American Flash

So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” "Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first." So the last shall be first, and the first last. -Matthew 20:16

As a Christian something has always sat uneasy with me about American culture. The way our sports and entertainment events are absolute spectacles with bombast and flash. 

Political campaigns now last two years with rallies, televised debates, dramatic campaign ads and flashy conventions. Politicians who promise the world and spend billions to do so. We even have one presidential candidate who sounds like a WWE wrestler (I will let you guess which one). 

This bombast has even infested our religious life. We have megachurches with smoke machines and flashy lights. 

I don’t think this is healthy and gives an outsized sense of importance on things that are not. It’s not reflective of a society that’s modest and humble. In fact, I think it might be affecting things like actually do matter like our marriage rate, for example. While the decrease in marriage rates is multi-causal I don’t think the expectation of a lavish wedding is helping. 

I was listening to a presentation about the election of 1896 and how McKinley just ran a simple front porch campaign and won. That’s not an America that’s recognizable to me. 

Humility and modesty are Christian principles. I would like to see more of it.