Eddie Long dead of cancer

…almost bought one of his satellite campuses in our area after the scandal decimated it. I toured it prior to our offer. The pastor’s suite was palatial. There was a garage inside the building where a Bentley was currently parked (He kept a car at each location). There was a private elevator that went up to his suite. The suite had quarters for his wife in addition to his 4,000 square foot office area which included a huge parlor with marble fireplace and museum quality furniture, a kitchen, a bedroom, a dining/conference room, private office, library, palatial bathroom, sauna — yes, a full sauna and more. On the walls hung pictures of him with every black celebrity I’ve ever heard of and multiple Presidents. It. Was. Nauseating.
We did not buy it, ftr.

Article is very interesting in that it more or less defends Long’s conspicuous consumption because he “earned” through book royalties and the like. Sadly, I’ve heard that from people in our fundagelical circles, too; that somehow it’s “OK” if you plausibly fairly earned it.

Given our temptations to covetousness, which Long certainly indulged, it might be better to say that we ought to subjecting our desires to other criteria like

• Does it help me do my profession and calling?
• Do I enjoy it more than I would enjoy a lesser item?

I’d argue that Long’s home, office, cars, and jet probably got in the way of him exercising his profession and helped lead to the situations that got him sued a few years back.

On the light side, maybe I’ve got some problems myself….since I own a sauna. Made it out of half my garden shed for about $1000. Great place to spend quality time with my wife. I defend it by noting my pastor is a Finnlander who grew up using his family sauna…. :^)

(does my car make up for it—1997 pickup?)