Congress recently passed a law that seemed to fly under the radar screen. The law entitles any deceased U.S. veteran to have two uniformed military personal present to fold and present a flag, and to have “Taps” played on the bugle at the end of the service.

Who could argue with such a simple honor? There is one little problem. There are very few bugle players around these days. This dearth of brass musicians has caused the Congressional mandate to be mitigated: veterans still have the right to “Taps,” but “Taps” can be played on a CD player during their funeral.

In order to keep the ceremony a little more stately, a whole new “instrument” has been invented. This “instrument” looks like a bugle. But instead of brass keys and open airways, this “bugle” is designed around a CD player. When the “musician” hits the “play” button on this phony bugle, a red and green light comes on. The “musician” then has five seconds to get the “bugle” into his or her mouth before the recording starts to play.

Not surprisingly, this “bugler” faces away from the mourners, so they cannot see the flashing lights displaying inside the bell of the fake instrument. (See The Post and Courier, Charleston, South Carolina, 26 May 2008)

In our culture, even when we try to do something sensitive and notable, we are all about appearance. We substitute style for substance over and over again. We prefer the canned perfection of these fake, false notes, to the real performance of a fallible, fragile human being, offering a genuine final tribute.

When Jesus called his disciples he did not call them to a course survey, or to a graduate seminar. Jesus called his disciples to active practice. Immediately after Matthew was called he got up from his everyday life and walked out. Later that day Matthew’s discipleship training had progressed to the “invite everyone you know and work with to dinner” phase. (cont.)