The hope that we confess

I watched Obama's speech at the Democratic Convention last night. I was struck by his religious rhetoric. He alluded to the response of Cain to God when he said that we are our "brother's keeper," which I didn't find particularly objectionable. What I thought was more interesting was his final sentence: "Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess."

Though that snippet is from the words of Scripture (Heb 10), it certainly does not convey the meaning of Scripture. Obama calls Americans to strive for progress based on a hope in our own abilities. This is actually directly opposed to what Scripture says.

I am less concerned about what this conveys about Obama as much as I am intrigued and saddened by what this suggests about Americans at large. This was the type of speech that a whole committee spends days carefully crafting to resonate with a large segment of Americans. The fact Obama closed his speech the way he did suggests that something about Scripture resonates with the American public yet the meaning of the words is not something people understand or care about. A general sense of spiritual apathy across the country is more troubling than who ultimately wins this upcoming election.