Sidebar:
Match Made in HEAVEN?
Nick Bunick couldn't have found a better vehicle for his message than St. Paul. The two appear to be a match made in heaven. Paul is a powerful figure in Christianity, ranking behind only Jesus and Peter in the holy hierarchy, says Gerry Breshears, a religion professor at Western Seminary in Portland. "Paul authored 13 books of the Bible," Breshears says. "He's a major interpreter for Christendom." A sophisticated businessman, Paul was an establishment figure and a critic of Christians until he saw a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus, was blinded for three days and converted to Christianity. He became known as the "Apostle to the Gentiles" because he traveled far to spread the word that Christianity wasn't just for Jews, but for all people regardless of nationality, gender and economic differences--a role not unlike Bunick's desire to act as a bridge between New Age and mainstream Americans. "If I was an intelligent businessman, Paul is who I'd identify with," says Breshears. "He's a messenger who brought people together, gave them a contact with God and was not part of the religious establishment himself." Breshears also offers a more cynical view of the bond between Nick and Paul. "If you want a following, a tie-in to the religious mainstream and liberal baby boomers who are facing their mortality but don't want to go back to the church--if you're looking for that kind of marketing niche, then Paul is the man," he says. As Breshears climbs into his tiny Subaru Justy and heads off to comfort a dying elderly woman, he asks whether Bunick ever "does this kind of thing." "That's where the rubber hits the road for me, in terms of credibility," Breshears says. If Bunick is really following the message of Jesus, he continues, why does he live in a $700,000 house and drive a Jaguar (to say nothing of the almost $4 million in other properties he owns in Oregon)? "The myth of Nick Bunick does not strike me as consistent with Jesus Christ," Breshears concludes. "I find it too self-indulgent." In responding, Bunick remains serene and soft-spoken. First, he acknowledges that he doesn't counsel or comfort people with physical ailments. "I'm dealing with people's spirits, not their physical bodies," he says. "Other people are more qualified and more talented than me in that area." Second, he says he's been generous in his philanthropy. "I've given more of my assets to other people and charity than I have retained myself over the years. I don't think there's any reason to advertise that." Finally, Bunick says he doesn't have to defend his choice of house and car. "I'm not driving a Rolls Royce...and I could live in a house of much greater value," he says. "My wife [Mary Jo Avery] has been the No. 1 realtor in the state of Oregon five years in a row. She's at the top of her profession. We could live a more lavish lifestyle. At the same time, I grew up in poverty, in a $35-a-month, three-room cold-water flat. I have no apologies for my charity as well as my lifestyle." --BY |
