John Edward's House (and how it saps his credibility to me)

I just read Time Magazine’s article (in the Sept. 10 edition - see also here) about the John Edward’s campaign - "Why Iowa Loves John Edwards - And how he's betting the farm on their support." Time gives much credit for the renewed vigor of Edward’s campaign to his war on poverty tour, or whatever exactly it was called in the article.

Though I am not terribly fond of Edwards’ style or persona, I admire him for defying conventional wisdom and leaning as far left as he has. And I am glad someone is drawing attention to the more needy amongst us.

As a practicing Christian and a Christian pastor, I believe that the manner in which we as a nation treat the poorest and weakest among us is of profound significance and importance. I have studied significantly what the bible has to tell us on the matter, and though it does not tell us what role a secular government should play or not play, it tells us much about how we are to act. I have written about this in my Caring for the Poor and Needy: the Biblical Mandate.

We all share a responsibility to care about the lives of widows and orphans and the poor and “strangers and aliens” – and to do more than just care: even as James says in his epistle:

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world (James 1:27).”

But I just cannot get past the fact that John Edwards lives in one of the biggest houses in Orange County. Hey, I am all for a guy making money – more power to him. But to preach and advocate governmental responsibility to the poor, and yet to live out an appearance of such conspicuous consumption, well, it just bugs me. It makes him seem disingenuous. It saps his credibility to me.

I suppose it may be asking too much of any of us to address this issue in a way that not partisan, but I’d like to know how others feel about this.