I was struck by a couple of ads this weekend. One for Hillary Clinton, one for Barack Obama. In both of them, I think that there is a not-so-subtle play into messianic hope. Both of them count on some serious star power.
In the first, pay attention to the music and what it implies.
In the second, well ... just watch and listen.
I think we're supposed to mostly pay attention to the spoken messages of hope and inclusion. The main idea here is that WE are the ones we've been waiting for. But when was the last time you heard a single name sung/chanted that much. I'd bet it was either at a sporting event or a worship service. Doesn't this seem more than a little idolatrous?
Both, I think, are using certain categories of heavenly/messianic hope to express something more temporal. I'm not saying that we can't hope for some good from any or every candidate. But, especially for Christians, we need to be careful not to buy into messages that equate hope for the earthly city with hope for the heavenly city.
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I was watching Obama's video again today, and there was a part that I missed in class. One of the ladies speaking says, "He's (Obama) like the Bible for people's souls". That was very interesting. After our discussion of the overlapping theme of a "savior-like" president and "waiting for the one to come", I have recognized more of this religious overtone. It is a very interesting campaign strategy.
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