I say that we are not secular enough.  By the end of this post, I think you’ll agree.

That is the seal of the US.  The lower motto is a “New Order for the Ages.”

The base word Seculum means ages or an age.  Our word secular comes from this base word.

The proper mindset for spiritual affairs is to think in terms of eternity.  The proper mindset for temporal, mortal affairs is to think in terms of secula, i.e, in terms of ages and generations.  A secular mindset, in other words, is a generational, civilizational mindset.  (Interesting side note: arguably the spiritual mindset that thinks in terms of eternity is just a deeper secular mindset.  The wonderful scriptural phrase for eternity is ‘worlds without end.’  It literally  means ‘world of worlds’ or ‘age of ages’ and is translated in Latin as seculum seculorum.  A true secular mindset leads to an eternal mindset as you become aware of death and the limits of human effort).

Our “secular” world isn’t really secular.  And by that I don’t mean that progressivism functions like a religion, though it does.  I mean that our world doesn’t think ahead.  Today’s poll numbers, today’s stock price, what’s trending now on twitter, make everything relevant to today, hold the press conference and get some applause though the sky falls.  Debt and divorce and major life decisions based on how you feel today.  Eat, drink, and be merry but don’t even think about death or acknowledge it, because that’s tomorrow, and tomorrow, phhhtt.  It’s the cult of authenticity distilled down to its essential folly.

We aren’t secular enough.  We aren’t secular at all.

Kevin Kelley coaches football in Pulaski Academy in Arkansas.  His teams never punt.  Everywhere on the field is 4-down territory for them.  They win a lot.  He can give you sophisticated arguments about the value of possessing the football, the expected conversion rate of a punt, and so on.  It somewhat boils down to his teams having 4 downs to do what other teams have to do in 3.  He is playing each ten yards on easy mode.

There is nothing wrong with temporal success.  Wanting to succeed in mortality is a good goal and one that most people should have.  The danger comes when the goal of career or financial success becomes *the* goal.   We would benefit from a more secular mindset there too.  At best, most success-oriented people have the goal of saving for retirement or of making enough money to leave to their kids.  Usually its even more short-sighted–people who want to succeed want to succeed now, get rich while young, get into a top school–in theory they are thinking of long term career success but in practice they are taking the step that seems most prestigious now with the vague handwavy notion that if you do well now, the long term will surely work out.

Temporal success is easier when you realize you don’t have to do it in three downs (or 1 down).  When you see your success in terms of generations, you can now play for success on easy mode.  All you have to do is build up your family better than you found them.  And it will make balancing temporal success and spiritual needs easier too.  Because from a true secular mindset, investing time with your kids and building their values and character is absolutely necessary.  The man who leaves some money to children who can handle it and succeed themselves is a success.  The man who leaves lots of money to kids who will squander it is a failure.  That isn’t a religious view.  That is a secular one.