Our nation is in crisis, or so says the pre-revival advertisement published by www.thecall.com. The advertisement I picked up this morning proposes (or foretells???) an upcoming revival to be held on August, 16th 2008 at the nation’s capital in Washington, DC.
With all good advertising mediums there is provoking graphic design along with the “hook” which tells the “buyer” that he or she cannot live without the advertised product. In this case, the “buyer” is most likely an evangelical middle-class semi-affluent white-suburban young-to-middle-aged American who will be “buying” revival for our nation. Revival too what, I don’t know, it doesn’t say.
The “hook” of the advertisement states that there is a “crisis” in the once God-favored land of America (not the world mind you, only in the blessed land of U-mur-ca). The “crisis” is subtly tied to the American political system on the 2"x 2" poster-card as a photo of the White House and George Washington (?) on his horse decorates the background.
What is being said here? What is the crisis? Unfortunately the advertisement does not make that clear, but what it does propose is that (through inventive tactics of a “revival”) the anticipated event might change this nation. A stimulating question is posed at the bottom: “Can a nation be changed in one day?” Well, I guess it could, especially when you don’t define the change for which you are looking. Only in America do we expect instant results and instant satisfaction.
Another principle of good advertising is that the “buyer” should be left with unanswered questions. This tactic “reels” the “buyer” in to ask questions, to develop interest, and the “seller” is more likely to make the sale (Hey, after all every one has a mortgage to pay and food to put on the table, and all possible roads should be explored which lead to those ends). I realize my criticism is somewhat unfounded, and it is likely that the religious retailers working for revival have good intentions, but the problem of this "revival" is, ironically, also its intentions. Like my seminary professor John Hannah used to say, "It's not bad people who do bad things for bad reasons that's the problem, its good people who do bad things for good reasons." This campaign is an attempt to market and capitalize on a nation whose current socio-economic environment is weakening and gasping for breath with our massive amounts of debt and overspending. Once again, a good marketing scheme will appeal to the “entitlement” nature of humans and more so the “survival” of the buyer.
I’m afraid the real referent to “crisis” here has more to do with soaring gas prices, home foreclosures, job cuts, the possible election of a democratic president, and rising food costs more than it has to do with the spiritual vibrancy and life of the Church. This “revival” ironically comes at a point when a specifically American lifestyle of affluence, ease, and convenience is at risk. Maybe if we make God think we are a “Christian” nation again, he will remove the ichabod sign and return financial and economic blessing to our land.
Also, as an aside, a brief look at the history of “revival” in America over the past 200 years will demonstrate that “revival” has rarely benefited the American Church; rather it has only hindered the progress of Christian truth and teaching through emotionalism and anti-intellectualism. I call Christians in America, not Americans, to return to the tradition of Christian doctrine and piety found in the life of the Church, not the sort of feel-good American-way of happy, emotional fervor and safety that a stable economic situation will potentially offer.