Living in Our Fears

It is our fears that reveal to us our treasures, and the shape of the idols of our hearts. And the devil likes nothing more than to prey upon those fears, even through the medium of our purported friends. I am, like I suspect most of you, what can rightly be considered politically conservative. Indeed it’s unlikely that any of you are more conservative than me. As such it has been known to happen from time to time that I turn on my car radio to conservative talk radio. I started listening to Rush back in the early 90’s. Today, however, I find that there are three things that frustrate me deeply about conservative talk radio.

First, it isn’t very conservative and is often reactionary. Most hosts in my judgment do not have a principled understanding of the appropriate limits to the government, both domestically and abroad. They want smaller federal programs, smaller educational footprints, smaller entitlement systems. They want to stay out of wars favored by Democrats, but go to war when the Republicans want to go to war. They may bluster and mock, but these are not, by and large, thoughtful, principled men.

Second, the most potent reason I believe them to be not principled is because if they were they would talk about the greatest evil in our day. Trillion dollar deficits are horrible. COVID was a train wreck. But babies are being murdered, 2500 of them every day. They may talk about Gosnell. They may cover Supreme Court nominees. But they don’t talk about the babies.

My third concern, however, is what it does to us. How easily we fall for the fallacious notion that we are the customers of talk radio, and conservative talk is the product. The truth is we are the product, being sold to advertisers. The talk is just the bait to catch the product. They do this, day in and day out, by exposing the vulnerability of our idols. Our standing in the world as a nation is threatened, and we grow fearful and so tune in. Our 401k’s are threatened and we grow fearful and so tune in. Our entertainment is threatened with gross immortality, and we grow fearful and so tune in. What will we do without national pride? How will we make it with worthless federal reserve notes? How can we enjoy our music, television, movies and games when they are created by moral barbarians?

I like a strong national defense (and a non-existent offense). I’m all in favor of people saving money, investing for the future. And I listen to music, go to movies and watch some television. But why would I fear losing any of these things? If they all go by the wayside they would do so because the real King determined that they should. The real King would only do so if such were good for my sanctification. It’s all just stuff- wood, hay and stubble. But Jesus reigns. Nothing will change or even challenge that. And He loves me with an unbreakable, everlasting love.

Paul was able to sing songs of joy and praise while imprisoned by that brutal nation that would over the first 300 years of the church martyr over 2 millions saints. While we sing dirges in our car about who won the right to spend us into oblivion in Washington. Jesus wins. He has already overcome the world. Therefore be of good cheer.