Things I Think…
1. It’s difficult to think while you think you’re watching the systematic destruction of your country…and all the virtues you believed accompanied it. It’s a bit like living in the part of town that a fire hasn’t consumed yet…but you see it’s coming and all you can do is pray…
Bonus: C.S. Lewis on prayer…this is good stuff…
2. I’ve tried to think of intelligent responses that would be both pastoral and helpful and as soon as I come up with some I’ll write them…they have to work for me first and I’m pretty shaken…
3. A lot of like minded believers are going to the biblical prophets for words of admonition and guidance…this is a good and wise thing, but those same words didn’t help us prevent what is happening…
4. For those of you celebrating what I’m mourning…I hope you’re right…
5. Now that Musk and his cronies have the ability to shut off my Social Security and Medicare, the temptation is to shut up and go read some good books…but that would be cowardly and unfaithful and I want to finish well…
6. You cannot have a “Christian nation”…God left the theocracy business for a while…what you can have is a country where Christians inform the powers that be what ethics and values are important to God in the administration of power…as noted both in the prophets and the writings of Jesus…none of which are featured in “Christian” nationalism…
7. ‘Immigration is a complex issue. Talking heads on cable news spend hours arguing about it. Politicians fume about it from the Right and the Left. Yet, it only becomes real when we see and meet the actual people who are involved. We often cite Matthew 25 in discussing this issue, usually ending with the imperative to assist “the least of these”. Perhaps, however, we would do better to consider another verse in which the righteous say, “When did we see you…?”” Duane W.H. Arnold
8. Duane again… “When the political ideology of a church, or even of an individual believer, takes precedence over the well being of our neighbors or our community, something has gone terribly wrong. When economics takes precedence over love of God and neighbor, we have turned the gospel into something that is almost unrecognizable. In such cases we might ask, when does the Church cease to be the Church?”
9. One more from Duane…”In the end, Christian faith is about more than an obscure set of doctrinal propositions. It is about who we are as people and how our faith is reflected in our lives. In the early Church, one portion of Scripture stands out as being the subject of the greatest number of commentaries, letters and sermons. It is the Sermon on the Mount. If you wonder why, it is because Christ presents an outline for life in a kingdom… and that kingdom has very little to do with either first century Judea or Rome… or, indeed, America in 2025.”
10. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your soul is feed a stray cat…or a stray person…
Michael,
If I didn’t have my job, I think I would be upset all the time. There is a certain therapy in mundane teaching tests, like correcting papers and cleaning the whiteboard. Something i have started to do in response to distressing headlines is pray specifically about how I think it should be different. Another national injunction came down against banning birthright citizenship and I had a quiet hallelujah moment. I’m praying similarly about Musk and Co, and some other things i find alarming. It helps…tomorrow I’ll be attending a Zoom on how to deal with ICE in public spaces (like churches). I find information helpful, but I’m careful where i get it.
I’m also asking God for wisdom. There may be things I’m wrong about or don’t have enough information on. The learner position helps me understand better, especially when I would like to see fire and brimstone rain down on the Whitehouse.
Social Security and Medicare tend to be the 3rd rail of politics. Touch it at your peril…
“It’s a bit like living in the part of town that a fire hasn’t consumed yet…but you see it’s coming and all you can do is pray…”
I’m seeing the flames and I’m smelling the smoke… A garden hose is not going to stop this one…
Linn,
“There may be things I’m wrong about or don’t have enough information on. The learner position helps me understand better…”
If we all had this measure of humility, we wouldn’t be in this mess…and we could find our way out…
I think the systematic destruction of our country was happening for decades before the current administration. In order to reform/save/rehabilitate/ (you pic the verb) our country, significant, seemingly drastic to some, measure are necessary.
We may not agree on every decision, but we never do no matter who is in office.
We need drastic action to first stem the damage to our nation and then to make things better. One candidate had bold ideas. The electorate liked those ideas. He’s so far delivering on his agenda.
For the sake of our nation and our children, let’s pray for our leaders and that through them the preservation and prosperity of our nation.
Jean,
In our system change has to be both legal and constitutional.
Take away the constitution and we’re toast.
If you actually support what is going on, I have nothing left to say to you.
By the way…the electorate basically elected him by a couple of percentage points…
“We need drastic action to first stem the damage to our nation and then to make things better. One candidate had bold ideas. The electorate liked those ideas. He’s so far delivering on his agenda.”
This could’ve been said in Germany in 1933…
If anything unconstitutional takes place, I am confident someone will raise a case. Again, allegations of unconstitutionality happen in most if not all administrations.
Jean,
“….allegations of unconstitutionality happen in most if not all administrations.”
Not like this-not where entire government departments, that can only be dismantled legally by congress because they were enacted through legislation, are being gutted and classified information being made party to those who shouldn’t have it. Elon Musk wasn’t elected to anything, and he is acting like the CEO of the entire government. I am praying that a cease and desist order is issued immediately by some judge who realizes what is going on.
Hi Linn,
I think the administration’s plan is to eliminate the Dept. of Education altogether and return control over public education to the states.
Jean,
The Department of Education was put into an existence by an Act of Congress back in the late 70s under the Carter administration. It just can’t be “eliminated.” I’m not a great fan of everything the department does, but they do handle certain functions (like protections for students with IEPs, or special education plans) to make sure that modifications are uniform across states.
Back in the mid 70s when I first started working with people with disabilities I was taken back by the utter contempt many had for them, especially among some of the true believers in the industry. Many churches are very loving and excel at helping, but in the age of “toxic empathy” ™ it is seen as weakness and even satanic to care. Back in 91 when the ADA passed under Pres Bush senior many among the evangelicult spoke about how this was a UN move to take over the nation. Some of the same crowd go after vaccines and measles and Polio are starting to reassert themselves.
The contempt oozes like a river by many from various franchises that are desperate for political power. Some look forward for the day they can return to the stake, rope, and stone. Dont believe me just spend sometime on twitter or other SM sites. To my shame I have spent the last three weeks spending up to five hours on the phone, email, local meetings etc. to fight for people who depend on society for help.
I have spent so much time advocating for at risk populations, I cant repeat what I often heard concerning members of these populations. As for Mr. Musk in my opinion Mr. Musk purchased twitter as a bully pulpit and it worked, but deeper down I believe he wants to develop a private sector monetary system backed by the good faith of the US, which means us tax payers. The bitcoin and using twitter/x as a financial system. It is also the reason they went after Dodd frank with a passion. Its smart and vicious which are sacraments in the industry.
America is like the Titanic.
Too big to turn, too slow to react, and there aren’t enough life boats for everyone.
Brian,
I have found that people don’t “get” disability until they either have to deal with their elderly parents or they themselves become disabled. I’ve been disabled my whole life (not as bad as many; I can function at work with a minimum of accommodations,), but I know I have often been perceived as a problem, and people are quick to tell me. As the many MAGA supporters continue to age, they will see accommodations in a different light.
“When the rich rob the poor, it’s called business.
When the poor fight back, it’s called violence.”
— Mark Twain —
best get back to reading the red letter sections of scripture & reacquaint ourselves with the pulse of the founder.
MP, great MT quote.
filistine
Yes to red letters.