The Secret

by Kirk M. Wellum @ ttp://redeemingthetime.blogspot.com

Mel Lawrence, senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, has written an excellent little critique of "The Secret" edited by Rhonda Byrne. It can be found here on the Christianity Today website. For those of you who have not heard of "The Secret," it is a book that flew off the shelves after being recommended by none other than Oprah, whose blessing almost guarantees a buying frenzy among the blissfully ignorant. The book claims that the secret of success (what else) is universally accessible in everything from ancient Babylonian religion to Buddhism to Albert Einstein. What is the secret you ask? Basically that thoughts are magnetic and when released into the universe they return to us bringing what we desire attached to them. It is the law of attraction in action so if we think about wealth we will become wealthy, if we think about health we will be healthy, and so on ad nauseam.

But is this really "the secret" or just a whopping lie? Isn't this the sort of thing that the "ruler of this world" has been telling foolish human beings since the beginning of time? Surely this is nothing more than the old demonic deception that you are at the centre of the universe and it revolves around you. Never mind living for God and his glory, never mind that the logical implication of the secret is that you are responsible for your poverty, your sickness, your lack of fulfillment or whatever else is not going the way you would like. It is the message that you are sovereign and you can get what you want if you only know how to manipulate the powers of the universe. Good grief! Are we really this dumb after all these years!

Lawrence quotes Professor Robert Thompson of Syracuse University who says: "The Secret promises this heaven on Earth in one fell swoop by simply desiring something, by simply wanting it. It's amazing how we really are a nation of, at best, great optimists, at worst, real suckers." That sums it up perfectly especially if we add that we are a nation of rebellious sinners who listen to the so-called wisdom of this world rather than the wisdom of God that is found in Jesus Christ.

The really sad thing is that many "Christians" will read the book and think it is wonderful. They will not see that it is a radical departure from the word of God and they will not quickly identify the erroneous reasoning. Following Jesus is never easy, and some of the most devoted Christians have suffered the loss of all things including life itself, not because they did not know the law of attraction but because they followed him who is the way, the truth and the life. Although considered fools by this world and unlikely to gain the approbation of television's egomaniacs, false prophets and the foolish crowds who hang on their every word, in the end it will be revealed to all that those who followed the Lamb wherever he goes knew what really matters.