Beware of Mr. Beck

Glenn Beck stands for patriotism, the US Constitution, smaller government, and traditional American values. Those concepts are precious to me as well, so I hate to be be suspicious. But whenever I encounter the familiar Fox News celebrity while flipping channels, I am always troubled. Sure, we always see images of Washington and Lincoln. And graphs warn us about the path from "progressive" to "socialist." It's what you can't see that bothers me.

A few months ago, Beck attracted several hundred thousand Americans to a rally near the steps of the Lincoln Monument. The speeches and atmosphere had all the markings of a religious revival except there was no specific religion being recommended. Beck is a devout Mormon. Some of the other speakers were Christians. There was a lot of talk about character and choosing to live differently, along with a litany of platitudes and cliches. But this was not about Jesus Christ or even Joseph Smith for that matter. It was about Glenn Beck's vision for America.

Yesterday Glenn interviewed a rabbi about the Genesis 11 account of the Tower of Babel. This instantly caught my attention so I paused on Fox News for a few moments. The rabbi taught Fox News fans that King Nimrod ordered his people to build bricks and then to construct a tower to the heavens. The rabbi and the host went on to explain that "bricks" denote people being forced into uniformity while "stones" always suggest someone unique and created by God. Dictators and tyrants want to make us all into bricks, while God wants us to be individuals as He designed us. The "mortar" used to unite the bricks into a wall is actually materialism. (The Rabbi commented: Notice how "mortar" sounds similar to "matter" or "materialism.") The interview ended with the revelation that God didn't really punish the people of Babel but, rather, divided them for their own good. Their intentions were actually okay, but the king's motives were evil!

Nobody is more opposed to socialism, communism, tyrants, or 21st Century "Newspeak" than I am, but the host and the rabbi were broadcasting absolute hogwash! Even skeptics who regard the account as a myth must understand the people of Babel united to build a tower in order to resist God's command to "go and fill the earth." It's one thing to draw insights out of the passage, but it's completely unacceptable to read ideas into the text that were not intended. The king's name was never given, the metaphor is not supported anywhere else in Scripture, and the Hebrew word for "mortar" is rooted in the word "to boil." It is not related to the Hebrew term for "material."

I continued to watch only because I knew I would likely be asked about this broadcast within a few days. Soon I was astonished when one segment of the interview segued into a montage of scenes from the Beck rally at the Lincoln Monument. Viewers were treated to one clip after another of dewy eyed young adults speaking reverentially that this Glenn Beck moment had changed their lives forever. In other words, this was not just a political rally. This was a religious event!

I hope American Christians are not being seduced by the slick image being cultivated and projected by this appealing stranger who celebrates conservative values. Patriotism is a wonderful thing, but there's a reason we have that old adage that heralds "patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels." Many of us were somewhat irritated by so many messianic references to candidate Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign. Clearly, President Obama is just a politician. Likewise, Glenn Beck is only a talk show host. Let's be careful. Be very careful.

Selah.

At the End of the World

Peter gazes into the future and sees the heavens evaporate with a roar. The stars and planets burst into flame. The evil of the Planet Earth is exposed once and for all. Then the apostle cautions us, "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?" (2 Peter:3:11, NIV)

A vivid answer to that New Testament question can be found in the Old Testament pages of Isaiah. The prophet devotes several chapters to his vision of God's final judgment raining down upon the earth. "The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a hut. Earth's rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again." (Isaiah 24:20, HCSB) Like ancient Egypt tottering and reeling in the face of the plagues of Moses, the whole world is suddenly a fortress of barbarians reduced to rubble.

But in the midst of all this devastation, Isaiah 24:14,15 interrupts with two of the most unlikely verses. "They lift up their voices. They sing for joy. Over the majesty of the Lord they shout from the west. Therefore in the east, give glory to the Lord. In the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel."

Who are these strange people celebrating God's goodness among the ruins of civilization? Those people are us, the holy people of God, taking hope in the certainty of God's promises and the reality of his justice. They have always known these things had to happen because God's Word is true and his authority is final. They are vindicated in their faith. What's more, they realize the joy that is yet to come.

In our generation, we have become quite attached to this evil world. The bright lights have become too seductive for us, and the earthly delights taste succulent indeed. We love the night life because we belong to the city. When we gaze into the store windows, we see fond reflections of ourselves, draped in high fashion and lounging on designer sofas. We do not see the expiration date stamped on every item.

Knowing these baubles will be destroyed by fire, what sort of people should we be? Peter exhorts us to live holy and godly lives as we look forward to the Day of the Lord, and hope it will come speedily. Something within us will have to change before we can be those visionary souls who rejoice at the end of the world. We will need to break off our affair with the world. We must detach. We must disengage. Alright, that sounds much too new age and trendy. Let's be prophetic. We must repent and rediscover Matthew 6:33.

Selah!