To Hope Is Human...

It has been said by one famous theologian, "To hope is to be human...to hope in Christ is to be Christian."

When I was watching Barack Obama's acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination for President, in front of over 80,000 people, I saw something that gave me pause. As the camera panned the crowd for reaction to what Obama was saying it stopped upon a woman who was literally in tears. It was like she was having a religious experience...but at a political speech?

It is true that Barack Obama has come onto the American political landscape and brought a fresh breath of air. His message of hope, unity and change has inspired many people to see him as the agent of these values. There is no doubt that there is a need for hope in our country. People are tired of politics, war and empty promises. They seek a figure they can get behind who they believe is truly on their side. Many are lifting up Barack Obama as such a person.

But the Obama wave may have crested a little too high. It seems like the campaign has become a sort of secular religious movement for many with Obama being lifted up as the high priest. Now I like Obama. I voted for him in the primary. But now I am reconsidering because I think his campaign is treading in dangerous waters.

Words like hope and unity are not just ordinary words. They have a religious connotation to them. They are the words used in Scripture to describe our salvation and our fellowship. They have a meaning that transcends secular usage. Hope is not something a policy can offer nor is unity something that can be brought about by elected officials.

No I don't think that Obama has sought out to lift himself up as some sort of hope guru, but that's what has happened. And who has done it...we have done it. It is our hunger and longing as people for something greater than ourselves that has caused many of us to believe that he can deliver it. There is struggle, hopelessness and separation in our nation and we need to do something about it.

But we have to look at where those feelings come from. These longings and emptiness exist because we have strayed further and further away from God. We have allowed the idols of materialism, gratification and selfishness to replace the love and worship of Jesus Christ in our lives. We have taken the bible and prayer out of schools. Kids can't even say "Christmas" without being reprimanded. We have moved away from a biblical worldview regarding issues of life, marriage and the importance of the self.

We are looking for hope and Unity. The problem is that I fear we may be looking in the wrong places for it. Do I think Barack Obama is sincere? Absolutely! But the level of captivation and frenzy over him is a little scary, at least to me. He may make a great president, but he cannot offer us the true hope and unity that we deeply long for.

"We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, Where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf has entered, having become a high priest forever..." Hebrews 6: 19-20