"It's the simple things in life that bring us the most joy. You may not have a lot of resources, but if you have family, you're blessed. If you have your health, you're blessed. If you can look up at the stars at night, you're blessed." - Joel Osteen
This shouldn't take too long. The above Tweet from mega-church heretic Joel Osteen as fractured the Internet. The reality is twofold. First of all, this Tweet is technically correct. Ironically, it may be one of the more truthful things Osteen has muttered. While we all would like God to bless us with winning the lottery, it often is the simpler things that should matter more because they are more attainable. Having the eyesight to see the stars and enjoy good health are definitely blessings we should be thankful for. All it takes is some slippage in your health to more fully realize this.
The problem however, is that Joel Osteen is possibly the worst herald for this message. Osteen is worth far in excess of 100 million dollars. Now, he does not take a salary from Lakewood Church but he does not need to because he gets his money from his followers through other avenues, such as book sales. He also still demands and collects tithes from his members but uses that money to maintain the mega church. Lakewood routinely takes in hundreds of thousands of dollars every weekend so it is a little rich, pun intended, for Joel Osteen to act as if money, or "resources" are somehow not a big deal. He just announced that Lakewood has now paid off the 100 million dollar loan the church took out. Let that put into perspective the Tweet from Osteen. As he is sitting on obscene amounts of money, he wants you to know that hey, money ain't everything.
The message is right. The messenger however, is not.
Reverend Anthony Wade - July 2, 2024
