The crowds that came out to see John the Baptist lived in a time of political and economic injustice and disorder. It was a time of civil unrest with occasional insurrections breaking out. Groups of religious and secular extremists threatened violence against those who opposed them. It was a time not unlike our own. Most of those who came to John were on the margins of society with little power of their own. They had two questions: what is God going to do about it and what are we to do? John could only introduce what the word of God in Christ Jesus would more fully reveal as the way of life for those who followed in Christ’s way, regardless of the conditions under which they lived.
Considering the conditions under which we live, and are about to live for the next four years, what are we to do? First, let’s consider what some of those conditions are.
The recent Meet the Press interview with Trump made it clearer than ever that Trump is convinced that his delusions are real. There is little point in confronting him with verifiable facts about the way things are. He lives in an imaginary world peppered with a few bits and pieces of reality. It is both sad and frightening that he has been able to sell his imaginary world to many others. Moreover, it makes him vulnerable to manipulation by others who understand well how to use his fears, anxieties, and vague concepts to advance their own nefarious agendas. What complicates matters are his short attention span, ease with which he is distracted by anything that grabs his attention, his vanity and demands for absolute loyalty. Above all, the very real power of the Office of the President is to pass into the hands of a wiley, intellectually challenged man who exhibits a mercurial personality with degenerating cognition.
I also listened to one of Trump’s minions being interviewed on CNN. In a calm, rational voice he presented each of Trump’s cabinet picks as among the very best qualified anyone could imagine and lamented how poorly they were being treated in the media. Clearly, the media were just picking on them for no good reason. He was well gifted in the art of bald faced lying overlaid with a patina of conviction and believability. The interviewer confronted him with various candidates histories of malfeasance, misfeasance, and incompetence. It did not rattle him one bit. He did not raise his voice or get angry. He simply reasserted that all these people are fine, upstanding candidates on whom the country can rely. I had to give him credit. It was an impressive performance. If the news media were complacent, it could be a very effective performance convincing a broad sector of the viewing public.
There are indications that the news media are tired of being played the fool. I am grateful to hear major news organizations beginning to push back, but it may be a case of too little too late. They had nine years to stand up to him and failed to do it. The test will be if they can keep it up for four years in the face of threats to investigate and imprison. My guess is that the first year will feature a hard push to redirect the nation into an authoritarian system benefitting oligarchs. I suspect it will not be as easy to pull off as the Trump posse thinks.
With luck the following three years will settle down to disorganized, spasmodic lurches this way and that epitomized by backstabbing in fighting. They will not do too much harm as long as the American people go about their business in the usual way as best they can, ignoring the chaos in Washington DC.
Christians are one element of a public called to live in responsible freedom and respect for the dignity and rights of every person regardless of actions that may be taken to suppress them. But they have the additional obligation to anchor their resolve in Christ Jesus. It means subordinating all other political and economic loyalties to the centrality of godly justice revealed in God’s abounding and steadfast love.
Prophets and sages throughout the ages have confronted kings and emperors with the dire consequences of their actions that lead people astray from God’s way of peace, harmony, and prosperity. Throughout the ages Kings and emperors have ignored the warnings and stubbornly plowed ahead creating turmoil and destruction where they expected success and glory. It seems to be a pattern that those in highest offices seldom learn from.
Our advent journey is a reminder that God’s redemption, reconciliation, and restoration is given not to nations, but to peoples. It is a promise given to peoples who continue in the way of God’s justice with courage and perseverance, in the face of all the difficulties that surround them. God’s Word made Flesh, Jesus was made manifest in a time of corruption and conflict. In it he proclaimed God’s truth that the Kingdom of God is present, even under the worst of circumstances, wherever and whenever his followers demonstrate by word and deed, in speech and action, the better way that brings redemption, reconciliation and restoration into the lives of others. There can be no complicity with forces intent on subjugating people to an ideology of enforced obedience and ultimate loyalty to a prince or president. Nor can there be complicity with any regime that uses the name of Christ or Christian to justify what is not Christ life or Christian. Finally, we cannot allow ourselves to fall into complacency or try to hide in seclusion and separation. We are to live boldly in Christ for the better future of all peoples.
Iʻm putting this quote as a plaque above my pc:
“Finally, we cannot allow ourselves to fall into complacency or try to hide in seclusion and separation. We are to live boldly in Christ for the better future of all peoples.”
Mahalo nui,
H+
Steven this is a clarion call to action and attitude, thank you. Just what I needed! Thank you.