Minister's Path of Miracles

April 4, 2009

But the Assemblies of God minister is watching President Obama warily. He opposes abortion and backed last year's California referendum that banned same-sex marriage, which puts him at odds with the new president. At the same time, Rodriguez has joined with more liberal religious leaders to embrace social justice goals and global warming initiatives, as well as to seek common ground on abortion by focusing on reducing the number of procedures.

The California-based Rodriguez is founder and president of the Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. Although he is known more for his political activism than his self-help advice, he has recently published "Path of Miracles: The Seven Life-Changing Principles That Lead to Purpose and Fulfillment."

He spoke recently to Washington Post religion reporter Jacqueline L. Salmon about his new book, faith in trying economic times and Obama's initial days in office.

In the interview, he said that when he was younger, he didn't see a connection between social activism and preaching. "At the time, I understood that they came from two different streams -- it was either church or society. Preachers shouldn't be involved in politics. As time went on, the emergence of that hybrid, that synergy, really came to fruition and here we are."

Q: Why did you write "Path of Miracles"?
A: I wanted to speak to the possibility and the assurance that, through our faith narrative, we can experience miracles on a daily basis. We've seen books written to the extreme; where it's all about confessions and material luxury -- getting richer and succeeding and formulas for success. I wanted to talk about miracles that deal with our daily lives and how we treat each other and how we can reconcile.

Q:In the book, you say that if you follow your principles "and you pray for a house, you're not going to get a house -- you'll get a house with a swimming pool in the backyard and a car out front." Aren't you preaching the prosperity gospel -- that God rewards the faithful with material prosperity?
A. Notice how throughout the rest of the book, there is no sort of emphasis on that sort of material wealth-acquisition process. What I wanted to say was that in life, if we follow these principles, there are some biblical laws, there are some natural laws ordained by God, depicted through scripture -- not only by the Bible but by many faith narratives, we will be able to do "exceedingly abundantly above all." [Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."]

In a simplistic way, it pertains to the house, but it has to do with a lot more than that. It has to do with relationships, our intrinsic self-assurance, our joy, our level of happiness, our level of self-satisfaction, our level of peace. That's more the message, rather than the house with the swimming pool.

Q:You were using the house with a swimming pool as a metaphor?
A: A metaphor for all aspects of our lives. Now, can the Lord bless you exceedingly, abundantly above all even as it pertains to a house? Absolutely. But it goes way beyond a house with a swimming pool. It's a metaphor for "exceedingly abundantly above all."

Q:Since we're in a dark time for our country economically, you put some words of wisdom in your book about how to deal with those times.
A. Dark times, I believe, present unprecedented opportunities to succeed, to activate faith, to depend on God's sovereignty and his provision. We have this overly secular, humanist mind-set that we can do all things, period. Not that we can do all things with God or through God or in Christ or with Christ. But we can do all things.

The fragile nature of humanity and the fragile nature of our economic system, even to a degree our political system, speaks to a need to grasp something higher, something more powerful. Is there anything for sure that is 100 percent truth that will not be shaken by the winds of time?

That is what the book speaks to. There is a solid foundation. There are principals and spiritual realities that we must adhere to and engage in order to create a sustainable lifestyle where we grow constantly in peace, in joy and in righteousness.

Q:Let's talk politics for a minute. You had warned that if Obama moves too far to the left on the gay rights issue or on the abortion issue, he would lose your constituency. Has he done that with his recent decisions lifting the "Mexico City" policy restricting federal funds for international groups that provide abortions overseas, removing the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and rescinding the "conscience clause"?
A. I disagree with Obama on those three areas. I affirm the inclusion of abortion reduction as a viable strategy now to be looked over and executed via the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which has made abortion reduction one of its priorities under director Joshua DuBois. I think it's excellent that a Democratic president is looking at abortion reduction as a major domestic policy agenda issue.

Now, the other three steps taken not only concern me but they concern the Hispanic American community. Is there a possibility that Obama is alienating the Latino voter via Mexico City, stem cell and the conscience clause? Yes, there absolutely is. Can President Obama shift more toward the center? My prayer, and my prayerful advice would be, "Please, President Obama, shift more toward the center." I believe with these three particular initiatives, he shifted away from the center and more toward the left, and if he would have stayed on that center plank that he started on when he first came into office in January, I think he wouldn't be in jeopardy of alienating the Hispanic American voter.

© 2009 The Washington Post Company

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