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Last night, many of us went to the Switchfoot/Reliant K concert. I must say it was quite the evening. Both bands rocked (though I'm a little more partial to Switchfoot).
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I was excited that Switchfoot played a bunch of my favorite songs, including one of my new favorites, American Dream. It's a song that talks about how our ideas of success in our culture are broken... That life is about much more than material things, wealth and climbing the later of success... Before they played the song, Jon Foreman (the lead singer) said, "I am proud to be an American" (to which the audience immediately cheered), but then quickly added, "But I pledge allegiance to something much bigger (which seemed to get less applause)... They went on to play American Dream in front of a backdrop of a falling star that looked very similar to a downward slanted American Flag. Needless to say, for anyone who caught it, it was very thought provoking...
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Could Switchfoot be on to something? Is there really more to life than the American Dream? Could there ever come a time when our allegiance to Christ comes in conflict with our allegiance to American? Are there things today that already create this tension? Am I an American Christan, or am I a Christan that happens to be an American?
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I think these are all very important questions for us to ask... And I'm thankful Switchfoot is asking them.

Check out the lyrics to American Dream below...

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"American Dream", by Switchfoot
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When success is equated with excess
The ambition for excess wrecks us
As top of the mind becomes the bottom line
When success is equated with excess
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If your time ain't been nothing for money
I start to feel really bad for you, honey
Maybe honey, put your money where your mouth's been running
If your time ain't been nothing but money

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I want out of this machine
It doesn't feel like freedom
This ain't my American dream
I want to live and die for bigger things
I'm tired of fighting for just me
This ain't my American dream
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When success is equated with excess
When we're fighting for the Beamer, the Lexus
As the heart and soul breath in the company goals
Where success is equated with excess
'Cause baby's always talkin' 'bout a ring
And talk has always been the cheapest thing
Is it true would you do what I want you to
If I show up with the right amount of bling?
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Like a puppet on a monetary string
Maybe we've been caught singing Red, white, blue, and green
But that ain't my America,
That ain't my American dream