Spiritual Hiccups - Save Us!

It has been interesting - sometimes even comical - watching the ever changing polls on the Republican presidential front runner.  Romney, to many the presumed, eventual winner, tends to stay near the top, but others take their turn surging to favorite status and then falling into disfavor.  Newt Gingrich is now on his second ride toward the top, having previously crashed, burned, and been given up for dead by many.

I suppose that much of this is simply the normal political process.  A fresh face catches people's attention and generates excitement, but then the person's flaws and liabilities become more evident, and he or she falls from grace.  But I also think something else is at work.  We want someone to save us.  We want someone to fix things and make them right.  We're looking for a savior, but of course no one can live up to such expectations.

Whether the savior we embrace promises to take back America or restore hope, whether they are Republican, Democratic, or Libertarian, they end up disappointing us to some degree.  President Obama's campaign has already acknowledged that they do not expect to energize students they way they did in 2008.  Too many have become disenchanted with their savior.

Do not put your trust in princes,
     in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
     on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
     whose hope is in the LORD their God. 

We live in difficult times, and we want someone to save us.   Very often it seems we want someone to save us from ourselves.  We want someone who promises to fix things without it costing us anything, goring our ox, or requiring hard work and sacrifice from us.  Others need to provide that.

Sometimes I think that we put our trust in candidates because putting our trust in God means following Jesus.  It means becoming different from what we are now, being transformed so that we look and act more and more like Jesus.  That looks too much like work.  Surely there is another solution.  Surely there is an ideology that will solve everything.  Surely enough money and things will make life good.  Surely making sure all of my needs are met will make me feel complete.  Surely there is some answer that doesn't ask me to change.

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, who have discovered new life by letting go of the old life and becoming new beings in Christ.


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