Taken from Greg Boyd's blog and website ... (See his Sept 6th blog for full entry)
We live in a scary, painful world and people need hope. We feel helpless and long for a savior. It’s hard-wired into us. It’s what fuels religion and politics. In fact, after watching both national conventions the last two weeks, I’m beginning to think these are not two distinct things. Both conventions seemed a whole lot like religious revivals. With religious zeal, people were given hope and the promise of salvation. And just as in religion, the insiders who know the truth and really care rallied against those who are deceived and who merely claim to care. Devotees of the candidates and parties responded to sermons and music with passionate religious zeal bordering on worship — just as true believers of religions and political systems have done throughout history.
We do need hope and we do need a savior. Yet, when this natural longing for hope and salvation is directed toward anything or anyone other than God, the Bible calls it idolatry. Our hope is not to be placed in the eloquence of Obama or the heroism of McCain but in the loving self-sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary. We’re never to put “Country First” but are rather to “seek first the Kingdom of God.”
I encourage you to be a true believer, but not in the religion of politics, nor in America, nor in Obama or McCain, nor any political party nor (what is close to the same thing) any religion. Be a true believer in Jesus and the small mustard seed revolution he inaugurated into the world. Join with others in passionately living a Jesus-looking lifestyle, sacrificing your time and resources for others on a daily basis. Invest all your hope and confidence in the foolish weakness of the cross rather than in the wise power of Caesar’s empire.
This is where the true “last, best hope of the world” lies.
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