Shaun Groves
Larry King is on in the Atlanta airport. He’s just asked Rev. Creflo Dollar, under investigation by Congress for using his tax exempt status to get rich, a wonderfully precisely powerful question: Do you ever, Doctor Dollar, [think] you should spend anything lavish on yourself, as long as some people are without?
Doctor Dollar answers, “What’s your question again?”
“Do you ever think why should I spend lavishly on myself when there
are some people who don’t have anything? That’s not God’s message I
don’t think,” Larry says.
Without hesitation, Dr. Dollar answers, “The Bible says, Jesus said, the poor you will have with you
always. “*
Earlier today I spoke at a gathering of Kanakuk staff. Before today, when I thought of Kanakuk, I thought of sports themed camps run by Christians and attended primarily by white wealthy athletic popular kids – the kind who gave me wedgies in middle school. When I asked if that perception was correct and deliberate today I was told by a senior staffer that it was. Because it’s believed that the rich athlete is more likely to be a leader at his/her school and in life, Kanakuk has aimed its programs over the years at him/her, hoping to change schools and communities by changing their leaders. Kanakuk has undeniably changed many rich young athletes positively and permanently.
But Kanakuk has diversified in recent years, I was told today. Kanakuk now busses inner city kids, entire groups of them, to some of their camps to attend for free. Not with the rich white kids…yet…but, hey, it’s a start. These inner city kids get to have fun, eat well, sleep well and be loved on by Kanakuk staff for a week. This kind of investment makes sense, recognizing that historically influence, movements and revolutions have often begun at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. In mangers, for instance.
Yes, we will always have the poor, Rev. Dollar. And as long as we have the poor, we have the opportunity to recognize their potential, and God’s proclivity to use them, and invest accordingly.
James Vander Woude says:
An astonishing, and revealing, response from Mr. Dollar. Not a great summation of Jesus’ words on the poor. But I need to be watching what I do with my own money. I’m certainly not giving it to Mr. $
cool dad says:
Happy New Year, Shaun. This may not be theologically sound, but something tells me that people like Creflo is why we’ll always have the poor.
sick of it all says:
There’s no nice way to say it. Dollar and all those like him are the scum of the earth. What a complete asshole.
Stephen @ Rebelling Against Indifference says:
Some friends of mine, Dave and JJ Heller, have a great song, Little Things, on their new CD, that looks at it a little differently from the Rev. Dollar:
I’ll be praying for the widow all alone
Sewing clothes for a loaf of bread
It is not my fault that she is hungry
It’s my joy to make sure she’s fed
Debra says:
Thinking like the Rev. is way too normal.
“Yes, we will always have the poor, Rev. Dollar. And as long as we have the poor, we have the opportunity to recognize their potential, and God’s proclivity to use them, and invest accordingly.”
…I couldn’t agree more.
aaron says:
Thank God for the poor. They often show me what it means to truly rely on God. I long to be poor!
Rachel says:
Good words, Shaun. Something about Larry King and embattled televangelists just doesn’t mix well. I’ve been inevitably caught up in the middle of a lot of these things, and the only thing I can say for certain is that God is holy, righteous, just and faithful beyond anything I could even imagine. He’s the One that makes things right, and I’m pretty glad it’s ultimately up to Him and not some senator or governmental system.
Andrew Cos- says:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.gene-scott/browse_thread/thread/d1fc0a73e4df9c9f
Above is a link to the transcript from this particular Larry King episode. It’s good to look at everything in context.
Dr. Dollar does make a good point using the “poor always among us” quote, which cannot be taken out of context, both from what Jesus was saying and what this pastor is saying.
Jesus noted that as long as the Curse is upon this earth there will be folks in need. Thus, every penny we make does not HAVE to be given to the poor.
Dr. Dollar seems to be making this same point.
We live in a world with so many injustices, and sure we should be working to bring about change any ways we can. But we by ourselves will not ever bring about complete justice. “The poor will always be among you.” We must live in this injust world regardless, waiting for the coming Day when Justice shall return.
We would starve if we never ate because someone somewhere didn’t have food (and so many don’t). We would ever be naked because someone somewhere does not have clothing either. . .etc.
We are given resources by God to use wisely. Shaun’s right on: “Invest accordingly.”
Now maybe it does rub us wrong that a pastor is “getting rich” via church tax exemption, but he also claims that his church gives millions of dollars to those without, purchasing homes and cars for people, etc. He’s using his position and prosperity to be a voice for the poor. Each of us has this responsibility, each with our own position and our own prosperity.
As much grace as we need for when we aren’t doing that well we ought to extend to every brother as well, including Dr. Creflo Dollar.
Sure, we have our preferences for how much money a church and a pastor should have, and I don’t completely agree with Dr. Dollar that God wants us to be happy and prosperous, but that He wants for us to be holy and glorify Him through that. Those other blessings come with that, and in ways perhaps different than we think or expect.
Sorry for such a long comment. I just didn’t want folks reading all these comments to look so one-sidedly at this important issue.
Read this for some more perspective: http://www.burnsidewriterscollective.com/social/2007/12/editors_note_this_modern_psalm.php
Shaun Groves says:
Andrew, I don’t think anyone’s in danger of starving themselves in order to help the “poor.” Admittedly, that would be foolish. Larry King wasn’t suggesting that Rev. Dollar starve himself either. He was suggesting that he, a Reverend, not spend lavishly on himself, as defined by Mr. King, (more than one home, multiple luxury homes, etc) in order to be more like the Christ he preaches. That’s what I took away from it anyway. Larry King seemed to think the message of Christ is incongruent with Dollar’s admitted lifestyle. That’s Larry’s criticism and not mine, but it got me thinking.
Thanks for the transcript link. I was listening in a busy airport with a lot of distractions so it’s good to read what I missed. I don’t think, however, that even in context Reverend Dollar’s comments sit any better with me – I don’t think I misunderstood him and his position at all. In fact, I’m changing my post now, adding the exact quotes from the transcript because, if anything, I think the exact quotes make the point better than my recollections.
For the record I never, in my post, said anything about Rev. Dollar’s spending habits or lifestyle. I quoted him quoting Jesus and then reinterpreted those words of Jesus as an opportunity to invest in the poor and not an exemption from doing so. That in no way says specifically how much cash any of us should keep or give.
Shaun Groves says:
Andrew, I also added the transcript link to the post to avoid any one-sidedness.
Anything else you think needs to be amended to more accurately represent Mr. Dollar?
Andrew Cos- says:
Thanks for the thoughtful response, Shaun. Hopefully my comments didn’t appear attacking of you or anyone else on here. That’d certainly be opposite my intentions.
Starving yourself, etc. is a rather ridiculous extreme, but man, it’s kinda rough figuring out what kind of line there is, ya know?
I can feel guilty for walking by all the beggars when I visit a big city, and going to eat in the very restaurant they’re sitting outside of. But I cannot feed them all, so is guilt a wrong reaction? If I’m donating to charities that feed people, can I not feel guilty about the dudes outside as I eat? How nice of a restaurant can I eat at before it’s too lavish? What kinds of cars cross that lavish line? Multiple homes do seem lavish indeed, but does a small summer cottage on the beach count? I know it sounds kinda goofy, but that’s why I’m working through this stuff, with not much conclusiveness thus far.
I appreciate that you are, too, and using your platform as an artist to voice your concerns. That’s it right there! That’s Christian. Using your position to be voice for the poor.
Any further thoughts for this discussion from you and anyone else reading would be great!
Bless you, brother.
Thanks for your music and your heart.
Andrew Cos- says:
Oh, I think your post does quite well representing him.
A couple of the comments, unfortunately. . . (C’mon, let’s avoid the namecalling, folks.)