I’m not just talking about the fantasy football season. The American culture has gotten very adversarial as well as become very caricature-like. We all want to “change society,” we all want to “change the world.” But what exactly is that change we want?

CHANGE
As I watch both Obama and McCain, as well as the millions of people they have gotten to support them. I can see their appeal, especially Obama who is seen as the voice of hope. I’ve seen it before. People are disenfranchised, people are in need of something greater. They see someone who can give them what they think they need. Both Obama and McCain offer something. But as I watch the conventions, as I watch the debates, I see that we are a far way off from what “we actually need.”

FRIENDS
The interview with Rick Warren was very interesting. Warren first says both McCain and Obama are his friends. They both love America, but they both have very different ways to change. I think that was a very insightful statement made by Warren. It was to avoid the demonization of both candidates that the media does so easily, whether knowingly or unknowingly… Both “conservative” and “liberal” news media have elevated personal attacks over addressing real issues.

CULTURE WARS
But even when addressing the issues, various camps will view “change” differently. This has led to what Americans have called “the culture wars.” Understanding this culture war from a non-Christian perspective is hard, especially if you were raised in this culture. What I mean is that our views of morality and ethics have been so influenced by the culture itself, by the media, by the education, by other Americans, that is hard to separate “right and wrong” from “what I believe right and wrong” is. Tim Keller says in his new book Reason for God, we have the “schoolyard bully” mentality, meaning whoever has the loudest voice or toughest stance usually wins. What he says goes.

WILL OF THE PEOPLE
But can consensus alone determine “right and wrong.” A true democracy says so. The “will of the people” becomes law. But as we know from history that this system is flawed. Where then does law, morality and ethics come from? As I watched the conventions and the debates, we as a country have pretty much placed our hopes, our future into the hands of government and elected officials. Every special interest group, majority, minority, whoever, almost single-handedly believe the government can be the savior of this land, of this society… we will be greatly disappointed. We will find equally flawed results from a flawed system run by flawed individuals. Government in itself is not necessarily bad, but it is run by flawed people in a flawed system, with flawed information and flawed adoration…

HOPE AND CHANGE
Obama brings hope and change. I don’t doubt that. McCain brings hope as well. I don’t doubt that either. But what type of hope and what type of change are we looking for? I don’t think Americans have thought through this question. We want fiscal responsibility. We want to end our occupation of the middle east. We want to be independant of foreign oil. We want to erase the deficit. We want what is best for America.

WHAT IS BEST FOR AMERICA?
As a nation, we are split as to “what is best for America.” Does this fundamentally come down to culture? One’s ethics? One’s opinions? One’s way of life? Is there a universal code we must adhere to? I have an answer, but I think America needs to consider it one more time. What is best for America?

This blog is about reform but it comes not from government, not from culture, not from ethics or morality. Where then can this change come from? I recognize that change cannot ultimately come from government or special interest groups or supreme court judges. I recognize that change comes from a much higher authority. My hope and my prayer is for Americans to be changed by the spirit of God as taught by the bible and through the person of Jesus Christ. It is only by looking at the “perfect law” that we can truly find what is “ideal” for America. It is only by looking at the “perfect man” that we can truly change our culture. Let me challenge you to look not at what is imperfect, but instead look to what is perfect.