I remember an article in Charisma Magazine over a decade ago in which Jamie Buckingham, God rest his soul, asked the question, “Would Jesus drive a Mercedes?” Looking at the present crop of Christian leaders gracing our televisions on a weekly basis I think Jamie asked the wrong question. Maybe his vision was too limited. Maybe he had too much trust in the goodness in man. Maybe he just did not live long enough to see where it was really going.
The question we should be asking is “Which private jet would Jesus fly?” I think we should get a new round of bracelets made with the initials WPJWJF. Suddenly we are covered up with Christian leaders who are spending literally fortunes flying their private jets around the world to share the Gospel with the poor and homeless.
I knew of a ministry that bought a jet. They needed it to get everywhere the work was taking them, including Europe. A trip to Europe in this jet cost $60,000 when jet fuel was less than $2.00 a gallon. That was just to get the jet to Europe and back. It did not include the cost of flying around while you were in Europe. It did not include the cost of golf outings in Scotland or other important ministry workings.
Why can’t we fly commercial like everyone but the rich and famous? Why can’t we spend our donor’s money better? Why do we suddenly feel that we are entitled to a better life? Why is our time so valuable that we cannot waste it being treated like regular human beings?
This is part of the celebrity culture that has invaded the Church. Instead of rightly discerning what Jesus would do we simply gave in to the lifestyle because it made us feel good.
If you want to fly in a private jet, then get your money the old fashioned way—earn it. That is at least a better way than bilking donors out of their hard earned money.
Maybe Flip Wilson was right all along—the devil made me do it.
Joel Thornton's Weblog 