Minister's Path of Miracles

T he REV. SAMUEL RODRIGUEZ helped oversee a shift of Latino voters, disillusioned with the Republican Party over failed immigration reform, toward the Democratic Party in the November election.

But the Assemblies of God minister is watching President Obama warily. He opposes abortion and backed last year's California referendum that banned same-sex marriage, which puts him at odds with the new president. At the same time, Rodriguez has joined with more liberal religious leaders to embrace social justice goals and global warming initiatives, as well as to seek common ground on abortion by focusing on reducing the number of procedures.

The California-based Rodriguez is founder and president of the Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. Although he is known more for his political activism than his self-help advice, he has recently published "Path of Miracles: The Seven Life-Changing Principles That Lead to Purpose and Fulfillment."

He spoke recently to Washington Post religion reporter Jacqueline L. Salmon about his new book, faith in trying economic times and Obama's initial days in office.

In the interview, he said that when he was younger, he didn't see a connection between social activism and preaching. "At the time, I understood that they came from two different streams -- it was either church or society. Preachers shouldn't be involved in politics. As time went on, the emergence of that hybrid, that synergy, really came to fruition and here we are."

Q: Why did you write "Path of Miracles"?

A: I wanted to speak to the possibility and the assurance that, through our faith narrative, we can experience miracles on a daily basis. We've seen books written to the extreme; where it's all about confessions and material luxury -- getting richer and succeeding and formulas for success. I wanted to talk about miracles that deal with our daily lives and how we treat each other and how we can reconcile.

In the book, you say that if you follow your principles "and you pray for a house, you're not going to get a house -- you'll get a house with a swimming pool in the backyard and a car out front." Aren't you preaching the prosperity gospel -- that God rewards the faithful with material prosperity?

Notice how throughout the rest of the book, there is no sort of emphasis on that sort of material wealth-acquisition process. What I wanted to say was that in life, if we follow these principles, there are some biblical laws, there are some natural laws ordained by God, depicted through scripture -- not only by the Bible but by many faith narratives, we will be able to do "exceedingly abundantly above all." [Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."]

In a simplistic way, it pertains to the house, but it has to do with a lot more than that. It has to do with relationships, our intrinsic self-assurance, our joy, our level of happiness, our level of self-satisfaction, our level of peace. That's more the message, rather than the house with the swimming pool.

You were using the house with a swimming pool as a metaphor?

A metaphor for all aspects of our lives. Now, can the Lord bless you exceedingly, abundantly above all even as it pertains to a house? Absolutely. But it goes way beyond a house with a swimming pool. It's a metaphor for "exceedingly abundantly above all."