THE BRINK OF DESPAIR
As we pause briefly at the dawn of the twenty-first century, we find good reason to contemplate the future of our republic. Indeed, even the most ardent supporters of the American dream are hard pressed these days to find a hopeful scenario for our nation. Mired in corruption, gridlocked in partisan politics, and helplessly constrained by special interest groups who are mortgaging our future to the highest bidder, there seems to be no end to the empty rhetoric, philosophic opinions, and deceptive grandstanding that spews out into our society in waves of superficial style and self-confidence, but very little substance. According to the liberal theologian, Dr. Walter Brueggemann, “ideology-induced denial”1, is the only thing preventing the once great United States of America from cartwheeling over the brink, into the abyss of despair. Of course, the lofty ideals of America are not exactly easy to maintain and they’re even harder to live up to. The Canadian rock band, Rush, once observed this about us, commenting that, “Beneath the noble bird, between the proudest words, behind the beauty cracks appear. Once with heads held high they sang out to the sky, why do their shadows bow in fear? …The guns replaced the plow, facades are tarnished now, the principles have been betrayed. The dreams gone stale, but still, let hope prevail…”2. But how can hope prevail in the face of so many broken dreams, when so much has already been lost, and when we have become so divided as a nation? The answer is one of biblical proportions and certainly isn’t a popular one. For just as in the days of the Old Testament prophets, the only remedy for such a time is this, is repentance, confession of sins, and a return to abiding faith and obedience in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our only hope!
That is not a very sophisticated answer, I realize that, and it sounds so simple and old fashioned, after reading the progressive ponderings of Walter Brueggemann. However, when you complicate the problem, as he has done, I suppose that you must also complicate the answer as well. The straightforward biblical explanation for the sense of despair that permeates our nation today is simple; we are reaping what we have sown. For decades, we have been casting off the restraints of God’s wisdom, the instruction of His word, and the power of His presence in our lives, and now we are reaping the whirlwind of His judgement. To this malady His divine prescription has never changed: repent, confess your sins, and return to me.
But for some reason, Brueggemann feels that the ground for our despair is rooted in our unsustainable, and, “…extravagant use of fossil fuels…”3, and all of the evils that accompany it. This fundamental misunderstanding of the problem renders an equally flawed solution, but rather than turning back to God’s word for wisdom and strength in time of need, he finds solace in the contemplative dreams of Plenty Coups, the last great chief of the Crow nation of Native Americans. Facing the decimation of all that he and his nation knew and loved, the chief dreamed, or should we rather say, he had a vision induced by the peace pipe, of how they should proceed. His conclusion was essentially that, “…all our traditional way of life is coming to an end, that life is about to disappear, and we must do what we can to open our imaginations up to a radically different set of future possibilities, and try to preserve some integrity…”4. Wow, that is deep and so inspirational!
Ok, now let’s try a biblical perspective, as applied by the Apostle Peter: “…the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God…”5. The first step toward the restoration of hope in any society must begin with an acknowledgment of the only true source of hope in the entire universe, God Himself! That acknowledgment must begin with a change in the hearts of God’s people. We can’t just hope for hope’s sake in the, “…idea that something good will emerge.”6. We need a hope that is transcendent, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, and that is able to bridge the gap between the failings of this world and the perfection of the next.
Jesus Christ is that hope and that’s why the writer of Hebrews spoke of our faith in Jesus as, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil…”7. Resting your hope on anything else is folly, but Jesus came to save sinners, not to save America, and never does He promise to save any nation that rejects Him. The Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville, once said of America, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”8. He accurately attributed the goodness of America to the power in its churches and their foundational Christian faith. This goodness that pours forth from the church is the natural product of the hope of eternal life that resides within the hearts its people, and it is a hope that brings the peace of God which surpasses all understanding in the trials of this life, and it comforts them in times of despair. This hope has nothing at all to do with fossil fuels, social agendas, advocacy programs, and Native American sweat lodge visions; but it has everything to do with having a right relationship with our heavenly father and His son Jesus. Paul declared this truth plainly when he said, “…God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”9.
1. Brueggemann. Reality, Grief, and Hope, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2014, pg. 113
2. Beneath, Between, & Behind, Neil Peart, Fly By Night, Rush, 1975, Mercury Records
3. Brueggemann. Reality, Grief, and Hope, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2014, pg. 113
4. Brueggemann. Reality, Grief, and Hope, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2014, pg. 121
5. New King James Version, Holy Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Publisher, 1 Peter 4:17
6. Brueggemann. Reality, Grief, and Hope, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2014, pg. 122
7. New King James Version, Holy Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Publisher, Hebrews 6:19
8. Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1835.
9. New King James Version, Holy Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Publisher, Col 1:27
