing too.
The pastor showed his own self-absorption by hoping his
robbery will be a sign for the city to turn around, and that even the governor
is calling him to assure it. A glaringly
noticeable absence in his public comments is recognition of the suffering of
others, beyond his own person, of the hundreds who have been victims of crime in
Detroit this
year alone.
Prosperity ministry contrasts itself with a theology of the
cross which stands in the hope of the giving of oneself. Most importantly, the theology of the cross
stands in the giving of God, that God gave up everything to save the
people. Accordingly, Christians are
called to give of themselves in their time, their possessions and their wealth
in the pursuit of love and justice for the world, and value the same things as
Jesus. Namely, we are called to value people
over material goods.
Life in Detroit
is hard, yet rich with the opportunity to touch lives with words and
actions. Life in Detroit is the holiest ground for a true
gospel of the cross. The only way to see
the amazing life of the city is to give up oneself. Selfish living is the beginning of the
emptying of hope.
When pastors, preachers and politicians speak about the
downfalls of our city from the cowardly built walls of ex-urban security, they expose
the idiocy and selfishness of their own selves.
When the true prophets of large churches climb into the pulpits they
will encourage the members of their vast, upper middle class congregations to
move their lives to Detroit . They will encourage their membership to pay Detroit taxes, to build
and rebuild neighborhoods and become the holy population base necessary to have
a thriving city that truly loves its own people. Unfortunately, so far we are only hearing the
pompous and impotent cries of holy men (almost always men) rallying around the
useless cries of lost moral values. The
word justice, other than for the return of their Rolex watches, never crosses
their lips. A true prophet however,
would move his or her wealth blessing into the city, and leave its profit as a
prophetic witness to the struggle of equity for the poor, and the young men who
no longer see hope in wealth.
