Re-cession, Re-examination

The words “Change” and “Maverick” dominated the airwaves and rang in our ears in the weeks leading up to the Election. But over the last few weeks in the land of buzz words and pop-culture phraseology, there’s a new sheriff in town – Recession.

Ever since the polls closed in November with no hanging chads to be found and America named a new President, the word taking up residence in the headlines and bottom-of-the-TV-tickers starts with “Re” and ends with “Cession.” As America struggles to precisely define the cause of such a recession as well as its scope, many continue to sink deeper and deeper in despair. In the midst of such a desperate slide, people look back at the Great Depression and search for similarities while at the same time straining to look forward and speculate just how bad it will get.

While many continue to debate if this is merely the financial version of Y2K – all bark and no bite – or the real arrival of economic anorexia for our generation; let’s not panic quite yet.
First, we are a group of people obsessed with comparisons and with a passion for labeling everything as “the modern ________” or the “next _________.” Let’s wait to cross bridges if and when we get to them.

Secondly, while there are certainly some industries and groups of people who are hurting worse than others, and for those groups we mourn, for many this time is simply causing a return from complete and utter excess to a more normal existence. Maybe the yacht or the vacation home is lying a little more dormant than usual; maybe public transportation is now a more common occurrence; maybe dining in makes more sense than taking-out.

Not for all, but for many these times simply mean less “stuff” and Lord knows that might be good for you and I. Perhaps during these times, one will have to begin counting their blessings and riches that aren’t as tangible – things like freedom, family, health, and love. But when looked at that way – aren’t those things we can’t touch, can’t claim on our taxes, really what matters?

Are you a good person?

There is a new game show on Fox called The Moment of Truth. The game show works like this: Prior to the show a contestant is hooked up to a polygraph and asked a series of 50 questions that get progressively more personal and probing. The results from the polygraph are documented but not shown to the contestant. The contestant then is placed on the show before the live audience, which will include family, friends, and spouse, and asked 21 of the same questions. If they answer the question in accordance to how the polygraph documented the truth then they win money and have a chance to keep answering more questions for increasingly more money.

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Before reading the rest of this post you need to watch this 3 minute YouTube clip from a recent episode. It will be well worth your time.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K76dtwA5kc4

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This last question - by which Lauren lost all of the money - is profound on so many levels. First, the scenario implies that on the original polygraph she also answered "yes" to the question of whether or not she is a good person but the polygraph detected hints of dishonesty, meaning that deep down in her most honest gut she realizes she is not a good person but she suppresses the realization - only to be betrayed by a device that can measure physiological responses which trump what we may say. This is incredible because it echoes exactly what we are told in Romans:
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"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." (1:18)

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"They show that the work of the Law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse our even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus." (2:15,16)
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Secondly, the entire premise and appeal of the show would not even be possible if what our culture tells us true - that there is no moral absolute and no natural law. If there are no moral absolutes than 1) why is honesty prized? 2) why is it wrong, or at the very least socially frowned upon, to lie? 3)whose to say all of the things she fesses up to are wrong? 4) why is behavior such as adultery shocking? Adultery might be wrong for Audience Member A but its's right for her.

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Further, if there is no such thing as natural law written on our hearts, no instinctual sense of right and wrong, why does Lauren know (albeit subconsciously) that there is some idea of a "good person" but that she falls short of it? Something about her behavior causes her to doubt her intrinsic goodness but that causes her to feel shameful and thus tries to convince herself and others that she really is good.

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But Lauren's feelings, the feelings of her family, the entire premise of the show, and the uncomfortable response that it illicits from us should not happen if there is no God, and no moral standard, and no absolutes.
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But the game show had 23 million viewers in its debut.

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And Fox has just ordered more episodes.
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I know its just TV and all that comes with that. But think about the premise of this show for just...a moment.