Oprah

Everyone knows Oprah Winfrey. She has one of the most watched television shows of all time. She is kind, funny, and generous. Oprah has developed a spirituality over the years that is worrying some Christian leaders. She has started recommending books, holding seminars and interviewing guests that some Christian leaders categorize as "new age."

New Age. What does that mean? For some, it is an ecclectic spirituality that may include a random collection of things from many religious backgrounds. Sort of an "age of aquarius" approach to spirituality. For other Christian leaders, anything can be branded as new age that they do not agree with.

Let me be clear. We are Christians. We find a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. But let me also be clear. The Christian church has elements of both Western and Eastern culture. The first split in the Christian church took place in 1054 between the Eastern and Western models of Christianity. The "Western" thinkers continued on as the Catholic church. The "Eastern" branch of the church is represented by the Greek and Russian orthodox churches among others.

My point is this. There are many approaches to the Christian faith that Americans have never heard of. We are grounded almost exclusively in Western Christianity. Just because something is different than what we have learned, does not make it new age, does not make it evil or demonic.

Now, having said that, we need to be very careful about what we are reading. There is some dangerous stuff out there. You are not a god, you are a created being. There is no magic potion in life that will make all good things come to you. Just because it was recommended by Oprah, Max Lucado, or Jeff Brinkman does not mean that it contains 100% truth. Infact, I don't know of any writer that I agree with 100% of the time. Christians need to remember that we are followers of Christ. We may read and appreciate some other ideas, but the suffering and death of Jesus Christ is the act that brings redeeming grace into our lives.

Be wise as a serpent, but harmless as a dove.

it's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.