Oprah & Eckhart

By now you have probably seen the u-tube video being circulated about Oprah Winfrey's fascination with New Age guru Eckhart Tolle. Apparently, Oprah has become completely immersed in Tolle's "A New Earth" teachings. From what I have read and seen, Tolle's teachings seem pretty close to the ancient Gnostic teachings that we see the Biblical authors writing against. So why does this stuff seem to find traction in almost every generation? The appeal of Tolle's teachings is that it promotes the idea that you can overcome negative patterns of thinking and rise above the pain and suffering of life. That is an attractive message! Who wouldn't want to have an existence that is free from pain and suffering. Tolle teaches that we can arrive at this "higher consciousness" through meditation and introspection. The idea of an after-life is discouraged by Tolle. He flippantly answers Oprah's question, "What do you think about life after death?" with "I don't think much about it at all." All of these ideas are found in the basic tenets of Gnosticism. So it is an old message finding new proponents. With Oprah's vast media empire and deep pockets, expect this to gain some "celebrity" backing.

So how do we respond? First, we should not be surprised. We are told in Scripture that false teachers and destructive heresies would come. It is just one more reminder that we live in a fallen world that is screaming for redemption! Second, now is the time, more than ever, for Christians to LIVE the message of Christ. Bashing Oprah & Tolle only play into their scheme. Christians should respond by showing our world the meaning of love. God's love for man is so much greater than any love than man could demonstrate. As we reflect God's compassion to mankind, we will show the world that God is not just interested in their eternal destination (though He really does care about that deeply!). He cares very much about their lives now and desires to have a relationship with them now! Third, and perhaps more importantly, we need to pray for Oprah. By her own admission she grew up in a Christian church. She says that one day during a sermon about the "Almighty nature of God" the pastor talked about God being a jealous God. She says this struck her as "funny". How could an "Almighty God" be jealous? This began the questioning that led her to Tolle. We need to pray that Oprah comes to understand that it is God's intense love for her that motivates God's feelings of jealousy. God wants a relationship with Oprah unhindered by false gods and competitors. He wants the same for all of us! Let's all pray that Oprah turns away from this error and turns back to 'THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life", Jesus Christ!