I noticed today, while at 7-Eleven looking for what to eat for lunch, that I was not simply hungry but hungry ‘right now.’ For a hitch, my stomach reminded me of a whiny child pining for food. I saw there was a frozen burrito, cheap and filling. Pretty much my requirements for the meal. Or so I thought.

But when it said that I had to open the package, microwave it on one side for 3 minutes, open the microwave, flip the burrito, close the door, microwave it for another 2 minutes, pull it out of the microwave, and then let it cool for a few minutes before consuming. I turned around and bought a hot dog. It was already warm. I could start eating it while I paid. The burrito simply wasn’t fast enough.

Fascinating, isn’t it? That “Nuke” is a term that can be used as cavalierly as barbecue or grill or fry or saute. And why not? Following the development of inexpensive cavity magnetrons, most Western countries saw us all putting our own personal radiation devices in our houses. By the late 1970s the microwave was becoming as common a kitchen appliance as the toaster oven. Now I don’t know if the term Nuke comes from the instantaneous nature of the heating or the radiation.

But it isn’t the radiation I’m concerned about, in fact that is the least troubling part of the scenario. Instead, it is first the negative implications of convenience in our lives. That is alarming. Everything is desired to be easy. I remember before the Iraq War they were telling us it would be the fastest war in history. In and out in 30 days, I recall. Civilian casualty percentages in the teens or below.

America bought it. Hook. Line. Sinker. Not everyone. According to the Pew Research Center, around 20% of all Americans (no party lines, this is of everyone) thought the war was a bad idea. That was April of ‘03. Today, April of ‘08, 57% of people think it was the wrong idea. So when I say America bought it I mean they bought the farm.

Yup. We laid down and died. What died? Morality, sense of justice, moral competence, societal respect, and even now the dollar, all of it and more. This is what happens when fear creeps into the commoner and a sense of ‘security’ overwhelms a sense of justice.

Now, how this relates to the term ‘Nuke’ is that cavalier mentality I spoke of before. It was that mentality that we have always taken for granted which allows us to believe that we are better than everyone else. No evidence needed, not of WMD or the detriments of war on ourselves, the occupied, or our economy. Just faith that the good old Lord loves and blesses America first. It’s this perverse belief that when we tithe, we give the first fruits to God and when God tithes he gives the first fruits to America.

And for those reasons, among others, we can say, “Honey, can you nuke me some cheese dip? The game’s about to come on.” And never once does it cross our mind that 140,000 people died when we nuked Hiroshima. And never once does it cross our mind that 73,000 people died in Nagasaki, almost one for every foot the mushroom cloud bloomed above the surface.

This is not an assault on America, American ideals, or the very real experience that Americans are largely a religious people. A people with concerns for others. A people who don’t believe they are good people because they want to be but because they have truly acted in appropriate ways to gain that reputation.

This is a reminder of complacency. Sometimes an unwarranted reminder of uncomfortable realities can awaken masses. Perhaps the hope here is that we don’t always look for the easiest or quickest option. I mean, honestly, had I been a little more patient I would have eaten a burrito instead of a chili cheese dog and that would have been much healthier. Or I could have opened the can of soup that has been in my desk for two months, but that requires even more time and energy, even if the advantage is a healthier choice.

May I be better. And in so doing, maybe I be an example to others to be better as well.