Thursday, April 30, 2009

What's a martyr?

So, last night I was watching Mythbusters. Then I went to bed. This means that this morning when I turned on the TV, Joyce Meyers, one of the horde of so-called Christian Prosperity folks, was on the paid programming on Discovery. What did I learn in the 10 seconds that it took me to find the TV remote?

1. Too many people don't spend money on themselves.
2. If you don't take care of yourself, you are a martyr.
3. A martyr is someone who suffers and complains about it.

Now, anyone with a passing knowledge of Early Church History sees the complete and utter disconnect between this and the Church. When have people in the Church ever so completely tanked the word Martyr - our word. The Martyrs were the "witnesses" - those who bore witness (which is the Greek word from which we get "Martyr"), even to the point of death - not lamenting their situation but loudly and publicly praising God.

One of these things is not like the others. . . where the others are the whole of Christendom in all times and all places.

2 comments:

Christopher D. Hall said...

The scary thing is people--people we know and love--watch her and others.

Rev. Eric J Brown said...

There are times when I might counsel someone to go out, relax, have a good night out doing something they enjoy. . . but as a means of refreshing themselves so they can be prepared to show love.

I don't think she meant it that way though.

There are times when I have told people to not whine so much, to not be so showy about their sufferings.

I don't think she meant it that way though.

Ah well.