DERREN BROWN'S MIRACLES FOR SALE

 

 

Derren Brown, the psychological illusionist,  produced an interesting and provocative documentary on Easter Monday evening on Channel 4 which was entitled, Miracles for Sale. Here’s what he said about it: ‘The film we made is driven by a desire to expose what I consider to be a foul and dangerous fraud at the expense of the sick, the needy and the faithful all over the world. It is not a comment on the church, or belief, or even the idea that God can or can’t heal. It is about a specific fraud, a greedy trick that has nothing to do with God whatsoever, beyond the fact that his name gets shouted around a lot.’

To make the film Derren Brown spent six months training a member of the public, a scuba-diving instructor called Nathan, to become a faith healer. Then he passed him off as Pastor James Collins, a high-profile itinerant preacher/healer. At the appointed time and place ‘Pastor Collins’ did a remarkable job building up the familiar hype, and with the Black Gospel Choir raising the emotional temperature in the way that only they can, a line of people formed at the front of the church building waiting expectantly for their miracle. When the fake pastor laid hands on them they crashed, one by one to the floor, ‘slain in the Spirit.’ Some even reported that their painful joints had been healed.

What happened was two things, claims Brown. Firstly in the atmosphere of excitement and expectation the human body produces adrenalin, which deadens pain, and that further heightens the sense of euphoria. Secondly – and we’ve probably all seen this – when the ‘man of God’ places his hands on their foreheads and applies a gentle pressure with a ‘catcher’ standing behind, they fall to the ground. Perhaps partly because they know they are expected to and partly because it’s what everybody else is doing, but either way it’s a phenomenon not unique to Christianity.

I have to say that I’ve been there, and I didn’t fall, although was tempted to lie down, for I was the odd man out and there was an implied suspicion that I was being passed over by this ‘outpouring of the Spirit of God’, allegedly because of some hidden sin in my life.

Many of you will know that I have a Down’s syndrome son. My heart almost broke one night when he told me that he’d been to a local church, went to the front for prayer and was told he’d been healed from his condition. Quite apart from the fact that he wasn’t ‘healed’ I have known the boy for almost thirty years and can testify that while he is not perfect, he has the most Christ-like spirit I have ever seen. How dare anyone tell him he has a need for healing?

That, and the story of Pastor James Collins helps me understand something Jesus once said, ‘Many will say to me on the last day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”’

The story told by Derren Brown is the story of a despicable practice designed by power-crazed fraudsters to empty the wallets of the weak to finance their private jets and golden chandeliers. It’s a tragic story for the victims, but the real tragedy is that many of these false prophets will hear that fateful pronouncement; ‘... I never knew you.’

How much sweeter life would be for abuser and abused alike if they could only understand that the essence of the Christian life on a simple day-by-day basis can be summed up in eight words; receive the Father’s love, and pass it on. It’s simple because for that you need no intermediary.