what is hanging in the balance now?

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God’s will entrust their lives to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.

1 Peter 4:12-19; NRSVue

Wherever you are as an American on the political spectrum here, you’ll have grave concerns about the past, present and future. We have lived in a privileged existence, and it looks like that is under great stress at this time. One thing most Americans agree on is that democracy itself is at stake here. There is even a so-called Christian disdain against democracy, aligned to some extent with the Christendom of the past, focused on implementing a “Christian” order. That is another subject in itself.

Another matter is just where our priorities should lie as followers of Christ, Christians in that sense. We now live in a different setting in America compared to those who lived at the time of Peter’s writing. Rome was then in charge with no ands, ifs or buts about it. In the rule of Caesar, there was no representation of the people. Now we have that, and as Christians we do well to advocate for what we consider to be good. We still have that freedom at the moment, but the problem now is that everything seems more than less partisan in the limited two-party system here.

What has happened in my lifetime since the 1960s and gaining momentum from the 1980s and 90s up to the present day is a culture war which initially was a reaction to the government telling a Christian institution that it could no longer bar Blacks from its spaces. That was the basis of the founding for the “Moral Majority.” After a few years abortion became the issue which they found united and gave momentum to their cause. The fallout from this race based, abortion, religious freedom platform has been great. There is little to no incentive to work with the other side on issues like abortion, and all kinds of other issues. We’re at a place now where there’s one side spurred on by Christians who want to take over entirely, be the ones in charge, with others in line according to that. So it’s a challenging time since there are a host of Jesus-followers and others who are opposed to that.

What is hanging in the balance now? I think for us as Christ-followers, it’s a time of purging, salvation for us in that sense. What does our faith tell us about the good we ought to be doing? Where do our priorities lie? Is it about our own protection and freedom? Or is it with the values which Jesus taught us: to love our neighbor, to be the neighbor when anyone is in need. To welcome the stranger, the refugee. To advocate for fairness for all. To stand against racial and gender discrimination, particularly right now against the transgender community. To stand against war and the destruction of innocents such as is happening in Gaza, both Israel and Hamas utterly failing in their use of horrific violence.

So all of that and more are important to us as Christ-followers. We won’t be uniform exactly in how we think and approach such matters. But there are certain things that forever should mark us. We don’t advocate force of any kind. We rather appeal by words, and mainly by works, by what we do. We are willing to stand with those who are considered the dredge of society, in the way, a nuisance or even danger which needs to be pushed to the side, cancelled, even eliminated. We stand for the humanity of all. We look for solutions to problems, not imagining there will be perfection in such in this life but pushing toward that ideal.

With that, what do people see in us? Democrats? Republicans? MAGA followers? Patriotic Americans? You fill in the blank. Rather, shouldn’t they be seeing people who are not known as any such, but rather as Christians in the sense of which Peter talks about above? Followers of Jesus, as Jesus taught and lived in the four gospel accounts? Yes, that. That alone is our identity from which we live. There’s no doubt that we all have our opinions on political matters of this world. But we are in allegiance to one Lord, Jesus. Our following of him means that all peoples are embraced as those whom God loves. We continue on in that way, expecting difficulty, maybe even suffering. But the only way we’re to live in this life as followers of Jesus.

the fight we’re in (and not in)

I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you but bold toward you when I am away!— I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards. Indeed, we live as humans but do not wage war according to human standards, for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.

2 Corinthians 10:1-6

This is the beginning of one of my favorite parts of Scripture, 2 Corinthians 10-13. Some scholars have seen it almost as an addition or like a separate book from what precedes it. 2 Corinthians is one of my favorite books or letters of Scripture. I like what other scholars argue, that 10-13 actually goes well with the rest.

It’s really hard to transport a passage written in a different time with frankly a different ethic among Christians. Back then it would easily mean something quite different than what it seems to mean in too many quarters today. Just go to media and look at the pictures and rhetoric. Violence, violence, violence, and I’m not only referring to the destructive words, but at least symbols of action. “God and guns” are often paired together. Because of that, when we go to Paul, it’s hard to imagine that he’s much different. But in reality, he was entirely different, his gospel and teaching with the other letters of the New Testament, rooted in the life and teaching of Jesus as set forth in the four gospel accounts.

Even so, Paul’s words here do seem quite heavy handed. It was a different culture, the gospel breaking through but not yet changing a patriarchal culture, a difficult task any place and time. Just the same it was NOT cultic mind control, nor was it control of any kind. There’s a voluntariness beginning in the commitment of baptism which is basic to faith in and the following of Jesus, certainly such in community so that there’s an accountability each one to the other, the leaders having special responsibility in that.

Paul was about persuasion, clearly evident in his letters and in Acts. He used good sense (see Philemon), but he was not into psychological manipulation of others. He spoke the truth unvarnished and plainly, both in weakness and in love. It was the Spirit which made the difference through the message spoken and lived out of Christ crucified.

Instead, what we’re seeing today and for some decades now, and probably off and mostly on in history is Christians engaging in the methods and machinations of the world. Political power and control, what ends up amounting to political idolatry. What is baffling is how the Christians who talk the most about demonic possession and discerning that are the ones who are among those most caught up in what is quite the opposite of Paul. They and others follow a long line of sad examples dating back to the time of Constantine. But the church fathers who preceded that drawing from Jesus and the rest of the New Testament are quite the opposite.

Prayer. Scripture, the Word, the heart of that: the gospel. Community in Jesus, of learners, doubters, and followers together in the love of Christ which is never coercive. A grace which gives us space and enables and helps us to choose what is good, to love all others in the way of Christ. That was what Paul and those with him, the apostolic band were all about. Yes, humble participation in politics for the good of everyone especially on the local level, along with state and national, etc., surely included.

It’s necessary to say what they weren’t about. It definitely wasn’t physical coercion, following certain “super” charismatic leaders which we see Paul in confrontation with in 2 Corinthians 10-13. It’s not about some heavy handed top-down authority imposed on everyone. It’s not about thinking anyone human is so wonderful or great. All stuff Paul was encountering. No, none of that. And we could add more of what it is and isn’t.

That’s what we as Christ-followers in community and individually have to hone in on, give ourselves to. Realizing that there will be real world consequences in doing so, meaning we’ll have to walk carefully in wisdom. Our goal and passion, to be centered in Christ, to see that Christ-life growing and maturing among ourselves, and from that in good works of love often in collaboration with others in the world.

reaching a moral consensus in the real world

When gentiles, who do not possess the law, by nature do what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, as their own conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them on the day when, according to my gospel, God through Christ Jesus judges the secret thoughts of all.

Romans 2:14-16; NRSVue

Dr. James Grier, one of my professors at the seminary I attended was quite gifted intellectually. I remember him musing about coming breakthroughs in reproductive science which would bring difficult ethical issues and questions with it. I am thinking it was with reference to the IVF issue that is in the news today. He might have gone on to say, or maybe this was another time, but of the need to work on arriving to a moral consensus in which people can live together, with the inevitable agreeing to disagree elements in it. Some of my thought added here to whatever Dr. Grier said at the time. I took vociferous notes from him, quite philosophical and challenging in a way which wonderfully stretched us all.

But this gets me to think about the world in which we live today, and specifically the United States where I live. I am wondering what Dr. Grier would think about this present moment. What we see in front of us is a zero-sum game insisted on by one side, and a push for democracy within law, which is to honor the ideal that all humans are created equal, under the influence of the Enlightenment in which religious authority did not have the final word, something like that on the other side. There’s a lot more that goes into that, but I’m neither qualified to go there, nor is this the point of this post. What Paul may have been getting at from the passage above might speak volumes into the conflict we see today. And as I always did, I take what I remember of Dr. Grier’s words quite seriously as well.

What is the point of life? What is life? I think to get to the heart of the matter on that, we have to turn to the gospel accounts, to Jesus. His parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) speaks volumes on that. We need the whole of that before we even begin to consider Paul and all that follows. I am speaking here logically, not to say that we can’t read all such simultaneously. But it’s important I think to get steeped in Jesus’s coming, his teaching and all that was involved in that, certainly including his death and resurrection. Only then will we really begin to understand what follows, the gospel Paul expresses as dependent on as well as something of a fulfillment of that.

So yes, I am thankful for Dr. Grier’s concern, the part he said he was playing with other people in our area to work on arriving to a moral consensus, inclusive of all, at least of the spectrum of various religious and other traditions. Necessarily agreeing to disagree on details*, but something which all can live with, surely an inevitable part of living together in the real world. Not about finding the lowest common denominator, but the highest common denominator in which we’re all to live.

*I certainly would not agree with Dr. Grier on some important issues today, nor did I agree with his Calvinism back at that time. But Dr. Grier’s concern as expressed here in working hard to learn to live well together in the midst of those differences should be taken all the more seriously since he was willing to take a humble, knowledgeable stand on issues. In the end, we humans are limited, and we should not imagine otherwise, while at the time endeavoring to grow in understanding and in living well with all others.

the clear sign of “the mark of the beast”

Then I saw another beast that rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of all, and by the signs that it is allowed to perform on behalf of the beast it deceives the inhabitants of earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived, and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast could even speak and cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be given a brand on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the brand, that is, the name of the beast or the number for its name. This calls for wisdom: let anyone with understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number for a person. Its number is six hundred sixty-six.

Revelation 13:11-18; NRSVue

In my lifetime it has been remarkable the poor teaching that has been under the guise of “prophecy” or “Biblical prophecy.” Its popular manifestations have included the Left Behind series in books and movies preceded by the table setting of The Late Great Planet Earth. What becomes buried through all of that is the true intent of the book of Revelation along with so much of Scripture which is prophetic. It’s simply a matter of informing and forming as in warning and strengthening God’s people to remain true as a witness of God’s good news and will ultimately through Christ. It’s meant to help God’s people in times of persecution and stress, to encourage faithfulness to the end, the faithful following of the Lamb.

But to get to the point of this post, what accompanies the mark of the beast, as the passage puts it, quoted above? Basically, complete control and violence (note the passage quoted above). And why would that surprise anyone? We see it clearly at work in the world today in authoritarian regimes which might even make some show with some lip service to democracy but have insured that such is only window dressing as they clamp down harder and harder in their authoritarian rule and absolute control. And what if there’s protest or political pushback? We see it clearly: lawlessness (they’re a law unto themselves) and violent repression. Political opponents are locked up and/or killed, dissidents rounded up to something of the same fate. In other cases, the political opponents and journalists simply become irrelevant due to authoritarian control through pressures on business along with militia threats of violence or whatever else. Other regimes don’t bother with window dressing, so that resistance to them would have to be totally underground.

This is the fruit of the mark of the beast: Total control and violence to those who resist such control, who get out of line. I have often thought that there’s no doubt that the spirit of the antichrist is nearly always considered the Christ, Christian, or at least so in places where Christianity has roots. That spirit has been and continues to be at work in many guises, be they atheist, some religion, or whatever may be the case. But the most deceptive form of all would most surely, in my opinion, come in the name of Christ, in the name of Jesus. Paul warns about something like that to a church, that they might see Jesus as something he is not or receive a spirit other than the Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 11:4). In other words, that they would be deceived. I believe in some significant measure, this is exactly what we’re seeing today, at this moment in time, plain as day, right before our very eyes.

We need to recognize and some call it out for what it is, and above all, to stand firm in the faithfulness of Jesus, in the way and triumph of the Lamb (Revelation 14).

the church and Christian faith in a pluralistic world

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and acceptable before God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For

there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human,
who gave himself a ransom for all

—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), a teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-7; NRSVue

During the time this letter was written, during Paul’s life, or probably sometime later, written in his name as letters sometimes were in the past with some kind of authority (ecclesial? note the pastoral epistles, or my own preference, by the Spirit discerned by the church), Christians did not have positions in government, unless there were instances of those serving in such places coming to faith. The arguably (I believe) disastrous Constantinian revolution in which church and state had essentially merged as one had not yet come to be. The Roman government in the world in which the church was emerging was in charge.

Note Paul’s words (for convenience’s sake, we’ll attribute it to Paul, whoever actually wrote it). What is the church supposed to do? To pray, pray for all who are in authority. During the time of this letter, a number of Roman emperors came and went. Unlike after the Constantinian shift when only Christians could serve in government and the military, or at the very least the empire was Christianized, made “Christian,” setting the table for the Christendom that would survive past the time of the Roman empire, all were expected to either adhere to religious practices connected with the Roman gods, or stay in their place. That was the world in which Paul lived (note Acts 17) and what followed for some generations after.

Let’s consider today. The world itself is far from monolithic. What supposed Christian nations there are, while often wanting to keep their ethnic and cultural identity, there’s no escape from other ethnicities, cultures and religions given the upheaval due to wars and famines along with other factors. Although the United States certainly has a checkered history, the US is a nation of immigrants, albeit bringing many African slaves which gave the nation as a whole, and particularly those in charge and in ownership, unprecedented prosperity. While also often dishonestly and ruthlessly pushing native, indigenous peoples out. In spite of all this wrong, the US along with neighbor Canada have both emerged as perhaps the two greatest melting pots of the nations on earth. I stand to be corrected, but that’s from what I’ve gathered.

Now, trying to apply Scripture, God’s Word, the passage quoted above to this present time. Yes, it was a different world then, quite patriarchal and the Romans with all their religious practices but given the territory that the empire had conquered and occupied, there were certainly diverse cultures and religions present. Notice that Paul doesn’t tell them to pray for the overthrow of the empire so as to put in a godly, Christian government. No. Simply to pray for all in authority, so that the church, followers of Christ might live faithful to their calling in peace. There’s nothing in the words suggesting any kind of takeover, much less the use of force to impose Christian standards or law or principles on others. Instead, Paul and those in that tradition which followed wanted to establish something of an understanding of how they were to live faithfully in the empire along with what today we would call a pluralistic society.

As far as influence goes, “a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity” along with the truth of the good news in Jesus seem to be the only factors in play. Not some Christian endeavor to put the government in some supposedly godly place. This is not at all unlike what we read in Jeremiah’s words to God’s people, the Jewish exiles in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:1-9). Unlike what the many false prophets were telling them, they were to settle down in that pagan place, seek its welfare and pray for it, because the good of that empire would be their good. Of course, that would not mean God’s people simply rubber stamp what’s going on. But neither would it mean that they should expect a conversion to the Jewish faith, much less some forced miraculous takeover of Babylon to that end.

Unfortunately, what we’re seeing today in the United States along with some other nations is not at all what Jeremiah and Paul were getting at. While there are different versions of it, it’s essentially a supposed Christian takeover of government, perhaps allowing the presence of other faiths and cultures, but being the ones in charge. What good there was which came with the founding of the United States, even though certainly not lived up to, a law-based democracy in which all people are created equal so that peoples of different faiths and cultures can live peaceably together is categorically rejected. The idea of participation by all in the nation state which I think was the intention of the founding fathers of the United States is denied. Instead of a civil religion which acknowledged the Christian roots which were present, as well as acknowledgement of God as the God of all, while allowing everyone religious freedom, there is the denial of such in what amounts to be a heavy handed white Christian nationalism. The idea is getting back to some ideal which frankly never existed. Or if I’m mistaken in some cultural way, then an ideal which really can’t be replicated given the history which has transpired and the different demographics of the present time. What is advocated or winked at is not quietness and peacefulness, but quite the opposite. A loud, violent voice to create by force a nation which will be Christian in name only. In which those churches and believers who are seeking to be followers of Christ as always in this world continue to live in exile.

today’s correction of Jesus’s mistaken words to Pilate

Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”

John 18:28-38; NRSVue

Contrary to Jesus’s witness and declaration to Pilate, we are finding out today that Jesus was mistaken. Here are Jesus’s words I’m referring to from the passage above.

Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

John 18:36; NRSVue

We’re discovering today something that actually the church for centuries has often been complicit in. But today a significant part of the church is making it clear that Christ’s kingdom is indeed of this world, that the church is more than willing to at least be complicit with and even involved in the sanctioning of violence, that this is part of the gospel of Christ to the world. That indeed it is to eventually be a takeover of the world by governmental, yes violent (military) force.

Jesus’s kingdom is indeed of this world unbeknownst to him. Jesus was mistaken. It’s a good thing the church is straightening him out now.

(To any reader who might wonder, no, I definitely don’t believe Jesus is being corrected today, but that the correction needed is squarely on the other side.)

marks of authoritarianism, marks of a “cult”

A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, “The kings of the gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather, the greatest among you must become like the youngest and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

“You are those who have stood by me in my trials, and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 22:24-30; NRSVue

Lately I’ve been looking at the critiques leveled at Bill Gothard and the organization connected to him. I remember just how mainstream within evangelical circles especially this once was. I can’t help but believe that there’s a tendency within Christian evangelicalism to succumb to authoritarianism which at least nine times out of ten becomes cultic if not what amounts to a full-blown cult which sadly ended up being the case with Bill Gothard.

There is almost always some authoritarian figure everyone looks up to, even reveres, and follows to a tee, maybe at first out of admiration, but sooner or later without fail, fear will be a factor as well. Fear that they somehow might betray the great cause, even fear of eternal hell fire. Notice how central, how front and center the “pastor” is in evangelical churches. And by the way, always male, or if not, certainly an exception to that absolute rule. Oftentimes any “deacons” or “elders,” again all males, are simply yes-men to the leader. Whatever he says goes. There may be exceptions, though they will be exceptions. I’m thinking of an elder, again men only run church. Even then, the pastor is likely the one to have the most influence. Notice that in this model the thoughts of the congregation are at least not present. A wise pastor and board will run everything past the congregation and take that in careful consideration. But the idea of what seems to be best to the entire church is at least in question with this model.

Note how people who are part of such churches are open to authoritarianism. The priesthood of all believers is set on the side. After all, it’s the pastor who knows it all. “We know very little or nothing in comparison to him.” My suggestion here is that such a model lends itself to an opening for authoritarianism and what is nothing less than a cultic kind of atmosphere, or a full blow cult.

I should define cult. As that word is popularly understood today, I’m talking about a group which considers itself to be exclusive in some way. It all depends on what the exclusivity is and what is involved in that as to whether or not it’s innocent and okay, or not. For example to be in a group like the Boy Scouts you’ll have to submit to a certain code and rule. I realize even that example is controversial nowadays, but I consider such organizations, as long as they stick to a purpose that’s for the betterment of its members, okay. It’s when you get into the idea that it’s this way or the highway for everyone, that you get into trouble.

Democracy is thrown out the window in this model. Did it matter what members of Bill Gothard’s organization thought? Could they question his questionable (at best) teaching? Absolutely not! In the chain of command no less, umbrella authority which he taught and I presume still teaches, God/Christ is at the top, Bill is next, the husband, father, yes the male is next, the wife, daughter, female is definitely under him, the children next, but actually for all practical purposes they’re under the male. But remember in that scheme that one is under Christ only by submitting themselves to Bill Gothard’s teaching. One might quibble with this, but for all practical purposes, it’s spot on. To be in that group you had to submit to Bill’s teaching, to the rules, to everything. Your life essentially was controlled.

We look at the mess today in the United States. Evangelicals are more or less used to this, they even feel at home in it and know nothing else. Should it surprise anyone that they not only are open to authoritarianism, but even embrace it? Should it surprise anyone that they oppose democracy and are open to the idea of either getting rid of it, or at least downgrading it? Of course not. This is nothing new. The John Birch Society many decades ago advocated the same.

When Jesus was teaching the above to his disciples, it was definitely not safe to abandon the chain of command one was in. But Jesus brought an entirely different way, a way which challenged the status quo and put it on notice that its days ultimately are numbered. There is only one Lord: Jesus. The means is the way of the cross in God’s love. The end is the love of God changing people through and through in the true love of neighbor. Anything apart from that was not to be so among the believers, Jesus’s followers. But alas, what we see today! And when the end justifies the means, one can be certain that the end itself will become sullied, or any good end all but lost in that process.

But our way must be different. The way of servant love to each other, servant love to all. As we submit ourselves to one another in the love of God in Jesus, our one and only head being Christ himself.

the idolatry of ideology

Then God spoke all these words,

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.”

Exodus 20:1-3; NRSVue

I am reticent to take on something which I don’t think I understand necessarily well. But ever since this thought was planted, after first wondering, I’ve been grappling with it, and it is making more and more sense to me. It’s something like the idea that when we adhere to an ideology as if it’s an absolute, we remove ourselves from God to something that essentially takes the place of God.

First though, it would be good to have a definition of ideology.

Any wide-ranging system of beliefs, ways of thought, and categories that provide the foundation of programmes of political and social action: an ideology is a conceptual scheme with a practical application.

Oxford Reference

What we’re referring to is tricky. A way of thinking and living can be provisional and might even be legitimate or good for the time and place. In some places all of that will be up for debate. That’s okay, and well and good in its proper place. One example, under certain agreed upon laws along with what is commonly expected there can be a democratic process which allows individuals and people groups to participate and have a say in a government and politics. There are places in the world where that won’t work given the culture. To hold to something is not only alright, but necessary.

We see the same thing throughout the Bible. What God’s people were to do at one time was no longer exactly the same at another time, something which can be seen in the Pentateuch, and all the more when considering the rest of Scripture. For a good number of reasons, things changed. It may seem the most radical change came with Jesus, and that may well be the case, but precedence was set before. This all involves the idea that we have to have our ears low to the ground to try to understand the world and times in which we live, and above all, raised up to God, especially together, to get sense and direction for what we might or even should do.

We must beware of making anything an absolute apart from the absolute of God’s active reign in Jesus by the Spirit. That is the one absolute in which we as followers of Christ are to live. What we accept as good for the time being is always and forever subject to that.

the devil’s playground

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’ ”

Luke 4:5-8; NRSVue

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Lord Acton

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.

Abraham Lincoln

It is a rare politician indeed who has never at least been tempted to think in terms of his or her own supposed best interest and grandeur and glory, yes power. At their best and what they’re supposed to be are “public servants,” for the good of the people. And I think we’ve seen real good come from such. But what I might call the politics of this world is in a danger zone or probably more accurate, is a danger zone. And what it becomes at least as often as not, and probably more often than not is the devil’s playground.

The devil tempted or tested Jesus along this line, one of the three temptations during Jesus’s testing in the wilderness. Jesus as we see above passes that test in flying colors calling for the worship and service of God alone. And maybe that’s getting to the heart of the problem. Ultimate power resides in God, and power given is given to humans to be in harmony with that power, the power for good. Humankind made in God’s image are supposed to be stewards of God’s creation, specifically the earth. And the two great commands are love of God with all of one’s being and doing, and love of neighbor as one loves themselves.

What does all of this mean for us today? I think it most certainly suggests that we should be aware and wary of politicians who seem to be power grabbing and enmeshed in having authority over others. That is why I think at least in the culture, albeit multi-culture in which we live, democracy is best. There should be limited power given to elected officials in more ways than one. And we have to watch out for those who want to rally the masses to their own vision, be it fascist or any other kind of totalitarian, authoritarian view. We have seen clearly and not that long ago how a minority of people can be passionately swept into such, and the inevitable disaster which follows.

Especially as an Anabaptist Christian, while I want to find good in any nation and government, I am wary. The United States where I live is supposed to be a representative government for all the people. I find many aspects of it both good and considering the history, troubling. I bow the knee to only one Lord, Jesus. But I also think we should use our earthly citizenship for good, for the good of people and the earth. But not to be taken in as if our identity is wrapped in a nation or some political party or mere human being. Never. Our identity if we’re followers of Christ is only in Christ and in God’s reign in him. All else is subject to that. Remember what is lurking and too often behind the scenes.

reality is reality (whether religion, science, or anything else)

Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.

Psalm 111:2; NRSVue

Truth has always been contested with the echo of Pilate’s words to Jesus: “What is truth?” And today even facts such as what happened and who said what are regularly contested with “alternative facts.” There has never been a greater needed for thorough and objective journalism minus the opinion of the journalist. Of course, everyone has a bias in how news is told, but everyone should try to present a full and fair picture and ask questions on every side to hold everyone accountable, not much different from a jury of law to determine as is the case here, what’s beyond reasonable doubt.

Whether you’re talking about the faith of Christianity, “mainstream science,” history, or anything else, what is real is real completely apart from one’s opinion on it. It doesn’t really matter what you or I think about anything. What we think might become “our truth” by which we conduct our lives, not unlike Pilate of old. But that doesn’t mean it approximates truth or the truth or reality that much if at all. I may think science has it wrong on any number of things, and as I heard someone recently say, one could make a thorough argument that the moon is made of green cheese and surely convince some. But that doesn’t mean it’s made of green cheese. One can deny the existence of God, but even if you can’t prove philosophically that God does or does not exist, reality is reality. We in the faith find compelling reasons in our experience and in other ways that God does exist.

Conspiracies abound today, and while the United States has always seemed prone to have a good number of people who accept such, it seems more and more endemic, especially among some religious folks. Involved in this is a way of misunderstanding Scripture which brings with it an apocalyptic mindset, often with the refrain something like, “The signs of Jesus’s return are more present than ever.” It seems to me that for too many, conspiracies are the way of understanding most everything. And I suspect that propensity will never end. It’s not like no conspiracy ever existed, and sometimes there is some truth within a false narrative, but what happens is that the cry of “fire, fire” or “wolf, wolf” when there is no fire or wolf present can actually set us up for disaster on the occasions when there really is something unfolding before our eyes that we need to see. Such is actually happening today in a silently complicit or active Evangelically supported push against liberal democracy toward a Christian nationalism enacted by force. People need to become aware of that actual conspiracy so as to stand against it in a democratic, nonviolent way.

Reality includes not only facts but also understanding. What might be behind such thoughts or beliefs? Does that make them suspect? For example, Hitler championed the idea that the pure German “race” was Aryan and superior to all others, and that Jews should be exterminated. He alleged that such was based on facts. For any human being or group, that ought to be seen through for what it was and is, a blatant lie and not reality, but a nightmare. But even Christians in that day, including some Mennonites in Germany including German Mennonite pastors lined up with Hitler and even served as leaders in the military unit of Nazi Germany. That did come to a crashing, devastating end. But we see something of that same mindset rearing its head in many places including the United States.

Reality is reality. God is God. God is in control in the sense that God is indeed sovereign over the nations and over all things. God will judge and is judging. We often say, “Oh, how long Lord?” Too much doesn’t make sense to us. But whether we can grasp it or not, there is something for us to hold on to. Reality ultimately grounded in God through Christ. And humanity held accountable for all that is done on earth. We can bank on that.