Christian vs. American Worldview Part VIII

Well, this is the last of an eight part series on the topic of "worldview." In this post I will be answering the question, "What is life for" from the perspective of an average American. As you read this, do your best to remember what life was like before you came to know Christ--feel the despair--feel the longing. May your heart be wrenched to pray for those you know who live in such a morass of despair. Do not ever minimize the despair of living without Christ. May your compassion for needy sinners, and your passion for Christ drive you to proclaim the Good News.

"Some, in theory, believe that there is no purpose for life—these folks are the minority in America (contrary to popular Christian opinion). Most Americans, however, agree that there probably is a greater purpose for life, but have not yet figured out what it is. These people usually die frustrated, trying to figure out the true purpose of their existence. They live as if the purpose of their life is to produce temporal happiness. But, they know that there must be something more. There is a God-shaped hole in their heart and they have had (on average) 70 years of everyday life to figure out that temporal happiness is not filling it. Most people are frustrated and confused because they know there must be more. The only way they know how to deal with the confusion is to kill it with the pursuit of happiness. But, deep inside they know they are missing something."

I wrote this about 2 months ago. This past Sunday, I watched 60 Minutes for the first time since... I don't know... uhhh... 1992, or something like that. On this segment, Steve Kroft interviewed Tom Brady. Brady exhibited this exact same struggle and despair. This morning as I sat down to do this last post on the topic of worldview, I realized exactly how correct my assessment of the American mindset was/is.

Brady said,

“Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there's something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think, ‘God, it's got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn't, this can't be what it's all cracked up to be.”

Kroft pressed Brady to see if he knew what was missing.

Brady responded by saying, "I wish I knew. I wish I knew. I love playing football and I love being quarterback for this team. But at the same time, I think there are a lot of other parts about me that I’m trying to find."

What despair! What more could Brady gain? And yet, he is empty. Right now I sit in my kitchen as a poor seminary student rearing a medically challenged child. I have no job security, no money, an old car, and a big sliver in my thumb (I got it while loading wood this morning). And yet, I am completely fulfilled. I couldn't ask for more, nor do I necessarily want more. I have Christ, therefore I am happy.

Dr. Tom Ascol has written an excellent post on how, if he were the correspondent interviewing Brady, he would have responded to him. You can check it out by clicking here. I highly recommend reading Dr. Ascol's response. I could not have answered better (surprise, surprise).