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Why Is Joel Osteen Smiling From Ear-To-Ear Talking About The Tragedy?

There hasn’t been a lot of Media coverage over the shooting at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church.

Perhaps that’s because the injuries were few — so wonderful it wasn’t worse!

But perhaps it’s because this was the alleged shooter:

Joel Osteen Church Shooter Identified As Woman Previously Known As “Jeffrey”; “Free Palestine” Written On Gun

In any event, I want to talk about something that caught my eye as very strange about the event.

I'm not making any claims or suggesting anything nefarious is going on, I'm just pointing out one simple point and that is Joel Osteen sure was smiling a lot (beaming from ear-to-ear) during a press conference after the tragic shooting.

Take a look for yourself:

Backup here if needed:

Watching with the sound muted, you'd think he was responding to some big victory or winning some new award or something:

Look, I'll just say this....

We have no idea what's in his heart.

We also know that some people have a defense mechanism where they smile at inopportune times.  It's a real thing.  Have you ever known someone like that?  It's almost involuntary to them.

It could also be that he's just not that bright and he only has one default gear -- that million-watt smile.  And so he doesn't know what to do when he can't flash those chompers.

So I'm not ascribing any motive to it, I'm just saying it looks and feels really wrong.

It also reminds me of this from a place that rhymes with Candy Rook....

Anyone remember this?

Backup here:

Now scroll back up and read all my comments about Joel Osteen and apply them here.

I'm not ascribing any motive or saying anything nefarious is going on.

But man, that looks really, really bad.

Almost as if he cued up the sadness for when he thought the cameras were rolling.

I don't think I'd be smiling for a long, long time -- if ever -- if I had just lost a child.  I can't even imagine.

Then there was this lady who says with her mouth "It's very sad" while beaming another huge smile:

Then we had this...

Are they laughing or crying or what?  I can't tell.

Then there was this gem (real photo):

I simply report what I see and I'll leave it to you to decide what you think.

Grief takes MANY forms and MANY faces.

It is very possible each of these events is just grief manifesting in a strange way.

Now back to Osteen for a second....he says we don't know why bad things happen and he seems genuinely perplexed by how to speak about it, at one point saying "I'm kind of in a fog" but we know God is in control:

This is the danger of having a ministry that is a mile wide and an inch deep.

In times of tragedy, people look for answers and admitting you don't have any isn't great.

Allow me to jump in....

It's dangerous to say "God is in control" of all things as if he's up there pulling puppet strings.  Because then when bad things happen, it's unclear if he controlled it (if so, that's bad) or if he failed to control it (also bad).

Yes, God is supremely and sovereignly in control of everything in this Universe and beyond this Universe.

But in the midst of that sovereign control, he has done something wild and radical...he's given us Free Will.

He's also given us guardrails and rules to follow (hello, 10 Commandments!) but those are not always followed and we live in a sinful, fallen world.  And sometimes the result of that is something that goes against God's will for the world, but yet in the midst of being given Free Will is is allowed to happen.

That's why in the Lord's Prayer we are to pray for "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, here on Earth as it is in Heaven."

Why pray that way?

Because God's Will ISN'T always done here on Earth.

And this was one of those times.

The Bible is very clear, we have a choice to choose LIFE over DEATH:

  1. Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV): "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."
  2. Joshua 24:15 (NIV): "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
  3. John 5:24 (NIV): "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."
  4. John 10:10 (NIV): "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
  5. Romans 6:23 (NIV): "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

And implicit in that choice is the fact that not everything is currently done on Earth according to God's will.  Some people choose very badly.

We also have the promise from Romans 8:28 which promises that even in the bad things (like this!) God is constantly working those details for the good of those who love him:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

So there you go Joel, I hope that helps.

And perhaps for anyone in your church who is reading this and wasn't satisfied with your answer, I hope this helps them.


 

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