"For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us". 2 Cor. 4:6-7
I enjoy driving over to Panera in the morning. I find a comfortable leather chair by the window, read a good book and drink several cups of good coffee. I could do the same thing at home.
Interestingly, Panera offers me a choice that no other restaurant offers...paper, or ceramic (as in cup). I have the same choice at home but I don't really think about it. At Panera I always choose the mug.
Then, as I walk over to the coffee bar I'm confronted with the real choice...Dark Roast, Light Roast, Decaf or Hazelnut. And, of course, this choice determines how the rest of the morning will go. In my case, Dark Roast gives me heartburn and will ruin the rest of my day. Light Roast, with a touch of Hazelnut is perfect. Cup...after cup. In my wife's case the choice is more dramatic. A heart condition prohibits caffeine so, the wrong choice can have dire consequences.
I've wondered why Panera offers a choice of coffee cups. Its an option seemingly incidental to the ritual of morning coffee. Or, is it? Panera must believe morning coffee is a sensory experience that includes good choices of coffee, comfortable chairs and...a choice of cups. Panera may be right. I do the same thing at home. Given a choice, I will never choose one of my wife's flowery cups for my morning coffee. I pick something that suits my nature. My cup says "I Like Ike!" If that cup is dirty I'm a little unsettled.
There is a lesson here. The whole of one's sensory pleasure is comprised of several choices. Good choices produce pleasure. And, of course, this is true of most things in life. But, why the cup? Isn't it the coffee? If I'm served bitter coffee in a ceramic mug it doesn't become sweet. Conversely, a paper cup will not turn sweet coffee bitter.
This leads me to my point that all choices are not created equal. So, what I call "Panera's Choice" is a choice that is really rather superfluous but is presented as a meaningful, even momentous, choice. After all, choice implies something...right? And, contrary to what many proclaim, I believe the Evangelicals got it right when they voted for Donald Trump over HRC. They recognized the "Panera's Choice" (Trump or Clinton) and made their choice on another basis.
Evangelicals believe the arc of history bends toward God and His creation proclaims this. God created humanity as stewards of His perfect handiwork and our responsibility has not changed. Even as sin has polluted everything it touches, we are still commissioned to redeem the world as God has redeemed us through Christ. So, looking past equally profane candidates, Evangelicals made their choice based on which one would, most likely, promote policies that promote Godly values over human desires. Abortion and marriage are just two policies on which God's Word is clear. An Evangelical's responsibility is to advocate for policies that are in harmony with God's Word. In this election they avoided focus on the "suitability of the candidate" and concentrated on what the candidate proclaimed to represent. Time will tell if their choice bears fruit but, for certain, it was a strategic choice.
And, fellow Christians who claim moral superiority because they voted for a more suitable, though inconsequential, third party candidate are living in the false world of platonic dualism. They care only about form and won't dirty their hands in the struggle over substance. They may comfort themselves in their piety but they did nothing to contribute to re-fashioning our culture into the image of God.
Evangelicals have not gotten all their policy positions perfectly consistent and that's a fair criticism. But, to malign an entire people because you don't like the cup they choose to hold their coffee demonstrates a remarkable lack of understanding of who they are. If we spend a few moments reading the 22nd chapter of Numbers we find out it was Balaam’s donkey, not Balaam, who recognized the “Angel of the Lord” and turned away from Balaam’s sure destruction. God even spoke to Balaam through his donkey. You see, Evangelicals understand God uses whichever tool suits his purpose. Sometimes its even one of us...if we can listen and see as well as a donkey.
And, it saved Balaam’s life. I suggest it is far more productive to learn from their decision and avoid a "Panera's Choice" of your own.
Live boldly out there today...
