Nothing new?

In case you haven’t heard, the prime minister of Israel gave a significant address to both houses of Congress last week. The event was controversial even before the speech: Speaker Boehner’s invitation, Netanyahu’s acceptance, and the Obama administration’s pique over the offering and accepting drove news cycles even before the prime minister said a word. Now that he’s come and gone, the White House has little to say about what he actually said. The president’s most-quoted response was two words: “Nothing new.”

Also last week, Hilary Clinton got herself in a spot of trouble over her communication practices as secretary of state. It’s an official position, and the official occupying the position is supposed to use an official email account for official communications. Instead, she used a private account, keeping much of her business as secretary out of public view. Her initial response to this scandal was that she’s not the first and it’s no big deal. In other words: nothing new.

A bold tax reform? Nothing new. A viable alternative to Obamacare? Nothing new. In today’s political parlance, when one side makes a proposal or accusation, the opposition dismisses it with the charge of “nothing new,” as if novelty alone determines truth or relevance. It’s a meaningless rebuttal. Of course, chicanery, maneuvering for personal advantage, and ignoring pertinent threats until they’re jumping down your throat is as old as human nature—see Ecclesiastes. In that sense, nothing new. But so what? If you refuse to discuss or even acknowledge problems, it makes no difference how long they’ve been around. Rather than deal with them, the strategy is to ignore scandals and threats until you can’t take care of them, and then dismiss them by saying they’re not new and hope no one will notice that the issue hasn’t been addressed at all. As a delaying tactic there may be something to be said for this routine, but it’s no way to run a country.

It reveals something about us, though: We’re always looking for renewal, and always growing weary. Sin promises the fresh and exciting but leaves us exhausted and miserable—and old. Our marriages, our compromises, our expectations and disappointments—disillusion starts with sameness. When will this tired cycle end? When will we make some real progress? Why can’t we fix obvious problems? How many times will we travel around the same track?

Those of us 50 or older have seen plenty of revivals and “next new things” and “this changes everything!”—but give it a few years and “everything” slides back to where it was before. It’s enough to make one cynical.

But … in South Korea, an obscure pastor rescues discarded lives by means of a padded box. In Texas a former abortion nurse helps others out of that miserable industry. In Africa, believers undergoing persecution find their faith renewed, contrary to all human reason. In the well-worn tracks of human failure shine bright footprints.

“Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5, ESV).

Just wait and see.