Amen, Oprah... or Not?

I recently mentioned/questioned if there is anyone who is not fascinated by Oprah. With her personal triumph of rising from obscurity to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in the world, it's hard not to take notice, even if not necessarily a view of admiration.

Imagine my surprise, then, when today I discovered a USAToday article examining Winfrey's impact on her follower's spirituality.

Saint Oprah?
The premise of the article is that both Oprah's household name status and her message of self-improvement, introspection, and the eerily Olsteenish "live your best life" theme equal spiritual sermonizing. The article adds:

"In a November poll conducted at Beliefnet.com, a site that looks at how religions and spirituality intersect with popular culture, 33% of 6,600 respondents said Winfrey has had 'a more profound impact' on their spiritual lives than their clergypersons."

Should Christians be horrified? Or is it just a reality to be expected from our hero/icon worship culture?

Do We Hate Her?
Some Christians really are horrified. Stacy Harp, a Christian media blogger, is pretty upset about the issue. Her vehement attack almost makes me feel guilty for calling myself a Christian but yet not sending Oprah hate mail and burning effigies. But I just can't hate Oprah. I'm sure some of her positions are New Age-ish (though I'm not sure I know what that means--the term seems outdated, or is it just me?). But if easily swayed hero-seeking viewers latch on, it's not Oprah's fault... or is it? Should I lump Oprah in the same category as Ellen and the gang seeking to advance a non-Christian agenda through their mass media monopolies?

The "This Little Light" Concept
Ultimately, the article is further proof that we each have a spiritual affect on the people around us, whether we mean to or not. You are always a witness. It's just up to you whether or not you are a good witness.

High Wattage Bulb

"With 49 million viewers each week in the USA and more in the 122 other countries to which the show is distributed, Winfrey reaches more people in a TV day than most preachers can hope to reach in a lifetime of sermons."

Seeing that Oprah affects the spiritual decisions of people without even overtly trying reminds me that people of great influence have that much stronger of an impact on their circle. It should encourage us to develop ourselves as much as we can so our influence can be both extended and felt that much stonger by the people around us.

Cast Your Vote Now
Now admit it.... do you watch Oprah?