Last week, Joel Osteen, the nation’s most infamous spokesman for the prosperity gospel, treated the nation to a crash course in how a pastor should not respond to a major tragedy. Osteen, for those who don’t know, pastors Lakewood Church, which meets in a downtown Houston sanctuary that was once the Summit, home of the Houston Rockets. When Hurricane Harvey dumped gallons of rain on Houston, Osteen came under well-deserved fire for dragging his feet in allowing people to take shelter at Lakewood as the floodwaters rose.
On Wednesday’s edition of the “Today” show, he claimed that he didn’t step up because–wait for it–Houston officials didn’t ask him to do so. No, this isn’t snark. Watch here.
Osteen claimed that if city officials had asked his church to become a shelter, “we would have prepared for it.” Um, Joel? Any pastor worth his salt wouldn’t have waited for someone to ask him to pitch in.
That statement made Osteen’s claim that his church wasn’t safe in any event ring hollow. Amid Lakewood’s initial claims that the building was “inaccessible,” Houston resident James Hahn posted a video on Facebook showing that the area around the church was more than accessible. That video has been shared more than five million times.
Lakewood officials have since claimed that there was so much water inside the church that it was not viable as a shelter at the outset. a Lakewood spokesman told the Houston Chronicle that the water “almost spilled over Lakewood’s floodgate.” Even so, Osteen’s claim that he was merely waiting to be asked to help was the definition of tone-deafness. It that there was more he could have done to prepare that building to withstand the water–without having someone ask him to do so.
Well, on Sunday, Osteen added another line to that definition. A typical service at Lakewood packs in 16,000 people. But the two services this past Sunday drew between 1,000 and 1,200 worshipers. At the 8:30 service, Osteen defended his initial reluctance to open his sanctuary as a shelter. He contended that the water was within a foot of the floodgates–too close for comfort. By late Sunday, the waters started receding, and by Tuesday, they felt safe taking people in.
All understandable. But again, why did Osteen feel he had to wait for city officials to ask him to help? It makes it appear that he would be doing the city a favor. No, Joel. It’s basic decency. It cannot be repeated enough–a real pastor shouldn’t have to be asked to step up in a situation like this. And that’s especially true when you’re arguably the highest-profile pastor in your city.
According to the Chronicle, Osteen made a point of saying several times, “We’re not victims in Houston. We are victors.” On the surface, it sounds like a badly-needed dose of hope. Indeed, one churchgoer said after the service, “Sometimes, you need to hear that message.”
I’m a charismatic Christian, like Osteen. I get that. But I also know that you have to see things as they are before you can move forward. You can’t figure out how to fix your situation otherwise. Seen in that regard, Osteen’s message is unrealistic. Moreover, if Osteen hadn’t felt like he had to wait to be asked to help, more people in Houston might have been a few steps closer to victory. Apparently that hasn’t occurred to Osteen as of yet.
It initially appeared that Osteen had stepped in it 24 hours earlier, when social media lit up with reports that Osteen had his ushers pass around collection plates at a service for Harvey victims. But it appears that this was actually a regularly scheduled service; Lakewood usually holds a service on Saturday nights. That being said, Osteen has a lot to answer for regarding his handling of Harvey. His Sunday message just proved it.
(featured image courtesy Osteen’s Facebook)
