The Salty Peanut Gallery

Don’t you just love it when politicians are caught using scripture in public? Invariably they do so at their own peril, demonstrating what little regard and how little understanding they really have for the spiritual truths they assert. In a speech given last week at Georgetown University President Obama shared some remarks on the economy:

Now, there’s a parable at the end of the Sermon on the Mount that tells the story of two men. The first built his house on a pile of sand, and it was soon destroyed when a storm hit. But the second is known as the wise man, for when “the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”

It was founded upon a rock. We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand. We must build our house upon a rock. We must lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity — a foundation that will move us from an era of borrow and spend to one where we save and invest; where we consume less at home and send more exports abroad.

Jesus’ parable about the two builders is meant to illustrate the difference between those who act upon the truth of God’s Word and those who do not. The wise man hears the words of Christ and builds his life upon them. He receives God’s grace through faith, he places his trust in God’s precepts, and through the power of the Holy Spirit he allows them to transform his life.

Does anybody besides me see the irony in this? As you may recall this was a speech in which the White House demanded that Georgetown University cover up a cross and the Roman Catholic abbreviation for Jesus. So let’s get this straight. Making a speech standing in front of a cross…bad; quoting scripture in support of economic policy…good. I guess what we learn from this is that it’s okay to acknowledge the teachings of Christ if it means scoring political points with Christians, just so long as you don’t allow yourself to be associated with Him too closely.

Although Jesus’ parable on the wisdom of God has nothing in the world to do with fiscal policy, President Obama has co-opted it as a metaphor for his economic agenda. He contends that the foundation for growth and prosperity in this country is one that moves us from borrowing and spending to saving and investing, though it’s unclear how he intends to accomplish this while compounding the national debt to historic levels.

Here’s a thought. What if President Obama were really serious about building the foundation of our house on solid rock? What if the wisdom of God really meant something to Him? What if the White House were to begin putting into practice sound biblical teaching that would build a strong foundation? What would that look like? Here are some principles he might want to consider:

Luke 14:28 “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”
It’s unfathomable that the United States federal government would pass the largest spending bill in American history without actually taking the time to read what was in it. Every pork barrel project imaginable was included in this initiative. And now after some public criticism the Obama administration is trying to give the appearance of fiscal restraint by cutting $100 million from the budget. Compared to the trillions already being spent this barely amounts to a cup of coffee.

Exodus 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
On April 15th in cities all across the country hundreds of thousands of people gathered together to participate in grassroots protests known as “Tea Parties” in response to the government’s irresponsible fiscal policies and out of control spending. Ordinary people committed to effecting positive change in their communities assembled themselves in peaceful expressions of free speech, hoping to have their voices heard. Unfortunately the White House has endeavored to diminish and mischaracterize Tea Party participants as bitter, frustrated partisans. Days before the Tea Parties occurred, Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano warned law enforcement officials about a rise in “rightwing extremist activity” due to the “current economic and political climate.” Obama senior adviser David Axelrod said that the frustration over spending and taxes is “unhealthy.” Meanwhile White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs tried to dismiss the Tea Parties as insignificant.

Matthew 10:33 “but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
What does it say about a politician who claims to be a Christian, but is adamant about not being video taped in front of the greatest symbol of our faith? This is certainly not the mark of a man devoted to building his house upon the rock. It’s becoming more and more evident that President Obama is not the Christian leader that he likes to portray himself to be.

If President Obama were truly serious about building the foundation of our house on solid rock, he might consider actually applying the wisdom of God’s Word to his administration rather than using it for a campaign slogan or a political catchphrase.