Friday, April 4, 2008

Do We Need a "New Earth"?

You may know of Oprah's new book club book, A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. When I first heard the name I suspected that it was a new age book, and the more I heard about it the more my thoughts were confirmed. Now my disclaimer is this, I haven't read any parts of the book or participated in any of the online classes, so I admit my knowledge of the book is slim, but what I have seen and heard is disturbing. The video above gives a little insight into the book and its classes. While it might sensationalize the situation a little, the basic issues are of great importance.
I don't view this book as disturbing in itself, I view the way people are grasping onto it and believing it, simply because Oprah does as the disturbing factor. There will always be books, beliefs, and teachings out there that don't line-up with Christian beliefs, so making an argument against the book itself would be fruitless.
My main issue is how we, as Christians, handle a situation where other Christians and such a large part of our society are buying into this system of belief.
If you watch this video you see Oprah denying that Christ is the only way, something she did years ago. Oprah professes to be a Christian, and though we can't judge her heart, we can take the overflow of her heart as evidence to her beliefs. Denying that Christ is the only way is in direct opposition to the Bible ("Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'” John 8:12). From this and other evidences, we must seriously consider the source this book and these teachings come from.
In our current world full of political correctness and tolerance, we still can't be afraid or ashamed to stand-up and say that Jesus is the only way. As we say this, we must say it in love and know that not all will believe, but it is not our job to make others believe, our job is to proclaim the name of Christ Jesus.
I can see how it might be easy to slip into these teachings. They don't seem bad or harmful, and after all Oprah's a good person and professes to be a Christian. But we must constantly guard our hearts in this world that is constantly seeking to pull us away from the truth of Christ. We must “… hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful,” Hebrews 10:23.
I'm not saying boycott Oprah (I tried that during my senior year of high school, obviously not very successful). She has interesting people on her show and interesting topics, it doesn't hurt to watch her show. In fact it doesn't hurt to read the latest book. What does hurt is when Christians start to accept the teachings of anyone, and I mean anyone from Oprah, to Ghandi, from Billy Graham, to President Bush, over that of the Bible and Christ. We must diligently examine what we hear, read, and study and make sure it lines up with the teachings of Christ.
What am I saying? Guard your hearts, speak in love, and prepare yourself with prayer, scripture, and a community of faith. The Bible says Christians are waging a battle, and the hope is that we know who wins.

1 comment:

amanda said...

Thank you so much for posting that! I saw the video about a week ago and found it just as disturbing, and exactly for the reason you stated.

Hope you guys are doing well!