The Last New Thing

It seemed appropriate that I should, at the start of this article make my disclaimer. As I write about certain events, topics, things and even books, I will, up front say that I am in no way condemning or calling them out. In fact many of the things below I have personally read or did. Some I agree with and some I do not, but that is not the point. My point will make itself evident.


We as a people, or at least here in America, like new. Or perhaps, we just like the “latest”. For instant we like the latest fad, the latest sensational news story, the latest gadget. It seems that we crave the new latest "new" thing. And the media sells it something like this.

“Here it is, the newest, best, latest, most innovating thing around. It’s the ___________(insert thing here). This will satisfy your every senses. If you do this, try this, eat this, read this, plug this in, play this, you will never need anything else!” Until of course, the next new last thing arrives on the scene.

If you have kids, and even if you don’t, it is best to be informed on that newest “must have’ toy. If it’s technology, as long as you have the highest current number available with a “G” behind it, you’re in the HTGC (Hi-Tech Geek Club). And we can’t forget fashion. You just have to stay up to date with what the models and celebrities are wearing, and after you squeeze into them, you my friend, are a “fashionista”. You can not, however, go wrong with a dark colored T-shirt or button shirt and blue jeans (my personal favorite).

And we cannot forget about the scandalous news. The only good thing for that celebrity, politician, mogul, or “Joe” from the neighborhood has going for them when their dirty laundry, figuratively and literally in some cases, comes out, is that in a couple of weeks the news will replace their headlines with the latest new “train wreck” out there.

In the Christian circle, it is no different. As far of the latest new thing is concerned, I mean. For a while the “in” thing was demons. Then it moved to angels and spiritual warfare. Then, there was the buzz about “The Prayer of Jabez”. We are now in the socially emerging church phase. In the past there was “Evangelism Explosion”, followed by “Experiencing God”. Then came “The Purpose Driven Life”.

Church worship style, or at least the “in” ones, moved from “Spirit-filled” experiences, to contemporary, to blended, to “seeker sensitive”, and now we find “artistic interpretive”. Yes, we too, gravitate to the latest “new”. (Please see disclaimer above).

So, it is nutshell time for this article. As believers, we have the “Last New Thing”. It is fine to creatively express, innovatively proclaim, and artistically illuminate this “Last New Thing”, but it is wrong to replace it. Or should I say Him.
The “Last New Thing (and by thing, I mean no disrespect)” there was or is, is Jesus.

The writer of Hebrews put it like this.
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets. He spoke to them many times and in many different ways. And now in these last days God has spoken to us through His Son. God has chosen His Son to own all things.”

I was reminded of a story. Years ago, living in the Seattle area, I was driving on the freeway in the early morning hours, back home from my job. On the side of the road there was a car with its emergency flashers blinking. Now these were the days before the popularity of cell phones. I stopped and approached the woman in the car. I asked her if she needed help. She told me that she had run out of gas. I offered to take her to a station or I could just go and bring the gas back. She decided to let me give her a ride. I immediately felt compelled to tell her that I was a Christian. Which was a tension reliever. She said that she was praying that a “fellow believer” would stop and not a crazed kidnapper. I assured her that I was the former and not the latter. So off we went to the closest gas station.

She asked me what church I attended.
“The Church at Palisades”, I said.
“Oh. What denomination is it?” she asked.
“It’s a Baptist church.” I replied.
“I used to go to a Baptist church, but all they wanted to talk about was Jesus.” she said.
“What else is there?” I responded.

We need to stop looking and desiring something else, something better, or something different. Jesus is the First and Last, the Beginning and End. And He’s everything in between.

He is the last “New” we will ever need.