Greed Over Grace

The docuseries The Way Down (directed by Marina Zenovich, HBO Max, 2021) chronicles the rise and fall of Gwen Shambling Lara, the controversial founder of Weigh Down Ministries and Remnant Fellowship Church, a notorious cult-like community in Brentwood, Tennessee (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15286764/). The documentary highlights the disordered value system and priority structure of Gwen and her second husband. Gwen prioritized greed over grace. Her husband prioritized fame over justice. Both valued themselves over others, prioritizing their desires over the needs of their community. For Gwen and her second husband, love of self far outweighed love of the vulnerable. This must not be the case for the Christian. Real believers are entreated to embody the priority structure and value system of God, not the priority structure and value system of this world.