Think TV is a wasteland? Pimp My Faith - Commentary by Rabbi Marc Gellman

Pimp My Faith www.gracebiblechurch.com 

Pimp My Faith - Newsweek Society - MSNBC.com: "On 'Pimp My Ride,' a hunk of steaming junk from a hysterically grateful recipient is driven by Xzibit to West Coast Custom body shop in L.A. to be stripped and rebuilt from the metal up by a team of charismatic car trolls who delight in going to any lengths to make the new car a thing of beauty and fantasy for its needy owner. In 'Extreme Makeover,' the run-down house of hysterically grateful recipients is demolished and then a new house is built in one week, usually on a new and vastly enlarged foundation by Ty and his team of design and production hotties."

Rabbi Marc Gellman insightfully writes:

"What makes these two shows not just kind and weepy but actually luminous is the way they unselfconsciously obliterate the traditional ways we often treat the poor. First, both shows treat the needy without a hint of condescension or pity. They respect these people completely. It is that respect, more than the pimped-out ride or the new house, that is the real gift. Also the workers on both shows work with real joy. Charity is often seen as a dutiful burden, but in these cases it is a labor of love."

Read on!