"Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse."  Proverbs 28:6

As of this post, the financial state of America is less than stellar.  Some would have us to believe that the current economic crisis is so critical that without doing something drastic through government intervention, we very well may be facing "Great Depression: Remix."

Maybe.

There are others, however, that are trying to remind the American people that the way of America has not been in the nationalization of businesses and free markets, and that there are other alternatives to infusing $700 billion dollars of tax-payer money into the markets.  They mention that it may provide a quick solution, but the long term ramifications (not to mention the precedent) will be far more costly.

Maybe.

I am no financial expert - I pay attention - but I am no expert.  That said, it still seems clear that there are systemic reasons for some of the financial fallout that America is experiencing.  It is never only one thing - it has to be many things.  But, attached to those many things is probably one theme that can be highlighted:

Greed.

The Almighty Dollar is probably the most popular personality in America.  It seems that, for America, it has always been "the economy, stupid" (to borrow a political phrase).  Politicians know this truth, and they do what they need to in order to capitalize on it.  With this over concentration on (or infatuation with) wealth and prosperity comes perversion.  Ethics are compromised, employers/employees act unjustly at times, and we start to see the reality of the timeless truth that "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (that's a Scriptural truth by the way - look it up).  It happens on Wall Street and on Main Street.

We need a bailout alright, but not the one where we infuse money into our capitalist system.  We need to be bailed out of our greed and selfishness and find our Rescue in the way of Jesus.  That Way involves the good of all, care for our neighbor, justice for the helpless and voiceless, and a life characterized by open hands instead of closed fists.

Better to be poor and blameless than rich and perverted.  That's what God thinks.  I'm not sure if we really believe that anymore though. 

It's no easy task for our leaders to make these kinds of decisions.  I would simply invite you to pray with me that God would give them wisdom that would surpass selfish agendas and material lust, and would focus on the opportunity to make some fundamental changes in our systems that would be equitable and just.  Pray as well that America would do what Solomon failed to do as King of Israel - use our prosperity and wealth to uphold the cause of righteousness and justice.

  "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple."  Psalm 27:4

Flying home from out of town a couple of weeks ago, I ended up sitting next to a young twentysomething woman.  We were somewhat delayed, so we chatted a little about small things to start - where we were from, what we did, yada yada yada.  I found out she was from Buffalo and was an Art History major.  I don't know squat about Art really, but I made a mental note.

The more we talked, and after she found out I was a pastor, she began to open up and tell me her story.  She had been out of the state trying to get her thoughts together on life, the future, and even contemplating God a bit.  She was not very read in the Bible, but she was a smart young lady for sure.  So, I started asking her some questions since she opened the door for me.

"What attracts you to art?" I asked.  She said (paraphrased) "I like to think about how things work, how the artist put together what he/she was painting, drawing, sculpting." 

"But isn't there something else that goes beyond that?  Why does it move you?" I asked.  She said, "I guess it would be the beauty of it."

That's what I was looking for.  The beauty of it.  That is what the attractive quality to the arts most captures in our hearts - beauty.  And that is often what is most missing in our understanding of God.

It seems that God can become a philosophy - an intellectual exercise that climbs into mystery - for so many of us.  Or maybe He becomes a historical figure to be researched.  Or maybe at its worst, God becomes an sentimental piece of cultural lore - we feel good about having Him around and using His name to make our stuff look more holy.

God as philosophy or history or sentimentality is not necessarily wrong - just incomplete, dry, and tame.  What we have lost so often in reference to God is beauty.  Now back to my plane conversation.

I told this young woman that as an Art History major she ought to try reading the Bible because she has an eye trained for beauty.  Later in the conversation, I secretly illustrated my point by telling her a story of Jesus she had never before heard.

I told her of this lady in a village who had some issues in her life that expressed themselves in sexual immorality.  She was with too many men, some of them married, and word had gotten to the super moral religious people of the town.  So, these folks camped out to catch her in her immorality - and they did; they caught her right in the "act."  So, they dragged her into the public area of the village to see what the traveling superstar Rabbi Jesus had to say about this.  With rocks in hand, they told Jesus that the Law gave them permission to stone her, but they asked him what he thought (they were trying to be tricky b/c not only did they not like this woman, they didn't have much use for Jesus either).  Jesus, after writing a little in the sand, told the accusers that if any one of them had never done anything wrong to please be the first to throw a fastball at her head. 

Rocks dropped to the ground instead of being hurled - and they all left.  Jesus then asked the woman where her accusers were - who was condemning her?  She told him that nobody was accusing her now - they left.  So Jesus said, I don't condemn you either - but stop sinning.  And you could tell that the way He said it was full of truth and love all rolled up together.

Then I asked my airplane friend, "What do you see in that story?"  And she replied, "Beauty."  I think I agree.

And I think I wish I saw it more often.

 "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  John 8:12

This is that season in America where many a person will be dragging around work because of a lack of sleep.  We finished the Olympics from Beijing, rolled into the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, and are now embarking on football.  All of these things can cost Americans sleep.

Maybe it's that lack of sleep that is causing such ridiculous things to be said in America - and about America - during this time.  I have watched a decent amount of the coverage of both the Democratic and Republican national conventions.  I have listened to the well planned, and often (though not always), well delivered barbs that the different political parties are throwing at each other.  Both parties, and their respective candidates for President and VP, can be somewhat convincing to the casual observer (note Obama and Palin's sharp oratorical skills and poise, and McCain and Biden's longevity that translates into experience/maturity).  It is really a point/counterpoint kind of political situation in how the tickets are chosen and for what reason.  I guess that's the nature of politics - but it doesn't endear me to the process really.

All that said, and with the hope that the discerning believer is looking through the lens of a holistic, Christ-centered worldview that will inform decision making, there are still some things that bother me greatly about what I have seen and heard.

Here's the first:  Acting like a particular candidate is one of the Beatles by the crowd reaction (or one of the Jonas Brothers for my younger readers).  Maybe even worse - acting like a candidate might be America's Messiah.  Forget the fact that evangelicals have graciously tried to convince their Jewish friends that Jesus is the Messiah that has already come - it appears that some Americans (and some American Christians) are acting in the same way - they feel that the American Messiah has not yet come but may be here or on his/her way.  Spooky.

The second is not that unlike the first:  Making crazy comments that people actually believe.  When I was watching one of the conventions (happened to be the Republican one), one of the speakers actually said something like this - "We want to get America back to what it was always supposed to be - the hope of the world."

The Hope of the World?!?  Somebody give that speaker some smelling salts.  America is not only NOT the hope of the world - America isn't even the hope of America.  Before you start writing me off as some anti-patriotic lunatic, you had better think long and hard about the statement you might defend.  I believe that America is a great country.  Frankly, there is nowhere else that experiences the freedoms and opportunities that we are afforded.  I think we have the best system of government in the world, as imperfect as it is and the people that populate it.  I love our nation, and thank God for it.  But the second we think that we are the hope of the world - well, we simply try to take up a spot on the Divine roster that is already filled.

JESUS is the hope of the world.  Not a governmental system, not a country, not a cause, not a candidate.  Just Jesus.  If people start believing that America is the hope of the world (and many do), the slope gets more than slippery.  Unhealthy nationalism, rather than healthy and grateful patriotism, begins to take root in the soil of that thinking and the fruit that will result will be bitter indeed.  My guess is that the Roman Empire felt the same way.

I am praying that the light of the world helps illuminate the hope of the world in this electoral season - and that those who follow Jesus have light enough to tell the difference between sane patriotism and insane nationalism.