These are Wicked Times: KevinH

I have always believed that in general, a smaller government is better than a bigger government.

I think that the bigger government gets, the greater inefficiencies, waste, fraud, and corruption come about.  I believe it is best to first allow communities and private entities to take care of things and address issues, and that the government should only get involved where people are still falling through the cracks and/or still have significant needs, and where there are significant risks of wrongdoing that laws and regulation can help control.

I have always thought that one of the government’s greatest responsibilities is keeping their citizens secure as much as feasibly and reasonably possible.  This would include securing our borders.

I also have significant concerns and difficulties with some things that are routinely supported, promoted, and executed by those on the Political Left, things such as LGBTQ+, DEI, and abortion rights.

With all of that said, I believe much of what we are witnessing in our country since the beginning of President Trump’s second term is frightening, insane, and wicked.  What we are seeing is not the application and execution of principled political ideals, but rather the employment of chaos, retribution, shows of power, and cruelty.

Suddenly cutting pretty much the entire USAID program, which is the main means by which America helps people in need around the world and makes up less than 1% of our entire country’s budget, some of the funds of which people are literally relying on for their lives, is cruel and wicked.  Exaggerating, misrepresenting, and flat out lying about how many of these funds were supposedly being misused is all the more worse.

Shutting down the refugee program indefinitely so that none can enter our country, even those who were already scheduled and promised to be let in, is cruel and wicked.  This includes many people coming from situations of great persecution, many who have been our personal allies in foreign wars such as in Afghanistan, and many who are our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Shutting down pretty much every avenue and opportunity for those in great need and escaping harrowing situations to come to our borders and ask for asylum, especially when your country is the richest in the world with the most opportunity to afford to people, is cruel and wicked.

Mass firings of federal civil servants while labeling these people as waste and telling them their performances were bad and harmful to our country (with no evidence of poor performance) is cruel and wicked.  Especially considering that the level of federal employees has not grown significantly for decades now, while at the same time the number of government contractors has grown far, far more, but they aren’t being targeted for reduction, and even in some cases of blatant conflict of interest are gaining newer and bigger contracts such as Elon Musk’s Tesla and SpaceX.

Firing federal employees as retribution for doing things like participating in diversity training or having worked on the investigations of Trump’s previous unethical and likely illegal doings, when they were just faithfully performing the requirements of their jobs, is wicked and cruel.  Or firing them just because they have different political philosophies than you, is not any better.

Having to turn around and try to rehire a good many of the same people you just fired because you realized after the fact that they were essential to government function or national security is just flat out incompetent and embarrassing.

Indiscriminately cutting significant aid to one’s own citizens, which effects pretty much only lower class people and the most needy among us, and even includes a good many veterans, especially disabled veterans – the very people who many like to claim we need to take care of before those “outside” our country, without first trying to determine where portions of this aid may be being used wastefully and/or fraudulently and then primarily targeting those areas for reduction or elimination, is cruel and wicked.  Calling these people in need of aid, “parasites”, is even increasingly cruel.

Trying to negotiate the end of a war, but to do so by negotiating only with the wicked aggressor who unjustifiably invaded a sovereign nation and has killed many of their people and destroyed their land, while ignoring the leader of the nation who was invaded, is cruel and wicked.

Cutting funding, eliminating agencies, firing employees, and accessing information where one does not have the legal right to do so is wrong and unlawful.

Claiming that, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” does not actually make it true, does not make violating the law any less wrongful or unlawful, and is actually far more representative of the mindset and aspiration of a fascist dictator than of one who is concerned with freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and caring for people.

As a Christian, with the large extent of frequency and severity that these actions are happening right now, and for the sake of my neighbor and the well being of my society, I cannot just ignore these happenings.  All the more, I cannot ignore the fact that many of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ have not only ignored all these evil actions, but are actually supporting, cheering on, and even participating in these actions.

At a minimum, as an American and especially as a Christian, I must call out these attitudes and actions as cruel and evil and implore our governing leaders to do better.  Moreover, I must call out my fellow Christians who have supported and participated in these attitudes and actions to repent and return to their first love.

All this is NOT Trump Derangement Syndrome or being “woke” or being deceived by the “media”, but rather it is a clear eyed assessment of what we are seeing and experiencing in our country for the past month, in contrast with the example and teachings of Jesus and what God calls good and righteous and what He call bad and wicked in His Word.

I recall the words of Jesus, telling us to do for the “least of these”, to love our neighbor, to love even our enemy, and that blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, and the peacemakers.

I recall Scripture telling us that the Fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

I recall Scripture telling us to overcome evil not with evil, but with good.

I recall Jesus powerfully demonstrating this for us and defeating the enemy not by shows of earthly power or by an “ends justify the means” approach, but by humbly submitting Himself to an excruciating and barbaric death on a cross.

I recall Jesus telling us that, “false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”  And I believe we are seeing that happen very powerfully right now before our own eyes.

I call on the Church in America to pursue not earthly power and kingdoms, but rather the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, seeing all humans as our neighbor and created in the image of God, and caring first for them as people and with the love of Christ, before committing to any political philosophy or power.