Glenn Beck's Dream

I will admit to you up front I did not watch any of Glenn Beck's rally in Washington over the weekend for the same reasons I don't listen to any talk radio nowadays. To review those reasons: one, I would prefer to research and form my own opinions rather than have somebody tell me how to feel. Two, talk radio hosts are in the business of making money for sponsors and stations, not leading a nation. Three, James 1:19-20. Given that, you may freely dismiss the following thoughts.

I experienced a "yeah, sure" moment when Beck said the timing of his rally and Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream Speech" anniversary was mere coincidence. It would take a gigantic amount of cluelessness to overlook that, spread out over Beck and large amount of staffing and planning needed to put this event together. You may not like Glenn Beck, but he is not clueless.

Taking a look at the presentation, Beck admirably included a tribute to MLK as part of the gathering. He called for unity. He gave an emotional speech on bringing America back to its founding values and shed a few tears. I won't argue that America has fallen away from faith and honor. I've written about the honor part a lot on this blog. Both MLK and Beck have dreams all right, but here's the difference: MLK was serving GOD above everyone. Beck is serving GOD, but he also has his listeners and his sponsors, and I cannot help but wonder what proportion he's serving them, too.

People who enjoy talk radio say they listen because the hosts echo their beliefs, not the other way around. Glenn Beck knew he had to deliver for them, and he had little trouble doing it. He's preaching to his choir, and although the message may be inspiring, it's also theatrical. At the risk of sounding snarky, I wonder how many people took bets on whether Beck would end up crying at the end?

Beck said he was looking at "the next George Washington" somewhere in the crowd. I hope he's right. I believe we have a principled leader out there who can stand strong for this nation and serve as an excellent president. But that person isn't running for office. That person wants nothing to do with D.C. politics, partisanship, or all the ills surrounding it. They would rather serve GOD in a way that does not risk destroying them.

George Washington thought political parties were a bad idea. If Glenn Beck truly saw Washington somewhere out there, why did he not have the boldness to clearly tell people to get away from the Democrats and Republicans, to leave those parties behind and start embracing GOD above the donkey and elephant? That's a bold, risky message that Gen. Washington might have admired. MLK would have, too.