AS AN ENGLISHMAN, one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in America is
automated call centers. You miss a package delivery from FedEx, and you
have to call them to arrange a new delivery time. The problem is that
when you call, you aren’t connected to a human being. You’re connected
to a talking robot programmed to recognize what you are saying in
English.
Or should I say, it’s programmed to recognize what you’re saying in American English.
Every
time I call FedEx, I end up conducting the entire conversation in an
accent that can only be described as the unholy offspring of John Wayne
and Judi Dench. The talking robot, surely trying hard not to laugh,
keeps asking me to repeat myself. For a Brit, it’s absolutely
humiliating. It’s as if someone has implemented the whole system as
payback for nearly two centuries of colonial rule.
The
last time it happened, it occurred to me that this nightmarish limbo is
a familiar place for many of us. Making choices and moving on with our
lives seems increasingly difficult. We feel paralyzed: unable to make
choices about relationships, dating, marriage, money, family, and
career. I want to suggest that if we feel unable to make these choices,
it’s not because we have the wrong accent. It may be because we’re
worshiping a false god.
God of Open Options
In 1 Kings 18:21,
we encounter a crucial moment of decision. It’s the final showdown
between the God of Israel and a false god called Baal. Elijah calls
God’s people to choose once and for all between the living God who
delivered them, and this false god who has captured their affections:
“‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God,
follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said
nothing.”
They seem unable, or unwilling, to make a choice. They want to hedge their bets, sit on the fence, keep their options open.
How
different are we in the 21st century? Would you prefer to make an
ironclad, no-turning-back choice, or one you could back out of if need
be? Do you ever find that you’re afraid to commit? Do you reply to party
invitations with a “maybe” rather than a “yes” or “no”? Do you like to
keep your smartphone switched on at all times, even in meetings, so that
you’re never fully present at any given moment? Will you focus on the
person you’re talking to after a church service, or will you look over
her shoulder for a better conversation partner?
If so, you may be worshiping the god of open options.
Paradox of Open Options
People
wait years before declaring a college major; others only go to stores
with a guaranteed return policy; and it’s not unusual for a person to
date someone for years before getting married—if they ever do get
married. From sex to spirituality, we reserve the right to keep our options open in every department of our lives....
Read the whole article @ The Gospel Coalition
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