The flaw in the new-age law of attraction, prayers for supplications, and gospel of prosperity

Matthew 7:7-12. Ask and it will be given to you

“Ask and it will be given to you.”

I confess: I was a sucker for the new-age version of the so-called “law of attraction” (LOA). The “ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find…” verses have been used to justify LOA’s claim that a person merely has to think and intend good thoughts to manifest a good reality.

This is dangerous, because it places the burden of good things happening mostly on the “universe” or a Higher Power. I also disagree with the perspective that faith (without action) alone can save. (Enter irresponsible Christian anti-vaxxers claiming that faith in God alone is sufficient to eliminate the coronavirus! I’d much rather prefer the interpretation that God granted grace, intelligence, and wisdom to our medical doctors to come up with reasonably good vaccines against COVID-19!)

When we pray for supplications, I find it inauthentic to say: Lord, bring me success! Is it God’s responsibility to spoonfeed us so we can flourish? It’s more authentic to pray: Lord, if you will it, please grant me the wisdom and fortitude to overcome this challenge. Miracles happen through God’s mercy; but they are extraordinary, i.e., not normal. It is irresponsible to abandon personal agency and test God by burdening Him with removing our struggles.

A strong faith is an active faith; thoughts manifested through concrete works. Intelligent and reasonable insights validated through responsible action. The new-age law of attraction underplays the role of action in manifesting good intentions.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.”

Put another way:

“Love your neighbor.”

The golden rule is a way to operationalize the new commandments of Jesus through concrete actions.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 69: MARCH 10, 2022]

How can we know God’s will?

Matthew 6:7-15. The Lord’s Prayer

“In praying, do not babble.”

The most common prayers are the formulas. When we do pray spontaneously, we usually spend time asking for supplications — dictating to God what we want.

This is in contrast to the purpose of prayer: dialogue with God. Do we listen? Do we inquire? Do we ask what His will is?

Or do we impose our will and our preferred narratives?

If we spend time dictating instead of inquiring, how can we know God’s will?

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 67: MARCH 8, 2022]

Why does God allow temptations and suffering to exist?

Luke 4:1-13. The temptation of Jesus

The devil can quote the Scriptures, cite superficially, but bastardize the meaning to lure us. This is why reflection and discernment is crucial, because the same words can be interpreted or misinterpreted, and this can lead to both good and bad.

For the sake of convenience, we rely on snap judgements and actions. Without reflection, we may not discover our unconscious biases and inadvertently promote systemic injustices even with our good intentions.

Another depiction or characterization of Satan is that of an “adversary”, which somewhat resembles our appreciation of a “devil’s advocate” role in meetings or deliberations. Some scholars intepret the devil in the story of Job as a devil’s advocate, rather than the horrific and satanic monster that terrifies our imagination.

An “uncomfortable” insight I have on why God allows suffering and Satan is that somehow, a greater good can arise from these challenges. As readers, we better appreciate Jesus and Job’s fortitude as they overcome temptations and suffering.

Perhaps the invitation is to find our unique way of being authentic. We all have different strengths and flaws. The season of lent is a call to master ourselves or what Lonergan calls as self-appropriation — to gain insight of our tendencies, and how we can pursue virtues in our unique ways, suffering and temptations be damned.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 65: MARCH 6, 2022]

Including the marginalized

Luke 5:27-32. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners

In the classroom, it’s definitely easier to favor the already intelligent and the dilligent; those who actively recite, submit high-quality learning outputs, and seek high-impact consultation sessions. Maybe my own bias can be expressed this way: why let my concern for non-performing students steal opportunities from those who seem to have more potential?

There’s something very gratifying in coaching motivated high-potential students, and maybe this was the feeling of Steve Kerr when he first coached the then-blooming Warriors in 2015. #StrengthInNumbers.

Yet, the Warriors system (inspired by the Spurs’ beautiful basketball that beat the Heatles in 2014) moved away from merely focusing on Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The system espoused ball movement, and Draymond Green said his initial puzzlement in a podcast hosted by JJ Redick: why move the ball around and reduce touches for the team stars?

Moving the ball around meant that even the non-stars got the opportunity to embrace their roles and earn their spots. It sparked energy to do good and embrace a sense of purpose beyond individual glory. With Curry being one of the most unselfish stars in basketball, the #StrengthInNumbers system allowed the Warriors to be a dynasty.

Why let my concern for non-performing students steal opportunities from those who seem to have more potential? Maybe this is precisely the vocation of a professor: to include the marginalized. To provide opportunities and light a fire in the unmotivated.

Perhaps in my frustrations, limitations, and immaturity, I fell to the trap of the “tyranny of the or”, preferring a certain segment over the other.

The message of lent is repentance, and God provides opportunities for lost sheep to seek Him. If I want to become like Christ as my Lourdesian education taught me, maybe I should embrace this mindset more. Provide opportunities, but do not spoonfeed.

In doing so, I pray that I can be more authentic in being a Lasallian educator: accompanying the least, the lost, and the last.


[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 63: MARCH 4, 2022]

Perception is real and the truth is not…?

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them

“Pictures or it didn’t happen.”

“Perception is real and the truth is not.”

Businesses spend millions on advertising and public relations, documenting their corporate philanthropy activities for the world to adore. Politicians spend millions (hopefully, private money and not public money) to campaign and produce highlight reels (hopefully, highlight “reals”).

In a sense, we live in a world where documentation and perception are very important. But the tragedy is when we reduce reality to mere perceptions, or hyperfocus on appearances without accounting for what may be unseen but remain true. It is easier to live in a world of appearances, perhaps because it’s easier to control and manufacture.

But is this the way we should live our lives? Chasing rewards?

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi had an insight about flow or being in the zone. This is when the activity is the reward in itself, akin to a performer losing one’s ego — becoming one with the act itself. How wonderful would it be if we could enter a state of “good flow”, as in, doing and being good for goodness’s sake?

… Could this be how we can approximate God as the True Good?

For Catholics, today is Ash Wednesday, and we show to the world a sign of our faith through the ashes on our foreheads. May we do this not for appearance’s sake, but for goodness’s sake.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 61: MARCH 2, 2022]