A Heart Scan for the Culture

A number of years ago I had a heart scan.  I was experiencing no symptoms that were causing me any concern.  My wife had seen a promotional offer for a free heart scan, and so we both went in. I was surprised when my results came back showing a plaque problem that indicated an increased risk of heart attack. 

In the period of time culminating on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, our nation also received a diagnostic heart scan. In both my individual heart scan and the national heart scan of the 2012 election cycle, significant problems can clearly be seen by the trained eye. In both cases, the scan did not cause the problem, but rather it reflects the problem. In both cases, there are choices to be made that can impact the outcome going forward.

In this time since the election, I feel like I am getting the doctor's report. What does he see on the scan? What is his diagnosis? And beyond this, what are my options?

In the case of my personal heart scan, the options were pretty clear: 

• Make a significant change in three areas -
  - diet
  - exercise
  - stress

or

• do nothing and suffer the consequences.

I chose the former.

How about the nation?

Isaiah 1:4-5 (New American Standard Bible)

Alas, sinful nation,
People weighed down with iniquity,
Offspring of evildoers,
Sons who act corruptly!
They have abandoned the Lord,
They have despised the Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away from Him.

5 Where will you be stricken again,
As you continue in your rebellion?
The whole head is sick
And the whole heart is faint.

God sent prophets, the trained eyes that could interpret the heart scan and warn.

Jeremiah 2:1-13

1 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord,

“I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth,
The love of your betrothals,
Your following after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.
3 “Israel was holy to the Lord,
The first of His harvest.
All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares the Lord.’”

4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord,

“What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me
And walked after emptiness and became empty?
6 “They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord
Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and of pits,
Through a land of drought and of deep darkness,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no man dwelt?’
7 “I brought you into the fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and defiled My land,
And My inheritance you made an abomination.
8 “The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
And those who handle the law did not know Me;
The rulers also transgressed against Me,
And the prophets prophesied by Baal
And walked after things that did not profit.

9 “Therefore I will yet contend with you,” declares the Lord,
“And with your sons’ sons I will contend.
10 “For cross to the coastlands of Kittim and see,
And send to Kedar and observe closely
And see if there has been such a thing as this!
11 “Has a nation changed gods
When they were not gods?
But My people have changed their glory
For that which does not profit.
12 “Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the Lord.
13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.

After my heart scan, I met others with heart issues. One man, after a heart attack and heart surgery, had made no changes.  He was still overweight, under exercised, etc. Another that I spoke with shared that he, too had a heart scan that showed problems.  He said that he was not going to do anything about changing anything in his lifestyle, because it would be too difficult.

What about America? What will we choose? What will we decide about our junk food "diet" of violence, self-indulgence, entertainment addiction? As individuals will we "exercise", putting our creeds into action? Will we avoid the stress of turning our backs on God and, instead, cast our cares on the one who cares for us, submitting our plans, our goals, our lives, our families, our nation, and our hearts to him?