Yes, what bizarre times we’re living in, NewsBusters readers. One new example arose during Monday morning’s MSNBC Live when 11:00 a.m. Eastern host Craig Melvin ended a segment with Dallas, Texas-area pastor Bishop T.D. Jakes by having him lead viewers in prayer to “our Father and our God” and Jesus Christ for peace and safety amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Yes, Jakes mentions have cropped up a few times on NewsBusters over the years. And yes, he has plenty of critics who say he’s a preacher of the prosperity gospel and believer in modalism (which denies the existence of three distinct individuals/beings in the Trinity --- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit --- but rather that they're one and the same).
But in times like these, seeing prayer on a liberal cable network was a sight to see as people of all faiths rally together to provide hope for so many of us living in fear.
At the end of a six-minute plus discussion, Melvin told Jakes that they only had 30 seconds left, but he had a request: “For folks who aren't able to get to church yesterday, I've never actually done this on the air. Can you lead us in prayer for 30 seconds?”
Jakes obliged and, as Melvin bowed his head, Jakes prayed:
JAKES: Yes, I can. Our Father and our God, we bow our heads to you in humility, understanding that we are not competent in and of ourselves to handle this kind of global calamity. We look to you, Lord, to be the source, the strength, the help, the light that we need, strengthen our first responders, strengthen even our broadcast people, strengthen all of us whose lives have been devastated and disrupted and give us the peace that passes all understanding. In Christ's name we pray, amen.
MELVIN: Amen.
In a January 22, 2018 Facebook post, Melvin wrote about his interview with the website Simple Grace (which has since become a dead link): “I don’t talk about my faith often, but the folks at Simple Grace asked. Here’s part of what i [sic] told them. Feel free to share more about your faith journey.”
Rewinding to the beginning of the segment, Melvin stated that “[i]n times of crisis and in times of uncertainty, a lot of Americans turn to faith” or “religion for comfort and solace” even though “[i]t’s no longer practical to pray or gather in person as we know.”
He then played a few portions of Jakes’s message shared from yesterday’s streamed service:
There has been all this discussion about whether we should have church or whether we should be in a building or not and then talk about what would Jesus do. I don't know because Jesus never saw church. All of this stuff you made don't have nothing to do with the power of God. It's not about a building. It’s not about a building. It’s never been about a building.
Amen to that.
After Jakes explained what his church has been doing in light of the pandemic, Melvin asked what his “message” would be to viewers “who are scared,” “anxious,” “can’t sleep at night” and are feeling weighed down.
Over the course of his next two answers, Jakes had some great tips (such as not having your TV permanently fixed to cable news) and thoughts about how the American people have come together (click “expand”):
These are turbulent times and they're stressful for the very best of us and to say that they're not is just a misnomer all together. On the other hand, I think that we have to be careful about what our diet it as it relates to what we watch. We cannot watch a 24-hour news cycle 24 hours and expect to have peace of mind. Get the information, and then give your mind a break away from things like that. Spend some times with the kids that you normally don't get to spend times with. Check on the elderly who are shut in and isolated. Provide a schedule for yourself every day that makes you get up and get dressed and put on some clothes, get some sunshine. You've got to really fight back because if you don't fight back emotionally, the emotional fallout from this can be as devastating as the virus itself and may last for years to come. The PTSD from all of this could be amazing.
(….)
[I]t’s been beautiful. It's funny --- the oxymoron of bittersweet, one of the most horrific times I've ever seen in all my life and yet it's been very beautiful to see how the community has galvanized together. The vitriol has gone down, the rhetoric that proceeded the spirit has gone down, the tribalism between political arguments has kind of calmed down a bit, the racism, the sexism, all of that has begun to ---- to dissipate and we've begun to recognize a very important message, we're all in this together and we need to stick together and we're seeing that in Dallas….I think at the end of the day we're going to be alright.
Amen, again. Now, if only more in the press observed these tips.
To see the relevant transcript from March 30’s MSNBC Live with Craig Melvin, click “expand.”
MSNBC Live with Craig Melvin
March 30, 2020
11:14 a.m. EasternCRAIG MELVIN: In times of crisis and in times of uncertainty, a lot of Americans turn to faith. They turn to religion for comfort and solace. It's no longer practical to pray or gather in person as we know. I want to bring in Bishop T.D. Jake. Bishop Jakes, of course, he is the founder and senior pastor of the potter's house in Dallas and bishop, always good to have you, sir, you chose to live stream your service on Sunday and for folks who missed it, I just want to play just a little bit of the message that you preached for viewers and our listeners on Sirius Satellite Radio.
TD JAKES: There has been all this discussion about whether we should have church or whether we should be in a building or not and then talk about what would Jesus do. I don't know because Jesus never saw church. All of this stuff you made don't have nothing to do with the power of God. It's not about a building. It’s not about a building. It’s never been about a building.
MELVIN: Bishop, you --- you say it's not about the building. How are you --- how are you bringing members of your congregation and folks who aren't members of your congregation, but people who just always appreciate and enjoy your message, how are you bringing them comfort right now?
JAKES: We have been streaming our messages for the last 12 or 15 years, but never have we seen the numbers that we're seeing now because it is our only option through which we can connect with them but in addition to that we're also going Facebook Lives, we're doing Instagram. We're doing everything possible just to communicate open help to people, but to people in need. In addition to doing social media and those types of things that kind of bring a warmth and really --- people underestimate the faith community's ability to provide an ecosystem for community that keeps them from becoming enflared and enraged in times of emotional pressure. But we've also done practical things like feeding kids who are out of school now and the school meal was the only meal they had to eat. We've been feeding first responders who are working night shifts and the hospital cafeteria is closed and in Dallas all of our restaurants are closed. So, that makes some of those working hardest to keep people alive shouldn't have to worry about finding something to eat. We've sent thousands and thousands of meals into hospitals all over the city and we're continuing to do the work of the Lord the best we can in the circumstances we're in.
MELVIN: Bishop, there are --- there are so many people who are watching and listening who are scared, who are anxious. They can't sleep at night. They have a hard time functioning throughout the day because they're just so worried. What's your message to those people who are watching and listening right now? How can we find peace and solace?
JAKES: These are turbulent times and they're stressful for the very best of us and to say that they're not is just a misnomer all together. On the other hand, I think that we have to be careful about what our diet it as it relates to what we watch. We cannot watch a 24-hour news cycle 24 hours and expect to have peace of mind. Get the information, and then give your mind a break away from things like that. Spend some times with the kids that you normally don't get to spend times with. Check on the elderly who are shut in and isolated. Provide a schedule for yourself every day that makes you get up and get dressed and put on some clothes, get some sunshine. You've got to really fight back because if you don't fight back emotionally, the emotional fallout from this can be as devastating as the virus itself and may last for years to come. The PTSD from all of this could be amazing.
MELVIN: We saw Samaritans Purse setting up that field hospital in Central Park. I saw the video of your church providing those meals for first responders there in Dallas and health care workers in that area. We are seeing members of the faith community all over this country spring into action to help their neighbors. How are people there in Dallas specifically banding together in this --- this time of crisis?
JAKES: You know, that's --- it's been beautiful. It's funny --- the oxymoron of bittersweet, one of the most horrific times I've ever seen in all my life and yet it's been very beautiful to see how the community has galvanized together. The vitriol has gone down, the rhetoric that proceeded the spirit has gone down, the tribalism between political arguments has kind of calmed down a bit, the racism, the sexism, all of that has begun to ---- to dissipate and we've begun to recognize a very important message, we're all in this together and we need to stick together and we're seeing that in Dallas. We've had good leadership in our city and in our state that's made some tough decisions, shut down some things, did not spare the economy because the priority was the humanity and they were good choices and hard choices. But we're --- we’re making it and I think at the end of the day we're going to be alright.
MELVIN: Bishop, 30 seconds. For folks who aren't able to get to church yesterday, I've never actually done this on the air. Can you lead us in prayer for 30 seconds?
JAKES: Yes, I can. Our Father and our God, we bow our heads to you in humility, understanding that we are not competent in and of ourselves to handle this kind of global calamity. We look to you, Lord, to be the source, the strength, the help, the light that we need, strengthen our first responders, strengthen even our broadcast people, strengthen all of us whose lives have been devastated and disrupted and give us the peace that passes all understanding. In Christ's name we pray, amen.
MELVIN: Amen. Bishop Jakes, always good to see you, sir, thank you.
JAKES: Thank you.
