But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (NRSV)
On May 17, 2026, the "Rededication 2025" of America assembled a cadre of white nationalist quasi-Christians on the Mall in Washington, D.C., aimed to return America to its "Christian Roots." I'm going to ignore the thinly veiled right-wing political propaganda purposes that were rife under a not-so-carefully hidden charade of faith. Instead, I'll focus on the sincere Christian faith principles this media-intended spectacle ran over with a ten-ton truck.
Flaunting religiosity has never been an accepted Christian practice among the sincere followers of Jesus. (Mark 12:38, Luke 20:46) To do so obliterates all notion of humility. Jesus was carefully humble almost all the time, and when he wasn't, his actions were always about taking a stand for others or for a higher principle. His most obvious act of humility was his silent defense before Pilate, and the crucifixion that ensued because powers felt threatened by his growing following.
The leadership of the rally in D.C. revealed their inauthentic Christian aims by the scripture they chose for their theme: 2 Chronicles 7:14: "...if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." They chose a verse from the Testament that is rife with chosenness throughout, and they avoided the entire New Testament, filled with such honest Christian themes as the Beatitudes and loving your neighbor as yourself. From their egoistic belief in their own righteousness to define "wicked ways," they suggested an us-them dichotomy - drawing an exclusive circle around themselves and leaving out the rest of America.
America has been its strongest when it has followed Jesus' example, including acts of charity, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, sheltering the poor, being a refuge for immigrants, defending the weak, and bringing people together. But under this President, America has become a sick, twisted caricature under the weight of extreme corruption, violence toward neighbors, and the fomenting of division based on unadulterated lies. Pretending there is some special "remnant" of holiness controlled and manipulated by these theological hoodlums masquerading as holy men of God should sicken all of us, and I suspect it does God as well.
If you are not familiar with Christianity, might I invite you to open biblegateway.com and search then read 1 Corinthians 13 for starters. Then ask yourself if a nation with a true belief in Christianity holding that ideal would be "wiping Iran off the face of the earth," or imprisoning humans in concentration camp-style "detention facilities."
No comments:
Post a Comment