On TD Jakes: Why Calling Out Pastors Is an Act of Love

Bringing Things to Remembrance

#FaithAndReflection | #MolueMonologue | #DonKenobi

When faith fades into slogans and the Gospel slips from memory,

What remains? Using TD Jakes as a lightning rod — 

he calls on believers to bring things to remembrance,

return to prayer, rediscover the Gospel, and confront false teachings 

with courage and truth.

A Memory I Cannot Shake

I recall a particular lady.
She blocked me because of this—or some other post—in which I was critical of T.D. Jakes.

I had written:

As America burns,
This Ibo man pretends he’s sleeping.
Thinking only of himself…

TD Jakes, as you know, is descended from the Igbo-speaking peoples of West Africa—
which I am proud to say is my own tribe.

Fast forward.

What has happened to TD Jakes since then is, frankly, heartbreaking.

(Sometimes our best friends are those who look us in the eyes and tell us things we hate to hear.)

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An Angry Rebuke—and a Fair One

To be fair to that lady—though her tone was angry—she offered a challenge:

Why don’t you send this directly to him? He reads them.

“If you love him that much, you could forward it yourself,” I thought.

Shortly after that exchange, I came across the counterfoil of a cheque I had written to his ministry.

I was stunned by the amount.

I have no regrets about that.
I mention it only to make this point:

Much is expected from those who receive much.
And this includes far more than money.

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The Bishop’s Circle, and the Poverty of Friendship

I was also, at one time, a member of the BC (Bishop’s Circle).

All it required was a lump sum.

Not once was I asked to do anything remotely resembling what a true circle of friends ought to do for their principal—
namely, tell him the truth.

Friends:
Tell your pastors the truth. Stop being hypocrites.

They need your guidance as much as you need theirs.

And pastors:
Tell your congregations the truth—especially about your struggles.

They need you to stand upright as much as you need them to.

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Truth, Remembrance, and Neglect

But then again—
how can we tell ourselves the truth if we do not study the truth,
live by the truth,
strive for the truth,
and seek it diligently?

How can we know truth at all
if we make no effort to remember it?

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A Line from a Draft I Cannot Let Go

I have a monologue—or perhaps a dialogue—in one of my drafts.

The protagonist is asked:

“What should we do when we speak to people who insist on following false teachings?”

He replies:

“Make a prayer-bead.”

(I was careful to avoid the term Rosary.)

He continues:

“Say any combination of prayers you want—anything that brings parts of the Gospel to remembrance.”

I must explore this theme further—
if only I can find the draft.

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When Memory Fails, Slogans Take Over

Here is the truth:

When we have nothing in remembrance—
and that “nothing” diminishes with time—
the only things left to remember are meaningless phrases.

TD Jakes was a master of these.

Phrases like:

• “Too blessed to be stressed.”

• “Too anointed to be disappointed.”

Really?

More blessed than Peter, Paul, or James?
More blessed than Stephen, martyred in Jerusalem?
More blessed than Athanasius of Alexandria, dethroned six times and reinstated seven?

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Christ Was Stressed. Christ Was Disappointed.

Jesus Christ was stressed in Gethsemane as He prayed.

He was disappointed—however fleetingly—
when He cried out:

“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”

He was disappointed in His disciples—
slow to understand, slow to believe.

(Interestingly, He showed little or no disappointment at being betrayed.)

The temptation to digress is great—
but I shall resist.

Where was I?

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Daily Remembrance as Discipline

Ah yes.

Bringing the Gospel to remembrance daily—as part of prayer.

For me, the Rosary does this.

Though, truth be told, I once became worried that I no longer had deep conversations with God.

I solved that by keeping a daily Holy Hour—
and it is the best thing you can do for your spiritual life.

I begin with one or two Gregorian hymns.
Then I speak with the Lord.

These days, it is mostly a monologue—
me complaining about exhaustion.

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Why I Am Exhausted

Let me be honest.

I am exhausted.

Why?

Because Christianity is under attack.

And the ones attacking it are often the very people who claim they want to send “mercenaries” to Nigeria to save Christians.

It is absurd—
like carrying an empty bag and trying to sell the goods inside it.

They traverse mountains and seas announcing their mission to save Nigerian Christians—
while their own hearts remain unsaved.

---

Christ Saw This Coming

Hear our Lord:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You traverse land and sea to win a single convert,
and when he becomes one,
you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.”
— Matthew 23:15

Point made.

But the next verse must also be remembered:

“Woe to you, blind guides!
You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing;
but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’”
— Matthew 23:16

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A Taxi Ride in Luton

Just last Sunday, in Luton, I said to a Muslim taxi driver—born in England:

“Evangelicals are not Christians. Period.”

He inhaled deeply.

“No wonder,” he said.

He had long wondered why the teachings of Jesus did not match the behaviour of those who claimed His name.

“They are not Christians,” I repeated.

“I’ve learned something new,” he said.

I explained that Christianity lacks a tradition of issuing fatwas.
Otherwise, many so-called evangelicals would have received them for blasphemy and heresy.

I made his day.

“I’m exhausted too,” I told him.
“It is exhausting.”

“If pressed,” I added,
“I would rather convert to Islam than accept certain evangelical doctrines.”

“I thought all Christians hated Muslims,” he said.

“Now you know,” I replied.

We even spoke about Malcolm X—
whose father was a Baptist preacher,
who later converted to Islam,
and finally found the brotherhood he had long sought.

(The driver, interestingly, had harsh words for Elijah Muhammad.)

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Complaining to God

So yes—
I am often exhausted.

And I complain to the Lord.

He has not yet complained about my complaining.
But when He does, I suspect He will point me to this:

“Foxes have holes, and birds have nests…”

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Back to TD Jakes

Where was I?

Ah yes—TD Jakes.

What advice would I give him if he asked?

Drop all this.

(Yes, I hear he has handed the ministry to his daughter.)

Still—drop it all.

Begin catechism classes at the nearest Catholic parish.
Get reacquainted with your first love.

You once loved Christ differently than you do now.

Catechism will bring that love back—
to remembrance.

Then learn to pray.
Use prayer beads.
Bring as many facets of the Gospel to remembrance as possible.

The Creed helps—
whether the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed.
(I find myself mixing both involuntarily.)

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Full Disclosure

I am not a confirmed Catholic.

Baptised, yes. Confirmed, No.

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Conclusion: Bring It to Remembrance

Dear friends:

Bring things to remembrance.

That is how you will stand firm.

And boldly call out your pastor—
he needs your guidance as much as you need his.

Dear TD Jakes, I Still Love You

I rest my case.

Don Kenobi
#OldManInTheMolue | #MyFrancisEssays