The good news is that Kong Hee's penthouse is back in the
market. The market price has increased to $11.5m, up 15% from $10m at the last
listing.
The luxurious suite of unimaginable comfort is huge. It's
5242 sq ft and co-owned by CHC's former senior pastor and his business partner,
Wahju Hanafi.
In other words, it's in their names, and
not the church's. That means that they have the power and rights to deal with
it as they please.
Now, you have to wonder how did Kong Hee
come up with the $17k every month to service the loan when he (and Hanafi) bought
it in 2007 for $9.33m?
I guess his pastor's monthly pay (and
savings accumulated as a pastor) must have been way above that monthly figure?
It's either that or he had big faith to believe in big things - and mind you,
both of which are not contradictory.
The prosperity gospel nevertheless teaches
you that material success is God's endorsement of your faithfulness to the call
of the ministry. It's therefore a blessing to be living it up.
But let's be clear, Kong Hee did preface it
by saying that it was meant to be a "temporary home" for the family
as they awaited the sale.
And considering that his is a small nucleus
family of only three, that is, himself, his wife and his son, (and maybe some
overseas guests once in a while), you have to ask yourself this, what do you do
with the extra space which works out to be $2,194 psf?
If you take a look at the breath-taking
view and the elegance of the exclusive suite, you would not be remiss to say
that if this is not heaven on earth, then nothing is and will ever be.
I guess this is the closest thing to
heavenly living on a supposed pastor's pay.
Lesson? Three.
I have three, and it's metaphorical. It has
nothing (or little) to do with Kong Hee, but it has to do with the state of the
megachurches today (and her leadership).
Nevertheless, I shall borrow from what the
ex-senior pastor said above to form the spine of my three lessons here.
1) The penthouse was co-owner by the pastor
and the businessman (that is, the church and the secular). The metaphorical
juxtaposition is ironic to say the least.
Jesus once said that you cannot serve two
masters. We are called to choose this day for whom we serve - either our Savour
or money, never both.
Now, there is nothing wrong with being rich
in the Lord - both materially and spiritually. For me, a Christian can be both
bountiful in wealth and in spirit.
For as long as his heart is right and
remains that way, no amount of money can sway him or her.
But the question is, should there be a
different yardstick for a pastor? Should there be a limit to his accumulation
of wealth? (Nobody is asking a full timer to eat sweet potatoes for the rest of
his ministry's shell life).
Hypothetically, what if a pastor, who is
called to serve in humility, crosses the billionaire dollar mark then?
If a pastor is a billionaire, is he an
example to be followed in the ways of bearing the cross and denying himself, or
it is an oxymoronic image that is jarring to the faith and belief? You answer
that.
If the road to full-time pastoral-ship is
one paved with earthly gold and worldly fame, it wouldn't be a sacrifice
anymore right? In fact, there would be a beeline for that coveted title where
you can both build your treasure on earth as well as in heaven (with the
people's money) right?
In that case, it's no longer a selfless
sacrifice, but an earthly privilege leading to a parallel calvary-lite life of
ever-increasing material endowment.
Can the bloody Cross be made any more
attractive, cost-less and glamorous?
2) Kong Hee assured the people that the
penthouse is just a "temporary home". This is another irony of
metaphorical proportions.
Jesus reminded us that this world is not
our home. Ours is a place eternal. It is not of this world for we may be in the
world but definitely not of it.
So, what do we make of megachurch pastors
like Joel Osteen and his ilk living in exclusive, gated mansions, flying around
in private jets or First Class on the tithes of the people's sweat and labour?
Now, is there a risk that we may along the
way of wealth accumulation reverse the order by living in such an extravagant
manner, that is, making what is temporary permanent and making what is
permanent temporary? Will our eternal hope then become a material one?
Alas, has there been a reconstruction works
done along "the narrow road" to broaden it so that we can accommodate
our theology of prosperity, blessing and good health in lieu of carrying the
cross, counting the costs and living for the lost?
And...
3) Kong Hee reminded us that the temporary
home is for his family (as he awaits the sale).
This last lesson reaches the zenith of the
metaphorical irony with this remark "it is for my family."
I wonder, in a megachurch context, who is
really one's family?
If the pastor is the lead shepherd and the
members are his flock, and the money entrusted to him is the people's hard
earned contribution to the expansion of God's kingdom on earth, does one's
family means the expansion of the estate for one's own immediate family with
the people's funds and then leaving the non-immediate family to rely on their
own faith as preached over the pulpit for the same bountiful blessings enjoyed
exclusively by the pastoral family?
My point here is obvious, and it is
encapsulated in this question: When is enough enough?
Is it thus a case where because I have so
much gathered under my outstanding church leadership ran in the same way as the
world's efficient methods that I therefore deserve more and can spend more for
my own family without guilt notwithstanding that a majority of my church family
(existing in the thousands) are struggling to make ends meet in such uncertain
times?
Alas, how is this different from a
pharaoh's mind-set as compared to my Saviour's mind-set, who considered all
that He had as nothing, gave everything to all, held no possession to His name,
possessed nothing at the Cross, died with love unconditional, and assured us He
has overcome not by mistaking the world for the eternal hope, but by making the
eternal hope the goal of Calvary?
So, however way you see it, the richest
gain in Calvary is not a stacking up of material wealth on earth, but a quiet
and determined sacrifice of one's life for another.
That's the true Shepherd's heart,
that is, a heart that owns nothing but in the end possesses everything. Cheerz.
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