Itching Ears

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a recreational fascination with politics. I love reading, researching, and prognosticating about current political trends, candidates, and elections. Politics is like a third favorite sport for me only trumped by baseball and football. The current presidential election is the fifth one I have closely watched and studied. It has been the most fascinating I have watched to date. The fact that there is no incumbent on either side of the political aisle makes each passing primary a sight to behold because of the uncertainty of what is going to come next.

Within this election, though, there is a disturbing trend. To date, this entire political race has not been centered around nor focused on the issues. Rather, it has proven to be a popularity contest where the contestants battle for the most times of invoking the word 'change'. I even heard a commentator this morning who said this is the year we might elect our first "American Idol" president. The candidates are only morphing into what the people want--something new.

But, since when is experience ludicrous for the highest profile job in the entire world? And, why do results take second place to charisma and hope. If experience and results mattered most in choosing the nominees for president this year, then America would be choosing between Gov. Bill Richardson (D) and Sen. John McCain (R) in November. But, instead, Americans will run with the guy who makes them feel good.

This trend is indicative of a deeper problem within the hearts of mankind. We have an engraving on our hearts for news and messages that make us feel good. We do not want to deal with the truth. We ignore what really matters in life and drink messages and ideologies that satisfy our emotional yearnings of the day--even if they are not sound. In drinking the water from these cisterns, we believe we are consuming the water of life when in actuality, we are simply drinking the sand.

I am not attempting to spiritualize the presidential race, because truth be known, each of these candidates have their shortcomings and none will deliver the salvation to the country each of its citizens are longing for. Nor am I demonizing the charismatic guy proclaiming the message of hope--after all, he is a very likable guy. I do want to emphasize, though, the problem with the human heart. The Apostle Paul said this to his young protege, Timothy, Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new (2 Timothy 4:2-3).

As Christians, we know that Paul is speaking of the Word of God here and challenging Timothy to preach it regardless of the receptivity of his hearers. But, in evaluating the current state of affairs in American politics, I believe there is an indication that Paul's spiritual diagnosis of the human heart has further implications than simply religion. Whether it is a spiritual skeptic who does not believe the Bible in its entirety, a teenager who scoffs at his parents' instruction, or an American electorate choosing a leader, we as a people want to hear what makes us feel good in the moment--even if we are scratching the same itch four years later.