Who Are the Beautiful People?

I have been mulling something around in my mind for several days now--a spin-off from conversation  concerning what has become known in Christian theology as the "prosperity teaching."  I believe it is referred to in secular circles as "The Secret." I've observed the growth of this whole idea during my now-quite-long sojourn in different sections of the Christian community, and it seems to have morphed--from what used to be a fairly sensible teaching on the positive power of faith, into what some tongue-in-cheek wags have dubbed the BLAB IT AND GRAB IT theory.  In its most jubilant, banner-waving form, this theology/philosophy appears to be urging us as follows:  "God says He wants us to PROSPER!  Do you want a 15-room house? a maid? a gardener? a Rolls Royce? Decide what you want and CLAIM IT! Why should a child of the King have to dress shabbily and eat macaroni and live across the tracks?  In fact, why should you ever get sick, work at a hard job, or indeed have ANY problems at all on your way to Heaven?"

There are a kind of "Beautiful People" one sees propounding this attractive theory.  I realize this is a stereotype, but vizualise the pastor of a totally prosperous mega-church, married to a beauty queen, with three or four children all on the honor roll at school.  It has been possible for them to accumulate unto themselves money, possessions, and popularity.  Oh, yes, and this family has all those things you think you want.  Now you are being told you can be as smart, as rich, and, yes, as BEAUTIFUL--as they are!  God WANTS this for you.  You may react as did my friend Sally.  Sally was a single, middle-aged gal who owned a decent-enough mobile home in a semi-respectable mobile court.  She worked as a very good attendant in an assisted-living complex.  She loved gardening, crocheting and trying special recipes.  By dint of hard work and careful stewardship, she had kept her financial affairs stable.  But she'd always wanted a big, beautiful house and garden.  Now that Rev. Jones said God had given him those things and could prosper everyone, she was going to expect the same, she said triumphantly!

As you may readily enough guess, Sally failed in her ambition and no longer attends the church where she got those ideas. She's going to a small, loving church where she furnishes rides in her car to other ladies.  She is retired from her job now, and participates in many senior activities out in the community, as well.  She might wax a bit sarcastic if you asked her about Rev. Jones and the prosperity teaching.  I don't know; we don't discuss it.  We go to the same little church Sally does.  The pastor and his congregation are indeed beautiful people, but not because they are rich, famous or liberally endowed with houses and lands.  We think they are beautiful because of their unconditional love.  God's love is unconditional, too, by the way--that's why He knows it would not be kind, after all, to give us everything we want!"