AT WAR WITH OURSELVES AND WITH OUR GOD

   
      Do you know the lyrics to Hank Williams Jr's song, If Heaven Ain't A Lot Like Dixie (I don't want to go)? It's a really good song... about the clash of cultures that has created a breach in our country. In Hank's view, there are two Americas, just like Sen. John Edwards used to say... but he is not talking about a black-white or a rich-poor divide. He is referring to a cultural divide- one that undergirds the political paralysis that we've seen for many years. Referring to heaven, Hank sings, If they don't have a Grand Ole Opry, like they do in Tennessee/ just send me to Hell or New York City/ it would be all the same to me.  If "Heaven ain't a lot like Dixie," there are many, many people who would rather go to Hell... because they can't accept values that are not based on God, family, hard work... and guns. They believe that America was founded by God-fearing, self-made men... who forged a life for themselves (and their families)... with no government interference. They go to church on Sunday, pay their taxes, keep their property up, and they believe that marriage is a God-given covenant between a man and a woman. They also believe that they're entitled to keep what they earn... unless they are "moved" to share some of it themselves. Thus, they are at odds... with "Big City" values that seek to redefine "marriage" and "family" in our time... and they are at odds with the cacophony of voices that are demanding change. They want to "conserve" the values they know, and they believe their values are under attack from people who seek a society in which God is marginalized and guns are outlawed. Thus, America is engaged in a civil war between those who want to "hold on" and those who want a "bigger part of the pie."
      It's an important war, but I would rather focus on the War of Values that we are waging against God. From the beginning, we've been prone to worship ourselves and the things we own. We are an idolatrous people- just as much as the people who once worshiped golden calves and carved statues. Our idols are more expensive to be sure. We don't have much interest in statues and figurines, and we prefer instead to bow before altars of wealth, materialism, pleasure, and power. But it is idolatry just the same, and it will be the death of us. I saw today that the Pope said, "Man is not in charge today- money is in charge, money rules." He is right, of course, and Jesus warned us that we cannot serve both God and money! We cannot worship ourselves and our stuff... and even pretend to be worshiping the One who calls us to let go and give. We cannot insist of choosing whom or what we will worship... and even pretend to understand "surrender!"
      I'm reminded of a cartoon depicts a well-dressed couple kneeling in front of a giant Dollar Sign. They seem to be distressed, and finally the husband turned to his wife and said, "I think we were happier when we were Presbyterians!" Indeed, we would all be happier if we worshiped God instead of money... but we are caught in a world that tells us that: 1) it doesn't matter what we believe (even though our beliefs should govern our lives); 2) perception is everything (when it may be deceiving or nothing at all); 3) we are number 1; 4) the word "sin" is outdated (because we can't help who we are); 5) God helps those who help themselves (which is not Biblical); and 6) our importance is reflected in the titles we have and the money we make. We are told that we are foolish to love without conditions, and is if...we are Doubting Thomas, we are told that we cannot trust what we do not see. We are told that we're just one toothpaste, one hair style, one sports car, or one lottery ticket... away from the life we've dreamed of... but God rejects ALL of this... and invites us to follow Him on the narrow way. Few accept his invitation because the narrow way is difficult. Few take it... because it's sacrificial.
      Few- even few Christians- actually follow Jesus... but following Jesus is the essence of THE PROMISE. Those who give up their lives for me, He said, will never die! And those who die believing in me... will live! Those who worship money, he noted, will never be satisfied... because money cannot satisfy! And those who store up the treasures on earth will always be disappointed... because earthly treasures inevitably fade away. Someone once told me that, if you want to find someone's god...you need to see whom they confide in...spend time with...spend money on... and trust in. It may be their spouse, their children, themselves, a bottle, a brothel; or a roulette wheel. It may even be the Cubs... but our God (with or without a capital 'g')... is the one who gives us hope, love, peace, and salvation. God is the One who will make our lives on this planet full... and give us life forever. None of the lesser gods of the world can provide these things. None of them, So, I will close with another one of the Bible's great questions: why do you spend your money on that which does not satisfy? Why? And for how long?