We’ve made an investment. A photo-op occurred (cannot include photo because of copyright laws but the photo is accessible on Bing easy enough) on January 3rd of this year at a megachurch in Miami. There is little to differentiate between the figures (Paula White front and center) above—they are all positioning to be our new lords. Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” Mark 12: 38-40 These leaders are all in this together.
As the chaos and lies continue, our Dear Leader turns his attention to reelection with tale of how this system is rigged against him. It is his only concern in this modern retelling of The Tale of Two Cities. There are two different worlds colliding; those who should take up the case of the downtrodden and uphold justice are desperately trying to shore up the defenses to protect their investment. Your investment in the fortunes of Israel (whom our Chosen One appears to support,) its corrupt leader, in hopes that your efforts will spur the return of Christ to Earth who will say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ This is a tale of self-elevation. All of our leaders have the same aim in mind.
Dream City Church in Phoenix was packed with the faithful. The faithful believe this is our man. Who am I to argue? Who am I to quote scripture about upholding the cause of widow, orphans, and foreigners? Who am I to quote scripture on the value of truth, honesty, integrity, justice, and mercy? Does it matter anymore? You have your prophets, your apostles, who have taught us to follow a man who flagrantly obliterates all of those values listed above as our hope for the return of Christ to Earth to set up his kingdom. You have great faith.
Who am I to quote scripture on Jesus telling us specifically that His Kingdom was not of this world? Why should I even list the scriptures? You have your commitments and you have your passions as you all have packed in there to feed the ego of our Shiva. What does it matter? I am ashamed because I know many of your hearts are in the right place; you’ve just been bamboozled by the greatest collection of technologically enabled con-artists this world has ever seen. I am ashamed because we share the same title, Christian, follower of Christ (I just don’t acknowledge your prophets and apostles.) I am ashamed because our name, and the name of the True One we are supposed to represent is being coupled with the name of the most corrupt, incompetent, amoral, selfish, vain man who has ever held the office of President. I am ashamed because I refuse, on principled grounds, to engage with my brothers and sisters on Facebook to relegate myself to the yesterday of blogs, to talk you down from the ledge. I am held back by principle.
I hear your fear. I see your reluctance to say anything bad about what may be God’s chosen path. Because you don’t know. Do you? Sermon after sermon… either milquetoast appeals to kindness and hope, meeting the needs of those around with a warm smile, or prognostications of Jesus coming on the clouds to conquer the world (as Trump serves as a kind of sick revisiting of John the Baptist.) All during the greatest cultural upheaval since 1968? There is nothing wrong with warm smiles, or hot meals. But we do not seem to understand the magnitude of what is happening; so much for being ‘as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves.’ Your leaders have you paralyzed and compliant. Know this: history is not kind to the complicit.
Look it up: we are God’s hands on Earth. Is ours a God of Mercy? Or is ours a God of Wrath? Is our God an ‘ends justify the means’ kind of Being or has He taught us to ‘do the right thing’ (despite how we might see it turning out) kind of Person? These, I believe, are the questions we should be asking. I hope that once again, after all this implodes, and we are amply disciplined for our ignorance and arrogance, we will start asking these kinds of questions once again. Will we again stand for truth and justice? Or will we keep doubling down for power and control?
We are at the Turning Point. One turn was made at Lafayette Park, another at Tulsa, and the latest in Phoenix. What will rise from the ashes? You decide.