Messiah Complex

Most ministers would say that people are designed with a God-shaped hole that can only be filled by Jesus.  They may try to fill it with work, drugs, other gods or something else, but only Christ can fulfill the void we are born with.

Most Christian story tellers I know believe in the three act structure of telling stories that pretty much mirrors life, death/burial and resurrection. 

Most Christians involved in politics believe that a political candidate with the right stances on gun control, taxation, immigration and so forth will come waltzing in on a white horse and will deliver consecutive terms where he (not she) cuts taxes forever and lets every American live their Christian life. 

The last paragraph was mildly sarcastic, but it seems Mr. Bobby Jindal, governor of Louisiana, is being put on the pedestal that George W. Bush abdicated somewhere around late 2005 or early 2006.  In 1999 and 2000, George W. Bush was the Christian candidate who was going to lead Christian politics into the forefront of America.  He said his favorite political thinker was Jesus, said he prayed and read his Bible and was converted by the protestant pope Bill Graham.  He had all the makings of exactly what the church was looking for.

On this end of the 2000’s, most Christians have completely abandoned that though, thinking that Bush was either not up to the job or a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  However, the concept that one political figure can solve the world’s problems (i.e. a political messiah) still permeates our thoughts.  This thought becomes paramount, rather than admit that it’ll take a wave of public servants in a variety of offices to bring the nation to a new era as well as highly educated and motivated Christians with a good idea of what’s going on in the world and what needs to be done.

I don’t know much about Mr. Jindal, in fact all I really know is that he’s not Jesus.  He can’t heal the sick, raise the dead, give sight to the blind, etc.  He may wind up being a decent political figure, but then again Dan Quayle was once the conservative Republican hope.  That’s right, we went from Dan Quayle to George W. Bush to Bobby Jindal (not to mention the others left along the roadside), and we still haven’t learned our lesson.  And, let’s be honest, Ronald freaking Reagan looks much better in hindsight than he did in office.  We sold weapons and assisted in drug smuggling during his administration (Iran Contra) and his cuts to public programs led countless people to roam the streets.

Why are we looking for a political messiah? Why aren’t people taking up the cross and running for small public offices and trying to fix what’s around them?  I have the same frustration with Christians who donate money to the 700 Club while their local church can’t fund youth outreach programs.  Go grassroots, look local and let the federal stuff take care of itself.  And, for the love of Jehovah, stop trying to resurrect Reagan and/or anoint every conservative candidate who comes down the pike.

~ by jmarchelewski on February 26, 2009.