The drama of the recent presidential election left Americans asking the question, “What just happened here?” Whether a person’s favorite candidate won or lost is irrelevant to this discussion. What is important is the way in which people acted and reacted as tweets, posts, and advertisements went viral, and frankly, much of it was not pretty, or kind, or remotely Christ-like. How does a person, or more specifically a Christian, respond to all the negative campaigning full of hurtful words, accusations (whether true or not), and rhetoric that drove a chasm between segments of society that could take decades to heal? It is this type of scenario society finds itself in on a daily basis. Though not likely to make headline news every day, these
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38). The desire for money, wealth, and power, the attitude of ‘bigger is better’, or the need to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ are fittingly reminiscent of the original list of eight vices developed centuries ago by Evagrius of Pontus and eventually narrowed to seven by Aquinas. The list includes vainglory, envy, sloth, avarice, wrath, lust, gluttony with pride being the root of them all (DeYoung, 2009). Attractive as they are, the vices provide a “subtle and deceptive imitation of the fullness of the human good, what we call happiness” (DeYoung, 2009, p. 38). For example, an individual’s want of a promotion at work obtained at the expense of a coworker demonstrates his need for success over friendship or trust. Likewise, a person’s desire for sexual pleasure obtained through pornography exhibits the valuing of self-pleasure over a relationship of trust with their spouse. Success in a career and sexual pleasure are good when obtained properly, but when pursued in ways that undermine other goods, sin happens. Over time, a person’s character becomes distorted because of seeking good things in a misguided fashion (DeYoung, 2009). DeYoung cites a contemporary author, “The simplest definition of an addiction is anything we use to fill the empty place inside of us that belongs to God alone” (2009, p. 38). If fulfillment and happiness can be achieved with shortcuts, quick results, and one’s own abilities, the need for God
38). The desire for money, wealth, and power, the attitude of ‘bigger is better’, or the need to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ are fittingly reminiscent of the original list of eight vices developed centuries ago by Evagrius of Pontus and eventually narrowed to seven by Aquinas. The list includes vainglory, envy, sloth, avarice, wrath, lust, gluttony with pride being the root of them all (DeYoung, 2009). Attractive as they are, the vices provide a “subtle and deceptive imitation of the fullness of the human good, what we call happiness” (DeYoung, 2009, p. 38). For example, an individual’s want of a promotion at work obtained at the expense of a coworker demonstrates his need for success over friendship or trust. Likewise, a person’s desire for sexual pleasure obtained through pornography exhibits the valuing of self-pleasure over a relationship of trust with their spouse. Success in a career and sexual pleasure are good when obtained properly, but when pursued in ways that undermine other goods, sin happens. Over time, a person’s character becomes distorted because of seeking good things in a misguided fashion (DeYoung, 2009). DeYoung cites a contemporary author, “The simplest definition of an addiction is anything we use to fill the empty place inside of us that belongs to God alone” (2009, p. 38). If fulfillment and happiness can be achieved with shortcuts, quick results, and one’s own abilities, the need for God