Oprah Winfrey,

in accepting the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at Sunday night's 54th Emmy

Awards, said, "We all just want to know that we matter. We want validation.

We want the same things. We want safety and we want a long life. We want

to find somebody to love." As I listened to Oprah's acceptance, I

was rightly impressed with its eloquence and her sincerity. Upon reflection,

however, I discovered one can be eloquent and yet not enlightened.

Indeed, all

of us want to know that we count, that we are valued by someone else.

Yet, Oprah can't invite the whole world to her television show and wrap

her arms around them and say, "You matter." Even with Dr. Phil's

help, Oprah just can't get the job done. It takes a real God to communicate

a sense of worth and importance to a world of hurting people.

I would amend

her remarks and say, "We all just want to know that we matter to

the one who made us and he has demonstrated how much we are worth to him

through his son, Jesus Christ. When we receive Christ and thereby accept

God's great love for us then we know that we know we are important. Not

until."

She said, "We

all want validation." Yes, the adulterer wants validation because

his legitimate mate is inadequate for the relationship. Therefore, his

behavior is valid. The thief seeks our validation because the economy

is unjust and he has a family to feed. The mother who beats her child

unmercifully wants validation because she had a bad day. I am not saying

that Oprah would ever approve any of the aforementioned circumstances,

but I believe there is a difference between validation and toleration.

Society cannot validate every lifestyle because there are some behaviors

which cannot be tolerated.

I would amend

her statement and say, "Yes, we all want validation and there is

a standard by which our lives can stand a test of validity, called the

Ten Commandments." The rich young ruler came to Jesus asking for

validation and Jesus told him his validation turned on liquidation and

giving to the poor. He walked away sad because he was very wealthy. The

truth is that for many folks validation will only come when there is a

major change in lifestyle and personal behavior. Otherwise, validation

simply becomes toleration.

"We want

safety and a long life," Oprah also observed. Well, 9/11 pretty well

demonstrated that we live in an unsafe world and long life is no guarantee.

From the very beginning we are told in the Bible that the world in which

we live is unsafe. Able discovered he was not even safe from the anger

of his brother Cain. Genuine safety can be assured only by him who is

author of life on both sides of death. Wouldn't it been so very refreshing

to hear a national television personality like Oprah say, "We all

want safety and we know the only true security we can have in this world

rests in God, our refuge in time of trouble."

But I suppose

I am asking too much of one who has to be politically and culturally correct.

I suppose I have to be satisfied when an acceptance speech has a hasty

reference that says, "I also want to thank God."

Finally, to

all Oprah fans, one final word: what else could you expect from a conservative,

evangelical minister? But that's the way I see it.

The Rev.

Dr. John Hatcher is pastor of

River's Edge Community Church

1091 South Jeff Davis Drive

Fayetteville, Georgia 30215

770-719-0303

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