Guest Author - BettyAnn Schmidt

Lots of talk, negative and positive, about Oprah’s current book pick. Someone said she wasn’t going to watch Oprah again because of her “paranormal” book. She's criticized as a false prophet.

What’s the book about? I honestly didn't want to read it. Too many other books. But I did and marked what I consider errors in the margins, and then grew weary of the book before the end of chapter 1 because it's all old stuff to me.

Yes, people are egotistic. We are pitiful. And, yes, that's why we have wars, we murder, we steal, rape, abuse. Some of us. Some of us do other things equally as sinful in God's eyes. If we have the conscious thought, Jesus said we've already done it.

Some of us find the Way early on. Some of us find the Way later in life. Unfortunately, some never do. Eckhart Tolle in his book believes there are many ways. I received an email last night with a link to a video of “Oprah's Church," meaning the huge mass of people following her in reading this book. A young woman stood in the audience and said, "There is only one way." Oprah insisted, no, there "has" to be other ways. What about someone who might need a different way? The girl repeated. "There's only one way."

Here's the problem. People can't handle simple. One way? That's too easy. They need more than that. Life's so hectic, so challenging, so hurtful, so complicated. How can there be just one simple way?

Jesus loved the "poor in spirit." Tolle says in his book that the poor in spirit are people who don’t have any "baggage," other agendas I guess, something like that. I don’t know. I think Jesus meant those who’ve had their spirits hurt or just feel bad, like me when I suffer depression. Jesus’ words offer so much hope. To the sick, the lame, the lowly people, the uneducated. He detested what the highly schooled and arrogant teachers of the law were doing to the people. He told them so. He made it simple for the simple folks.

A New Earth takes a huge proportion of its references, its bibliography, from Scripture. One of the chapters is "The Peace That Passes All Understanding." We already know that peace. Paul said, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:23 NSV.

All the talk about "ego" in Tolle's book. Rick Warren's first sentence in Chapter 1, on page 17, of _The Purpose Driven Life_ reads: "It's not about you." I had to keep reading. That's what writers call "the hook." What do you mean, it's not about me?

Surprisingly, I don't think Rick Warren was on the Oprah show. Maybe he was and I missed it.

Yet, A New Earth has people speaking out in droves about "aha moments,” their enlightenment.

I love Oprah. I'm not going to tune her off my TV because of this book. My faith is strong enough to handle books like this. There's been many, and there'll be many more. Oprah’s done more good for this world and used her money in so many humane and Godlike ways. That's why I love her. That's why so many others love her. She's intelligent, witty. But she is not a preacher of the Gospel. To my eyes, she is searching, herself, for answers and leading others along after her. This will go away. There will be other books we won’t agree with.

The "gates of hell" cannot come against the church and win. Jesus said that, and it still holds true. The gates of hell cannot prevail. It's truth. And it's simple.

Buy the book if you're interested. If you're like me, you'll be bored. Let me know what you think in the forum. Until then, keep reading...