the god of consumerism

As many in our nation prepare to celebrate the birth of God's Son on earth, the god of consumerism is on the rampage at this time of year more than ever. Do we ever stop to think about the impact of each individual thing we buy and the trail of destruction that it causes worldwide? This god of consumerism began to achieve widespread acceptance in the 1950's with the introduction of two key principals which now enslave us: planned obsolescence and perceived obsolescence. The first is the deliberate attempt to manufacture a good with flaws with the sole intention of guaranteeing repeat sales, yet leaving the consumer with enough confidence to trust the product in the future. The second is intended for us to throw away things that are merely out of style.

Do these things frustrate us and spur us into action or are we, too, beguiled into believing such a conspiracy exists?

In a country whose governing body is allegedly in power only through the will of the people, how are we allowing this social and economical injustice to take place? We consume at an alarming rate; the United States occupies only a mere 5% of the world's land mass, yet we consume 30% of the world's resources. There is no way that this impact can be isolated to the United States.

So where else in the world are they feeling the impact of our global abuse? The following video is a 20 minute documentary exposing the hidden side of our global economy and highlights the vast environmental and societal implications of such globalization.

It is of paramount importance as Christians to look beyond the scope of the church and realize the hurting that is occurring underneath the surface of society by informing ourselves of the problem and providing a solution. Our pocket books are powerful; we can discriminate when and where we purchase. We claim we are a nation under God, and 76% of this godly nation claim evangelical Christian principals. With the potential for 228 million God-fearing Christ-followers, imagine how we could change the world. The power of prayerful action on behalf of righteous people could see no limit to positive change to reverse the depravity of our world.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."-Edmund Burke

A Breath of Fresh Air, Anyone?

I knew the media was biased, but I did not know it was this bad. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor by our Commander-in-Chief but most people, even some military personnel, heard little about it. The "O'Reilly Factor," a nightly Fox News discussion program hosted by Bill O'Reilly, spoke to his widow about it. I recommend reading the article. It can be found here.

Media bias has long been a sore subject for me, but I cannot imagine how much more for someone who has given their all and are fighting over there right now. Each and every soldier is doing his and her best to win this thing that is referred to as a "pointless" war by narrow-minded politicians who sit in cushy offices in U.S. Congress and have very little true insight into military matters.

My own patriotism to this country and my future military commitments are further solidified each time I hear another story of ignorant media coverage. SgtMjr Brad Kasal of the United States Marines heard firsthand what editors want. He mentions in his book of a conversation he had with an embedded journalist from the New York Times. When asked why he did not report the progress in Iraq, the reporter said that essentially, only bad news sells.

That could explain why an increasing number of Americans are growing tired of the war effort and its seeming lack of progress. We all are in need of a breath of fresh air.

Well, that need can now be fulfilled. I believe there are many out there who seek the truth on such matters and are willing to go the extra mile to obtain objective information about the war. A excellent network has been set up just for this reason. If you support the troops and the war which is their job, follow this link.

What follows is a prayer I prayed and wrote today in response to the Kansas City Star editorial on Medal of Honor winner Lt. Michael Murphy. Also, check out the Wikipedia article on the origins of the highest award awarded in the military. Again, here is the prayer...

Dear God,

Protect our troops and our leaders wherever they are. Give them wisdom to fight an insidious enemy whose only goal is to undermine everything for which our country stands. No matter which party we represent, God, let us be supportive of our troops and their job to which they have been entrusted. Give us compassion for those who do not follow the same worldview as us that we may teach the truth in love. Protect our troops as they make an impact in the civilian and the military field. Bless them and their families for their sacrifices. Thank you for keeping America safe from domestic terrorism since 9/11 and help us remember how providential You are in ways we will never know. Work on the hearts and minds of our enemy that they may see Your light before they condemn themselves to an eternity apart from You by "sacrificing" themselves in the name of a false hope. Change the hearts and minds of the American people that we would see the true perspective of this war. Give our leaders wisdom to do what is right over there. Above all, let us make Your name great in all the earth.
Thank you for your ultimate sacrifice, Jesus.

In all these things, we pray,

Amen.

Robots

The big news today of course was Ahmadinejad's anti-American rant at the notoriously liberal Columbia University. Condemned by many for even allowing A-jad to speak, the president of the school, Lee Bollinger, publicly denounced the Iranian leader prior to his speech, citing human rights violations and his fascist ideology. Of course, that his liberal university itself embraces certain fascist ideologies is of little concern.

I watched in disbelief as those present managed to actually applaud some of things this man was saying. He is the leader of a country nearly at war with the U.S. for its role in funding terrorism in Iraq and harboring known Al-Qaeda operatives. Of course, he explicitly denies any wrongdoing. The bad part? Some of these indoctrinated, Pelosi-loving students actually believed him.

Not that they are alone.

A classic example of this robotic, spoon-fed system of obtaining information is the current conflict in Iraq. One could infer from watching the latest headline of the blessed New York Times that the entire world is opposed to U.S. involvement in Iraq and does not believe we are winning the war on terror. Just like those who cheered A-jad in his speech essentially blaming the U.S. for 9/11, these are people who believe an unfortunately large amount of what they hear. It seems our freedom of the press has created a generation of robots.

With nary a blink, we absorb information from our "trusted" news outlets and fail to process it through an objective lens. True, to achieve true objectivity is to achieve an impossibility, but where have the independent thinkers gone? I would like to think that education had taught us how to think rather than what, yet to do so would be naive. Instead, our institutions of higher learning have taught us to be open-minded to a level of ridiculous political correctness where no one is offended and the truth is frequently ignored.

God has something to say about that. In Romans 1, Paul is contrasting the life of Christians and the life of those who are in the world. In contrast to the God's people seeing His righteousness revealed, the unrighteous suppress the truth.

"[...] [W]hat can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles." -Romans 1:19-23

It is profound to think that everyone knows God, but not everyone gives Him credit to this fact. For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. It seems as if much of our efforts are put into glorifying mans accomplishments; statues are erected to honor a top athlete, skyscrapers are increasingly-higher monuments of achievement to the architect who designed them, celebrities are in the news more than the heroes risking their lives for our freedom at home.

I fear that if this course is not reversed and we continue production of robots, we will be far more maligned morally than we currently are. We have slowly etched at the moral foundation of our society bringing us closer to the brink of complete godlessness. To borrow a line from the satirical "1/2 Hour News Hour," this "prayer" is reminiscent of what our nation could one day face if we do not desist from a robotic state of mind and learn to think for ourselves and become approved workers according to 2 Timothy.

Somewhere in the future, Kansas Secular University...

"Oh nonexistent spirit, we ask that you convey your indifference on all of us who gather here today. We raise our voices as one to express our lack of gratitude for the totally random series of events that has accidentally resulted in our existence. We recognize that you’ve had no role in our lives and ask that you continue in that absence. Do not help guide us and let us serve no purpose in everything we do because we know that life has no significance and that anything we do ends in utter meaninglessness when we die. This we ask in no one in particular’s name.
Booyah."

While this may be a humorous outlook on America in the future, let us keep it clear in our minds that Satan is a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Therefore, it is paramount that we keep our guard up, fully clothed in the armor of God. As Christians, we have the advantage-we understand the necessity of absolute truth of God's word to govern our lives. Because we have been redeemed from our empty way of life (1 Peter 1:18), it is our job to set the example and lead the culture and not be led by it. May we all begin each day by killing the robot syndrome and taking a stand for righteousness.

Paradigm Shift

par-a-digm: n. A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline. (American Heritage Dictionary)

Today marks the third week I have spent in the beautiful state of California. To simply recap my time here would be a verbose waste of the English language. Put simply, it is a complete paradigm shift even from my semi-big city Seattle upbringing. California proclaims itself as a republic, evidenced on the state flag. I was introduced to this reality the minute I disembarked.

While waiting in queue to board the aircraft, I overheard two gentlemen conversing about LA, where they were going, what they had to do when they arrived, etc. and I deduced from this conversation that the two men were well-acquainted with the region. Upon arrival in LA, our paths crossed while waiting for our luggage. Being the communicative person I am, I seized upon this opportunity to make their acquaintance. It just so happened that I met some senior executives from CelebTV.

I thought to myself, "Of course, they are from the entertainment industry."

That was lesson 101 in California; as I was told, seemingly everyone is connected in some way to the entertainment industry. This was the beginning of that paradigm shift, from the laid-back midwestern life where everybody knows everybody and nobody cares about who you are, to a locale where it's all about who you know that matters.

Oddly enough, I despise this perspective in a way. Our culture worships the self-glorification and vanity of Hollywood, a belief that runs counter to the word of God.

One of the Ten Commandments reads, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3 NASB). Sounds like Hollywood violates this one. Not that this is surprising, given the current state of our country that puts quarterbacks behind bars for torturing and murdering dogs, yet insists that it is a mother's “choice” to determine her unborn baby’s future.

I find a certain joy in the fact that I could probably walk right by a celebrity and not know who he or she is. I just don't care. Now, this is where it gets a little fuzzy.

See, the whole point is, my paradigm is shifting. When I have the chance to meet someone famous, I jump at the chance. Then, in hindsight, I evaluate my reaction and realize how I too am so easily caught up this cultural love affair.

Celebrities make us feel important. We go home to our buddies and say, "Look who I took a picture with," or "look whose autograph I got," and quickly lose sight of the bigger picture. Careers mean nothing in the afterlife, but as finite humans, we place a certain value on status and the popularity it brings. It somehow makes us feel that we are less inadequate in our daily existences and our mediocrity.

Yet it is in this mundane existence to which some have been called. Not all of us are called to have high profile lives, but there are God-followers out there who have mistakenly quoted the book of Man, the 11th Commandment: "Thou shalt prosper monetarily and be successful in the world."

It's as if some of us expect God to bless us...monetarily.

Of course God blesses us, but not in the ways we expect or desire. He knows what is best and by faith we have to trust that He blesses those financially whom He desires to be wealthy, allowing them the option of where it will be used. He gives to others little, realizing that they too have a choice to be proactive with what little they have or be bitter and wallow in self pity.

As I walk around the Santa Monica area and get confronted with questions about who I've met and where I've been, I keep finding myself asking the question of why I care so much? It is amazing how quickly I forget the paradigm change that is occurring within.

Now, it is not a sin to tell someone about what I have been able to do or who I have met, but when that storytelling turns into bragging, it opens the door wide to pride. When my motive in telling the story is to make me feel better or look better, those are selfish motives, but when they fall within the boundaries of storytelling, it is innocuous and often a great conversation starter as to the nature of Hollywood and the dirt about which many do not know.

I have always wondered why people have such an obsession with celebrities until now. I realize now that I too can be caught up in it at times, and I can only imagine how much worse are those who suffer through life without knowing Christ's love, an eternal love that outshines and outlasts this paltry life. In my heart there is a burden for everyone to know Christ, and I pray that in all I do, each day, I will glorify the Creator of the universe in my lifestyle--no matter if I run into a celebrity or just a bum on the street begging for money. I may be the only light these people see outside tinseltown, and that is a blown opportunity that I do not want on my conscience. Here's to more of this paradigm shift, and a daily walk closer with God.