Change We Can All Believe In

By Chad Bonham

It was an average January 20th morning when change came to Washington D.C., and with that change came hope for millions of Americans. It brought hope for a renewed sense of pride in the office of the President and hope that our nation’s standing in the world would once again be bolstered by a healthy respect for a strong military and a robust economy.

The brand new President spoke of our storied past—a past full of mistakes and moments of glory. He closed by reminding us that we are all doing the work of a sovereign God.

I’m sure by now it should be clear that this description is a flashback to the 2001 inauguration of George W. Bush. Or you might be a little confused.

That’s because much of the same feelings and attitudes from Bush’s supporters back then have been reborn through the lives of Obama’s supporters in 2009. Strangely, the two Presidents’ speeches had many similarities as well.

You might recall that back in 2001, President Bill Clinton was wrapping up his eight-year term in the Oval Office. It was a contentious presidency with moral failures and questionable foreign policy decisions that overshadowed the positives of his administration which included a balanced budget and a strong economy. Still, there was a significant part of the population that was ready for change.

And so entered a governor from Texas with a political pedigree of near-Kennedy stature. He offered a powerful message of fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, faith-based initiatives and military might for which so many conservatives, Republicans and (most importantly) Evangelical Christians had hoped.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that the fervor during Bush’s first campaign was anything remotely close to the hysteria witnessed through Obama’s historic run for the presidency, but there was palatable excitement and a sincere belief that this man—who like Obama was unashamed to quote scripture and tout his Christian faith—would be the best thing since Ronald Reagan.

I’m not going to get into the pros and cons of Bush’s presidency in this column. That’s for another time, although I do believe he will ultimately be seen in a more favorable light than poll numbers currently suggest.

But what’s most interesting to me is how it appears that the most ardent Obama backers are really no different than those who have defended Bush at every turn. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to glaze over the historical significance of Obama’s presidency nor am I trying to diminish the inspirational value of his rise to power.

This world’s history has always depended on great men and women who were able to send strong messages of hope to the otherwise hopeless. We were reminded of some of these people just one day before Obama’s inauguration—transformational figures such as Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Rosa Parks and of course Martin Luther King, Jr.

Even the Bible is full of so-called “Heroes of the Faith” that showed incredible leadership in the most difficult times: Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Esther, David and the great prophets of Israel; all used by God as instruments of hope.

I guess the question for me is this: What happens when euphoric idealism is blindsided by a freight train full of reality? In other words, when President Obama is unable to keep all of his campaign promises, will his faithful followers give him a pass or will they start to get restless—especially if those broken (or delayed) promises directly affect their lives?

What happens if President Obama turns out to be just another politician? What if his governing style differs only slightly from his recent predecessors Bill Clinton and George W. Bush?

Will his most ardent supporters become disillusioned with him just as many conservatives became disillusioned with President Bush during his second term in office? Will they start to lose hope in democracy?

What about those who didn’t vote for Obama? Will we all start to look for the one who will save us from him like many felt Obama would save us from Bush? Maybe it will be Mike Huckabee. How about Mitt Romney? Perhaps Sarah Palin will be the one to finally bring the kind of hope we need.

Or maybe one day, we will finally realize that our hope has never been in a government system, a social program or a political figure. Our only hope is in the one true God and through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. David writes in Psalm 62:5, “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him” (NIV).

We as Christians know this, but sometimes we don’t act that way. Trust me, you’re reading the words of someone who has lost a lot of time over an unhealthy obsession with the past five presidential campaigns (especially the three most recent). I’ve lost sleep over this kind of stuff and I know plenty other Christians who have done the same—worrying that the election of this candidate or that candidate was going to make or break this great nation.

Am I suggesting that we disengage from the process? Absolutely not! In fact, I think we should all become more engaged in what’s happening instead of burying our collective heads in the sand. This is not the time to sit idly by and watch as both political parties continue down a dangerous path towards amoral social stances and fiscal irresponsibility.

I also believe that we should pray for all elected officials—not for their success and not for their failure, but rather for God’s will to be done in all of their decisions and that their hearts would be softened towards the Spirit’s leading.

But while we’re praying, how about asking for some of that peace “which transcends all understanding” (Phil. 4:7, NIV). and for a more trusting relationship with the One who actually holds our future in His hands. That’s the kind of change (and hope) we can all believe in.

Chad Bonham is a freelance author, journalist and television and documentary producer from Broken Arrow, Okla.

INNOCENCE FOR SALE

BY CHAD BONHAM

Every year, new words are introduced into the English vernacular. Some are pre-existing words that take on special significance due to national or world events, while other words are manufactured to describe a developing social trend or political phenomenon.

Words like “bailout,” “climate change,” and “Al Franken” come to mind—all words that I could care less if I ever hear again.

But by far, the most disturbing new word to be uttered over the past 18 to 24 months—“pornification”—is used to describe the increased sexualizing of popular culture with a particular emphasis on mass media geared towards young people.

I first heard the word referenced by conservative radio talk show host and author Laura Ingraham. In February 2008, Pornification: Sex & Sexuality in Media Culture (Berg Publishers) was released as an academic study on the topic. When people within the world of secular higher education notice something, you know it’s got to be pretty bad.

If you don’t believe me, just watch MTV for five minutes. If that’s too obvious and cliché for you, go down the dial and check out the average original program on TNT, FX, Spike TV or most broadcast television after 9 p.m. EST.

Another indication of our overly sexualized culture can be found on Myspace where the conversation between teens and the pictures used for personal profile sites often border on pornographic.

It would require a series of blogs to chronicle all the specific instances detailing just how bad it’s gotten in this country. But when I read the story about Natalie Dylan last week, my heart literally sank to an all-time low.

In case you haven’t heard about this yet, Dylan is a 22-year-old college student from San Diego, Calif., who is auctioning off her virginity. Ironically, she already has a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and plans to use the money to pay for graduate school. The highest bid to date is a mindboggling $3.8 million.

Once she gets through graduate school, get this: Dylan aspires to pursue a career in marriage and family counseling! Since most divorces occur due to matters of money and/or sex, her one-time foray into the world of prostitution should give her studies a jumpstart. But what kind of advice does Dylan expect to give her clients one day? How will anyone be able to take her seriously?

Perhaps this is just a publicity stunt meant to generate cash via other means. She has already signed a book deal and no doubt other nefarious offers will be forthcoming. Yet sadly, Dylan is not the first to offer her virginity for the highest bidder. Several other young women have already done the same with an unusually high number of cases in the United Kingdom.

You might say that Dylan and others like her have put their innocence up for sale. But let’s not kid ourselves here. The innocence of the last two or three generations of young people in this country has been methodically pimped out by Hollywood and its willing accomplice, the mainstream media.

And even when a handful of brave souls stand up to the entertainment industry and actually take it to task, the tiresome Hollywood elites pop off with their spiel to parents and how they need to do a better job monitoring what their children are watching at home, in the theatres and on the internet. Certainly that’s true to a point, but in the new age of technological access, dumbed-down FCC broadcast regulations, the music industry’s flat-out refusal to police itself and the movie business’ daily pushing of the proverbial envelope, even the most vigilant parents can’t shield their children from every negative media influence.

I don’t have daughters, but I do have three nieces (two of them teenagers). I’m also the youth pastor over a small group that includes several teenage girls. When I think about a young woman like Natalie Dylan, I can’t help but wonder what kind of pressures these teenage girls are facing every day. Do I think that the selling of one’s virginity will become some sort of national epidemic? Not really. But we should all be alarmed by the fact that someone would actually consider doing so and that the validity of such an act is being debated instead of widely condemned.

Since most Charisma readers are likely regular church attendees and committed followers of Christ, I would imagine the response to this blog might be of disgust at our culture or perhaps hopelessness at the widespread nature of the problem.

But be careful not to be deceived into believing that it can’t affect your children or your church’s teenagers. Many studies have shown that churched young people are just as susceptible to the sexualizing of our society. They struggle to fight off the onslaught of lust and physical desire just like any guy or girl their age.

While I don’t purport to be an expert in this area, there are a few simple things that I believe we can do to guard our kids from these attacks.

First, they need to be taught to value and respect their bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 tells us to, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (NIV).

Secondly, they need to understand that their identity is in Christ—not in their relationships. In Romans 8:17, for example, it says that we are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”

Finally, they must have a proper view of who God is and how much He loves them. This can be difficult for the girl who has a poor, perhaps abusive relationship with her father or one who has no father figure at all. But Psalm 33:5 reminds us that “the earth is full of his unfailing love.”

Beyond those tools, we must all begin to pay closer attention to our own media consumption habits. What example are we setting for the next generation and even for our peers? It’s hard to preach sexual purity while simultaneously glazing over our own poor entertainment choices.

While many men and women much smarter than I have written informative books on this topic, I hope that the simplicity of these steps will help us all take a more proactive role in the fight against this destructive “pornification” of our great country.

I also pray that Natalie Dylan (and others like her who might be tempted to sell their innocence all the while jeopardizing their future) will change her mind before it’s too late. And even if she goes through with her plans, there is still a way for virtue to be restored. That’s the beauty of God’s grace. It can cover a multitude of sins and pave the way for new beginnings.

Chad Bonham is a freelance author, journalist and television and documentary producer from Broken Arrow, Okla.

Tim Tebow, Hated for Doing Good?

By Chad Bonham

Before I go too deep into this blog, I should probably go ahead and confess that I'm a stereotypical sports junkie. So it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out what I was doing Thursday night (along with a few million other sports fans).

Being from Oklahoma, you would assume that I was cheering for the Sooners to defeat the Florida Gators in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game in Miami, Fla. The truth is, however, that I’m a graduate of The University of Tulsa and had no personal stake in the outcome.

To be honest (and at the risk of alienating some of my fellow Oklahomans), I found myself pulling for the Gators who ultimately pulled off the 24-14 victory. Why, you ask? My response is simply two words: Tim Tebow.

Before anyone worries that this next part of the blog is about to dive headlong into flat-out idol worship, be assured that I fully understand the fallible nature of man and putting people on a pedestal is a bad habit that sets both us and the object of our admiration up for disappointment and failure. So obviously there’s a fine line that needs to be walked here.

With that said, let me give a quick history lesson for any non-sports junkies. Tebow, a junior from Jacksonville, is Florida’s starting quarterback. He was a key part of Florida’s National Championship team two years ago and last year won the coveted Heisman Trophy, an award given annually to college football’s premier player.

In fact, Tebow has amassed so many awards, championships and individual records in three seasons that many experts and fans alike are already citing the Gator play-caller as one of the greatest college football players of all time.

But his football accomplishments are hardly what define this 21-year-old. Instead, it’s Tebow’s unwavering belief in Jesus Christ and service to others that has impressed so many onlookers. Born in the Philippines to missionary parents, Tebow has lived an exemplary life of biblical morality and personal integrity. He has ministered overseas to orphans in developing countries and has personally touched the lives of countless inmates at prisons throughout Central Florida.

These are just some of the biographical tidbits that the FOX broadcast team touted during the fourth quarter as Tebow led his team on a championship-clinching drive. As a Christian, I was both inspired and challenged. I assumed others would feel the same.

Strangely, that wasn’t necessarily the case. I later found through various message boards that a disturbing number of sports fans were put off by the extended praise that Tebow was receiving. “Talk about football already,” some cried. “Who cares what that Jesus freak does off the field?” others ranted. “I hope he gets caught boozing it up with a bunch of women in a club after the game,” one poster nefariously wished.

A similar phenomenon took place with Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard who as a prep star took the NBA by storm and brought with him an uncharacteristic devotion to Christ. However, late 2007, it was revealed that Howard had fathered a child out of wedlock and the naysayers piled on with relentless fervor and borderline glee.

And after the BCS title game, it hit me: Our nation has a bad case of condemnation. As a whole, we can’t stand to see people actually living like Christians have been called to live. It drives many of us crazy when people in the public eye display the kind of faith that has often been deemed impossible to live out—the kind of faith described in Romans 12.

So instead of being inspired and challenged, we look for fault or chinks in the armor. Sometimes we even secretly root for falls from grace so that we can justify our own imperfections, our own struggles with the sinful nature. Jesus confirms that this is a sign of His impending returning in Matt. 24:11: “And you will be hated by all nations because of me” (NIV).

If you’re a believer reading and you’re feeling a prick to the heart, don’t be so shocked. That’s because we as Christians are often caught displaying the same behavior. If there is a minister we disagree with, we can easily fall prey to this demonic spirit. I wonder how many within the body of Christ privately (or perhaps even publicly) uttered, “I told you so” when Ted Haggard’s secret sin was revealed? How many of us within the church community felt no sorrow for Richard and Lindsey Roberts after their departure from Oral Roberts University? Going further back, I can only imagine how many of us were pleased with the moral failures of Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker.

Can I just go ahead and plead “guilty” to having those very ungodly thoughts? I know I have done this very thing at different stages in my life, and after watching the game and reading the commentary that ensued, I can admit to feeling extremely convicted for letting silly things like fan support or even deeper issues such as theological belief systems dictate the way I viewed others’ public mistakes.

Jesus tells us in Matt. 7:1 how we are to respond to the failures of fellow Christians: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (NIV).

James continues this thought by writing, “Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12, NIV)

In other words, we cannot afford to treat our fellow Christian brothers and sisters the same way the world treats Christians.

So while this blog might have started out about sports and a football player named Tim Tebow, it’s really about the heart condition of mankind and how our nature—left unsanctified by a Holy God—can become our own worst enemy. Whether you’re a sports fan or just an average believer trying to do your best to live like Christ, let us all remember that when God is for us, no one can be against us. And trust me, there is a world full of people out there rooting for our demise.

How much stronger would we be if we could stand unified as one body with one goal in mind?

Chad Bonham is a freelance author, journalist and television, and documentary producer from Broken Arrow, Okla.