SMITCHing

New is powerful. New is seductive. New promises something more. Old is, well, old. There's an old saying—sorry, I couldn't resist that transition—in advertising: The only thing more adaptable than the cockroach is the consumer. It encapsulates the idea that "new" is the holy grail of marketing. New markets. New products. New ideas. Marketing professionals seek these because we so readily tire of "old", and "new" is the only thing that can separate us from more of our money. Too bad. Old can be very, very good. Wine, brandy, and friends come to mind. As does Christianity. It's an ancient faith. Perhaps not as old as Judaism or Hinduism, but very old nonetheless. For thousands of years creeds—very basic outlines of the Christian faith—have united Jesus' followers. For example, consider the Apostle's and the Nicene creeds. These are simple statements of faith that have served the church for centuries. But in the contemporary evangelical ...

Do you ever stop to think how our appetites define us? There's a new series of Subway commercials out where a co-worker, who has obviously returned from a fast-food run, enters the workplace crying out his hungry associates orders. "Who's got the extra-large opposite-sex-repellent special...the I'm-not-fat-I'm-just-husky combo...?" The idea behind the spots is that one's fast-food appetite will shape who one is, quite literally. But I think the commercials have it backwards. I think one's identity shapes one's appetites. The Bible talks about a fundamental change of identity: you who were once enemies of God, now have peace with Him; you were once slaves, but now you are free, etc. It's indicating more than just a change of external circumstances. The Scriptures teach a fundamental change of identity as a function of one's relationship to God. Something else comes along with this change: new appetites. Or, if you'd rather, new desires. ...