I Love Oprah. Can You Say That Out Loud?

A few years ago when the movie, The Da Vinci Code was in theaters, I remember having a pizza party for my son at a restaurant in the same strip-mall as the movie theater, and having a woman enter the restaurant waiving Da Vinci Code flyers telling everyone not to see it because it was, according to her, anti-Christian.

At that time I felt so guilty and inconsiderate because not only am I a Christian, I try my best to be an obedient Christian. But I have to tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed both the movie and the book. The woman scolded me, “How could you see that?” She asked. According to her, all Christians had an obligation to boycott the movie, and protest in front of each theater. And I took what she said to heart.

I was really torn because it was just a silly fiction, but I guess there was a part of me that thought she was right. Was I helping to advance Satan’s kingdom by paying my good money to see the movie, and read the book? Hence, was my money fueling the media machine that misrepresents my God? Did it mean that I believed it, just because I watched it, or read it? I didn’t feel like I believed it. It hadn’t dawned on me to think of the movie or book beyond the mindless entertaining fiction it was. But if Jesus were with me, would he have wanted to see it? Would he be hurt that I read the book? Ultimately I knew without question that my belief in Christ hadn’t waivered as a result of experiencing a hypothetical fiction that supposes Jesus had a child and was married. I know what is written to me and for me, and what is put in my heart by Him. I know who saved me and who loves me beyond measure.

The woman told me that’s how Satan works: in subtle ways, sucking people in through popular media. Then I asked her what scene specifically she found threatening. She said, “I didn’t see it. Why would I see that?” She herself couldn’t defend Jesus beyond saying, “Just don’t see it.” I thought, “How can you fight the false rhetoric about Jesus if you don’t know what it is?” How could one intelligently defend Jesus if one hadn’t seen the movie or read the book? How lame is that - -to hide from Satan?

After several days of pondering the issue, I felt something urge me towards an intentional decision not to boycott, hide from, or otherwise protest influences that misrepresent Jesus without first fully understanding them. I concluded that not watching the Da Vinci Code as a form of activism would be tantamount to sticking my head in the sand.

Fast forward three years to Oprah. There are a lot of Christians calling for the boycott and/or protesting of Oprah because she has popularized a new surge of belief that there is more than one way to God than through Jesus (in a nutshell). The concern, of course, is for all the hundreds of thousands of Christians who have over several years come to rely on Oprah, look up to Oprah, and/or bond with Oprah via her talk show. To those Christians who, I guess, never thought twice about Oprah’s faith, and who feel betrayed by her now, Oprah is revealing herself to be quite the false idol. She has been like a friend to thousands of Christians throughout the world, and now is like the wolf wearing the sheep’s clothing - - the exact false idol that Jesus warns believers to look out for.

I don’t really understand the Oprah thing…never watched her, and I don’t read along with her book club. But I can tell you after receiving an email about Oprah last week…that I love her. And here’s why: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven.” (MT5:44); and: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (MT 22:39).

The emails flying around about Oprah with the theme, “Don’t Be Deceived!” do not seem very loving or constructive. They seem laden in fear, alarmist and un-thoughtful…lacking thought. Seems like any Christian who runs in fear of Oprah, tries to protest Oprah (especially without knowing the details of what they are protesting), or calls other Christians to boycott Oprah…AND then FAILS to call for compassion in loving her, praying for her, and focusing on God’s will for her, are just not Christians...they themselves are revealing something worse: false Christians.

I have faith that God will make her path straight (because, face it, at least God is the object of Oprah’s teaching – so He will meet her and I trust Him to do so), but in the mean time, we are called to pray for her, and commanded to LOVE her. Doesn’t mean we can’t be stern and convicted, but it does mean we should not perpetuate anger and fear.

Being loving in the face of deception, dealing with those who put down Jesus, and trying to protect people from Satan’s influences are all really hard to do using Jesus’ prescription. It’s not so much THAT we react, it’s HOW we react. These are the events that define us as Christians. So even though it is very difficult, and I would love to hop on the bandwagon of fear-mongering emails about Oprah, I cannot. I must say, pray, and believe that I love her. With Jesus’ command, I pray for her. With His command, I love her. Can you say that out loud?

Unremarkable

“And your parents?”

“They were unremarkable.”

“What do you mean, ‘unremarkable’?”

“Utterly unremarkable! They did nothing memorable.”

“What?”

“They were just there. They accomplished nothing like what I have done!”

“But they raised you. Surely you can remember something of significance.”

“No. Nothing!”

“Not a single thing?”

“My mother - she never worked that I can remember. My father he made nothing of himself. He was an accountant or school teacher or something.”

“Wow. Sad.”

“What is sad?”

“I just can’t believe that’s all you have to say. It’s sad.”

“What’s so sad? They're nothing! I'm published in five languages all over the world! I run the writing program for the university and I'm the managing editor of the literary journal. I've brought you a long way, too! Don't you think?”

“Far enough.”

“What?”

“Hearing you say that about your parents makes me realize what my worst nightmare would be: After stopping my whole life, sacrificing, switching gears to motherhood, falling in love with my kids, giving them all my heart and sole, devoting so much of my own identity to them – that in fact, proudly, my identity is them, only to have my own sons 40 years from now say that I was ‘unremarkable’. It’s a shame. I feel bad for your mom and dad who probably gave so much of themselves, and you don’t appreciate it.”

“Let’s stop talking about this.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve no interest any longer. More vodka!”

“No. Thank you.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’ve no interest any longer.”

An actual conversation with my mentor one night over Russian vodka. The realization of a false idol.