Some small thoughts on the correspondents dinner and President Trump

 I watched the Correspondents dinner last night and it left me having great sorrow for President Trump. There was an excellent documentary about the history of and what it means to have freedom of the press. I had hoped that the president really listened and understood the documentary. After that there were awards to reporters; I wondered what Trump was thinking as most of those awards were for articles about some problem with the presidency. He gave funny smiles and in some cases threw up his hands. and then it was time for him to speak. I don't think that he knows what it is to roast people, using satire. His speech was an hour long and filled with awful insults that were simply not funny. I realized that he has no ability to make jokes about others, only insults; and given his now seeming mental problems it was hard for him to stay on subject. I don't know if it is some kind of dementia or something else. But what I saw was a very broken confused man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I truly felt sorry for him.

You Shall Not Murder: An Unholy Army

 

“You shall not murder.” Exodus 13

An army is roaming about the United States killing, imprisoning, destroying people’s lives. It is called ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Its main leaders are the President of the United States, Donald J Trump, the Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor, Stephen Miller, the Immigration Czar, Tom Homan, and the new head of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.

There is much in our country that I am troubled by for instance the corruption of the president and the failure of Congress to do anything about it, but it is our mistreatment of so many people by the leaders and organizations I have named that has me deeply depressed. In another time militia who roamed our streets wearing masks, driving unmarked cars, ramming other cars, shooting the drivers, watching them die without helping them would be arrested by the police. In fact, the police would undoubtedly shoot back at them and imprison them until they could go to trial.

In another time there would be no prisons for children. In another time no children as young as three, without parents, family or guardians would be set before a judge to have their fate decided. Yes, it is happening.

We are becoming a nation who cares little for the helpless, the stranger, the children, the orphan, the widow. The very ones that ancient Israel harmed and because of it finally were sent into exile. (of course, they started down this road because, they, while supposedly, existing as worshipers of God worshiped idols—deadly idols that came from self-will and love of power—read Ezekiel chapter 8.)

But to see people, some citizens, some who are not citizens but have lived here making a living, raising families, lying on our streets bleeding out and law enforcement nor city or government officials doing anything about it is unthinkable. It is like a nightmare descending on us. It is as though another country; another government has overpowered our democracy.

Congress needs to standup to it all. To say enough, to pass laws to make it impossible for an army of unknown members who disobey laws that should govern them, is allowed to exist.

Trust in Him at all times, O people. Pour out your hearts before Him; God is a refuse for us.

Men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; in the balances they go up; they are all together lighter than breath.

Do not trust in oppression and do not vainly hope in robbery. If riches increase do not set you heart upon them.

Once God has spoken and twice I have heard this:  That power belongs to God; and loving kindness is yours O Lord. For you recompence a man according to his work. (Psalms 62:8-12)

 

(About President Trump) Why not King Saul rather than King David?

 I’ve started reading 1^st Samuel as part of my biblical devotional reading. Its just the beginning so once again I’m going over the story of Israel’s first king, Saul. With the help of some commentary notes from the compiler of the St. James devotional and umpteen rereads I see some information I hadn’t noticed.

I want to lay this biblical understanding beside some MAGA people who have suggested that Trump is a called leader like Cyrus who allowed the captive Israelites to return to Judea. But mainly many see Trump as God’s David. I have several times written of Julie Green a supposed MAGA prophet who has God speaking through her calling Trump his beloved David.[1] And of course, that cannot be because Jesus is the one the prophets of the Old Testament prophesized would be the descendent of David, the redeemer and King of the nations.

But I see in king Saul a picture of Trump. In Saul’s son Jonathan I see the faithful follower of the Lord. Saul was an impulsive, controlling man, seeking his own glory. Jonathan with a companion, with trust in the Lord, fights alone, against the Philistines and kills many. During that venture Jonathan sees honey flowing on the ground and eats some. Because of a religious command of Saul, which had nothing to do with faithfulness, but with his own need for being in command of  ritual, commands his soldiers going into battle to fast. They become so hungry that after winning they kill the captured cattle on the ground eating them with the blood which according to God’s law for the Hebrews was forbidden.

But it is Jonathan who is in trouble because he has eaten honey. When that is discovered, he is to be killed, but the soldiers plead for his life and he is saved. Here is some important points about authority, in the story. Jonathan, when hearing that his father has commanded the army going into battle to fast tells the men the truth.
“Then one of the people said, ‘Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying, ‘cursed be the man who eats food today.’ And the people were weary.

“Then Jonathan said, ‘My father has troubled the land. See now how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more if only the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! (1 Samuel 14:28-30a)

Jonathan often fought enemies beside his father Saul, in fact they died together in their last battle. But he was truthful and told his father the truth about his father’s sin.

Saul began his kingship with some humbleness, hiding when Samuel was seeking to announce his kingly anointing to Israel and forgiving some who refused to accept his kingship. But as he grew in power, he became arrogant seeking his own glory. He performed the sacrifice that Samuel, the priest and prophet of God was to perform. At one point when Samuel was seeking Saul he was told, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold he sat up a monument for himself …” (15:12)

Saul became brutal, desiring to kill David who fought beside him and Jonathan and the army of Israel. Saul believed a lie, that David was his enemy who intended to kill him. To that end Saul killed most of the priest of the Lord because they had helped David and prayed for him. In fact, using an enemy of Israel, an Edomite, he killed the people of the city of the priest including women and children. He covers so much of his sin with lies and half-truths. Finally in the end Saul turned to witchcraft seeking answers that he could not find from God.

So, the listing of Saul’s troubling characteristics includes performing religious acts he was not allowed, seeking his own glory including giving out commands (playing religious) that harm his soldiers and building a monument to himself, imagining a conspiracy against himself, making David his enemy, anger over his knowledge that he would eventually be replaced, murdering the faithful and as God turns away from him seeking the future through witchcraft.

Jonathan on the other hand becomes a friend of David acknowledging David, not Jonathan, will be the next king of Israel. He constantly protects David, warning him of Saul’s attempts to kill him. Jonathan several times decries his father’s murderous plans against David. He to Saul’s face insists on the innocence of David. “But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said, ‘Why should he be put to death? What has he done?’” (20:32) At this point Saul who has first insulted his son throws his spear at him and Jonathan leaves angry and grieved. This is truly righteous anger and grief. And Jonathan will at times bring comfort and encouragement to David.

So, Jonathan’s characteristics: faithfulness in friendship, acceptance of God’s will, speaking truth about and to evil, and encouragement to the persecuted.

I don’t want to say that Trump has chased so far as to reach into witchcraft but he has gathered some heretical teachers and leaders to himself—not all, but the leader—yes, Paula White, a prosperity teacher and one who has connections to the “we are gods” teachers and preachers. I don’t want to write that Trump seeks to kill whoever might be the next president, but he is willing to put innocent people in prison while rewarding criminals in order to avenge himself against those he believes to be his enemies. He is willing to rend America apart in order to stay in his position. And yes, he does have an obsession with memorials to himself. He is not following in David’s footsteps; he is following in Saul’s which ended in disaster.

The follower of Christ cannot be in rebellion but must speak truth; must be concerned with God’s true beloved David, the Messiah, the incarnate One, Jesus.

Jonathan made a covenant of faithfulness with David and David with him. God has through His Son Jesus made a covenant with His Church—it doesn’t rule out the cross—the suffering, but it does hold the promises of redemption and eternal life. No darknesses in a witch’s cave, no blackened egos breaking other’s hearts, but the throne of God founded on love, justice and truth.  

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; lovingkindness and truth go before You. (Psalm 89: 14)

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[1] Is Donald Trump God's David? The false prophecies of Julie Green, Naming His Grace: Is Donald Trump God's David? The false prophecies of Julie Green

 

The Controversy About the Pentagon's New Listing of Religions for the Chaplains Ministry

 

I put a small blurb on a Facebook posting I shared from the internet about the Pentagon’s new listing of religions for the military chaplain’s service. As I’ve thought about it I decided I should do a larger information essay with, of course, some of my opinions.

At the moment the big controversy is that while many Christian denominations were listed under the designation Christian, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints did not have that designation.

So first of all, as a Christian, a Presbyterian for many years and now a Lutheran (LCMS) I don’t see the LDS as truly Christian from a faith position. For instance, they don’t believe in the Trinity, nor the eternality of God. But that really isn’t the point, they see themselves as Christian and that is part of our freedom as Americans. The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth has probably had a hand in forming or guiding the list but I don’t know that for certain. What I do know is this list has many problems. Whoever made the list did not have a good understanding of religions in general.

If the LDS was left off because the persons forming the list thought they were not truly Christian then what about the listing of Christian Scientist and Jehovah Witnesses as Christians since they are on this list. The JWs do not believe Jesus is God nor do they believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. The Christian Scientist do not believe evil is real and see all biblical language as metaphor. Matter is unreal and the blood of Jesus has no meaning. But as I have written that really isn’t the point, in America we have religious liberty and all who call themselves Christians are allowed to do so. And while we as faith people are called to dialogue, to hopefully kindly point out our differences, government officials must respect the titles each religion give themselves.

So here is what I see as the real problem: Christianity has been over emphasized by listing so many different groups under the heading of Christian while all other religions are simply listed under what I would call generic names such as Islam or Buddhism. And yet all of these other religions have separate groups within them. For instance, one of the larger groups within Buddhism in America is Pure Land Buddhism, but there are others such as  Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. So why not simply for denominations have a listing of just Christianity with service people deciding for themselves.

Then there is one more problem I want to address. One of the fastest growing groups in the United States and elsewhere is paganism which includes Wicca. They have been left off of this list and I don’t feel they should have been. I have written in several places about Wicca and I don’t endorse it but I care about the needs of these many women. I am familiar with the pastor who not too many years ago was Chaplain over all of the prison system in California. A godly Assembly of God pastor. I still remember seeing a list of some of the needs he had. One was wood for the wiccan prison members to hold sage ceremonies. And I laughed! But compassion reaches troubled people faster than condemnation. The point is when people and their faiths are ignored, they feel left out, dismissed as unimportant. We are being troubled by Christian Nationalism whose adherents tend to discriminate against women and those they consider outsiders. Just recently I listened to part of a video where several extreme pastors who are Christian Nationalist were discussing how if they could come to power in the United States, it might be possible to get the government officials to takeover all churches that are gay centered and/or had women pastors. While I truly believe that biblically marriage is between one man and one woman, no church in American should ever be in danger of having a government takeover.

The list should be done over, simplified and fair.

Tearing Down Buildings to Build Greater Buildings to Self:

 

Good Friday evening I watched a movie I hadn’t watched in a while, Que Vadis. I wrote in a different posting several months ago that I watched the original movie when I was 10. There is a later one but not so good. The 1951 movie was one of the stepping stones to my becoming a Christian. It is about the Christians of Rome during the time of Nero. And yes there are important scenes of the Christian suffering in the arena as well as the burning of Rome. But for those interested it does include a romance.

Something, different struck me as I watched the movie, something I hadn’t noticed before and the reason I noticed was because of President Trump. It was Nero and his character, played extremely well by actor, Peter Ustinov. As the movie jacket puts it “He is Caesar, madman, murderer an imperial ruler of the spectacularly doomed, of the glory that was Rome.” No, Trump isn’t that bad, not yet anyway, but I saw some traits portraited in Nero’s character that reminded me of Trump, the something I hadn’t thought about before.

Of course, there was the egotism, the desire to be seen by all and to be lauded by everyone. That was something I had already observed as most have. And there was the many who catered to those desires including the man who had some nobility yet learned to turn and twist Nero’s desire for praise and adulation into usefulness, preventing him from further evil. The movie portrayed that character as Petronius. He was historically an attendant to Nero concerning fashion and he did kill himself when he realized Nero was going to kill him. Also true to history he sends a letter to Nero defaming him and telling Nero how awful his music and poetry was. [i] However, the movie took some liberties since Seneca also was a role and his historical suicide commanded by Nero was portrayed more as Petronius’. Seneca did not commit suicide in the movie.

That trait that I discovered in Nero’s character and saw some of Trump’s in Nero was Nero’s desire to be a great builder and to tear down everything he saw as useless, buildings and organizations that failed to acknowledge the greatness or importance of Nero. He wanted to rebuild them with his own impotent image. The scenes of Nero showing his associates his newly planned Rome and the horrific scenes of the fire Nero set to destroy the old Rome were, yes, horrific but enlightening. Nero was a coward; he blamed the fire on the Christians. He was also a madman he enjoyed the reality of their deaths. When buildings and organizations were sacrificed to bring Nero glory and attributes of divinity he smiled and sang. He wrote poetry, awful poetry.

Part of my devotional reading for the last several months, have included the history of Israel and the prophets Daniel and Jeremiah; an interesting combination since Jeremiah prophesizes the defeat, the exile, and the return of Israel, while the exiled Daniel, the godly Hebrew wiseman of Babylon, prays in repentance for that time of return to come. One cannot miss the fact that Jeremiah constantly proclaims God’s coming judgement on sinning Israel, that sin which includes the burning of children to the pagan god moloch. There were many idols in Israel. But Babylon had their own idols and one an idol created by Nebuchadnezzar. That one was intended for worship or death. This is not off the subject of Nero or Trump or building memorials to self. Recently Trump posted a video of what would be, he said, was his library only he had decided it would be a hotel. It was extensive and full of aircraft. But in one large room seemingly for speakers was a large golden statue of Trump and that is not the first time that golden statue (idol) has shown up.

What do we as Christians hang onto in the midst of idolatry? First notice that this idolatry is about self. Grasping for human desires and exulting the self; refusing the hard parts of life. And this sin belongs to all of us, to myself greatly. Oh, this isn’t about refusing the goodness that God gives, the joys as Lewis or Tolkien might think of it, good meals, friendships, okay, pipes for some, good books, restful nights, gardens, etc. But it is turning away from glorifying the self. It is seeking and holding onto God’s will in our lives. It is caring about the needy, the broken, the frightened, (there are a lot of frightened people in our world today.) It is remembering that it is the presence of Jesus, it is His word, His strength, His forgiveness—it is all His, cling to that, hold on, not to self but to Him.

 

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[i] Petronius - Wikipedia

The Historical Suffering Church: Its Image, Its Faith Extending Over Our Tomorrows: The White Rose- Passive Resistance

 

Not unlike other tyrant’s obsession with gaining property, wealth and yes nations, President Trump seems bent on conquering other nations’ property, (oil) and lands. Wanting Venezuela’s oil, Greenland’s natural security borders, Canada’s expansiveness is hardly acceptable reasons for invading other lands. But with Venezuela it is beginning and may continue. That wanting and obsession includes demanding extreme loyalty and obedience which involves using what can only be called a private presidential army, ICE, to brutally remove people from the streets of Democratic cities, sending even American citizens to dreadful deportation camps.

Trying to face, before sleeping, all that is happening in our country I thought of a group and a person I have written about before, Sophie Scholl. She and her brother Hans were part of a small resistance group, The White Rose, that began in Munich during the Hitler regime. It began with those attending the university and although support for the group spread it remained small. These young people, mostly in their twenties, wrote pamphlets, sending them at first through the mail to mostly other students and professors, also simply leaving them in various places where they would hopefully be seen by others and read. Their biggest concern was that other citizens either did not know what was happening because of Hitler or they did not care, ignoring the suffering of so many. Of course, many lies were told by the regime and for some it was easier to believe the lies than to face the truth.

Members of The White Rose purposed a kind of resistance called passive resistance. I will write about this and what it was toward the end of this posting; in most cases it would be sufficient for concerned Americans. The pamphlets are all on line; six of them, I will link to them.[1] They are interesting for those interested in using cultural understandings to reach those who seem indifferent to the troubles and sufferings of a people. Such German literary figures as Goethe and Novalis are quoted. And because the group was Christian, mostly Catholic but also Lutheran has been mentioned, the scriptures are quoted in their writings. For instance, “So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead than the living which are yet alive. Ecclesiastes 4”

One section of pamphlet 4 offers a Christian perspective on the evil of their day, perhaps of ours:

“Every word that comes from Hitler's mouth is a lie. When he says peace, he means war, and when he blasphemously uses the name of the Almighty, he means the power of evil, the fallen angel, Satan. His mouth is the foul-smelling maw of Hell, and his might is at bottom accursed. True, we must conduct a struggle against the National Socialist terrorist state with rational means; but whoever today still doubts the reality, the existence of demonic powers, has failed by a wide margin to understand the metaphysical background of this war. Behind the concrete, the visible events, behind all objective, logical considerations, we find the irrational element: The struggle against the demon, against the servants of the Antichrist.

Everywhere and at all times demons have been lurking in the dark, waiting for the moment when man is weak; when of his own volition he leaves his place in the order of Creation as founded for him by God in freedom; when he yields to the force of evil, separates himself from the powers of a higher order; and after voluntarily taking the first step, he is driven on to the next and the next at a furiously accelerating rate. Everywhere and at all times of greatest trial men have appeared, prophets and saints who cherished their freedom, who preached the One God and who His help brought the people to a reversal of their downward course. Man is free, to be sure, but without the true God he is defenseless against the principle of evil. He is like rudderless ship, at the mercy of the storm, an infant without his mother, a cloud dissolving into thin air.”

I believe this fits well the evil of any age and any dictatorship.

And writing of evil, after dumping from the balcony, a large number of pamphlets at the Munich university they were purposely locked in and denounced by the janitor. Three were arrested, tried and later guillotined, beheaded.  Others were later arrested.

The director of the movie, Sophie Scholl (2003) Marc Rothemund, wrote this about Sophie:

“I admire her courage. She turned down the ‘golden bridge’ offered to her by the interrogation officer Robert Mohr—thus practically signing her own death sentence, I find this approach to death quire startling; how does such a life-affirming, positive-minded young woman like Sophie Scholl come to terms with the fact that her life is being taken away from her? How does she find meaning in her death? And of course, as an atheist, I ask myself: Is it easier to face death as a believer?”

The White Roses’ understanding of passive resistance is clearly meant for a nation attacking other nations and committing genocide on peoples, particularly Jews, but also imprisoning and killing Romas, LGBTs, and Christians who opposed the regime. One suggestion is sabotaging weapon factories. That is not what I have in mind as I write this. But the acts of writing and for our period filming and posting acts of violence by ICE are important. This is certainly passive resistance.

The use of whistles to warn others is excellent. The White Rose suggested also sabotaging Nazi rallies, and refusing to give to charities that were going into government coffers. In the book The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory by Tim Alberta he writes of attending a Reawaken American Tour which although it no longer operates had for several years pulled in MAGA, QAnon and various other strange speakers to promote Trump and many of the speakers still influence the far right. Alberta, a reporter for the Atlantic and a Christian, who was gathering information for his book challenged various Christians who were promoting the horrific political positions pushed by the leaders of the Tour. This is challenging the American First rallies. Challenging in fact the philosophical and religious basis of Trump’s administration since most speakers were and are friends and family of Trump. Other reporters and columnists have continued to question and challenge the horrific actions of ICE toward both United States citizens and permanent immigrants.

It should be noted that although it seemed that the White Rose group did not arouse their communities to more truthful opinions of what was happening, nor did their understanding of passive resistance seem to win out, they did become known by the allies fighting for freedom. One article, on The World War II Museum site in New Orleans states:

“While their deaths were only barely mentioned in German newspapers, they received attention abroad. In April, The New York Times wrote about student opposition in Munich. In June 1943, Thomas Mann, in a BBC broadcast aimed at Germans, spoke of the White Rose’s actions. The text of the sixth leaflet was smuggled into the United Kingdom where they were reprinted and dropped over Germany by Allied planes in July of the same year.”

Three other actions of passive resistance I will add, prayer for those being harassed and deported, caring for community, and speaking truth in faithfulness.

 

 

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[1] The Leaflets – Center for White Rose Studies

The Humbleness of God Meeting the Wickedness of Humanity

 

During advent season so much of my devotional reading was directed to Revelation and Daniel. One chapter in Daniel caught my attention. The story of Nebuchadnezzar being turned out of his kingdom into the fields with the beasts. It begins with the king speaking of the greatness of God and His kingdom, “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.” (4:3b) After this Nebuchadnezzar goes on to explain how he came to acknowledge the greatness of God. That event came after he was warned by God in a dream. He was warned of his arrogance and encouraged by Daniel to break away from his sins and show mercy to the poor.

A year later, walking on the roof of his palace these are Nebuchadnezzar’s words. “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and by the glory of my majesty.” (4:30). Immediately the king became like an animal in the field and under God’s judgement would remain that way until he acknowledged God’s sovereignty.

I, also noted in my Christmas reading, that while we are to praise God for His greatness the Psalms reveals that God is humble. But how can the One who created all things and rules all be humble? When we think of humanity as humble, we think of those who, unlike Nebuchadnezzar, do not boast but acknowledges their weaknesses, their inabilities, even their sinfulness. They are like the man who praying in the Temple will not even look up but asks for mercy. So, the contrast between the words of Nebuchadnezzar, his bragging self-admiration, and the biblical humbleness attributed to the Lord are undoubtedly vast.

So, what is the attitude and acts that make our God humble:

The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God. Who is enthroned on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth? And lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of His people. He makes the barren woman to abide in the house as a joyful mother of children (Psalm 113: 4-9a).

The Lord looks on all he has made, unlike the religious deist’s views of God, the Lord of Scripture is concerned about His creation. And what follows is not His praise of His own self because of His Glory but His tender care for His creation. What could be more empathic than caring for the one reduced to such poverty or caring for the woman longing for children. It is the reaching down to the weak, the needy, the stranger, the broken and sinful that is really the opposite of human arrogance, the seeking of power, the willingness to hurt others, the dark need to avenge. And the greatest image of God’s humbleness is the Father’s willingness to send His beloved Son to redeem humanity.

There is much to be frightened about in all ages, and yes in this age. The desire to cover walls with gold and with insults—the desire to send people away into prisons that might as well be new gulags and concentration camps. The desire to overpower the true image of God, that is, the image of God in humanity—all of humanity, broken and redeemed humanity. The need to be honored for peace while pushing war in everyplace—around dinner tables, on high seas, amidst friends. The need to honor foes—for power—and threaten friends—for power.

But there is a power and grace and yes humbleness that is above every earthly power. While God reaches down, humbles Himself to touch the lives of the broken; still He is the one who warned Nebuchadnezzar and then humbled him causing him to live among the beasts until he acknowledged that the Lord was the one who raises up rulers and puts down rulers. Repeatedly, reading the Hebrew Bible, the history of Israel and the warnings of the Prophets, ones sees the constant rise of wicked kings and God’s judgments on them.

The most degenerate king of Judah, Manasseh, who Scriptures says filled Jerusalem with innocent blood met both that judgement and that redemption. Manasseh’s list of evil actions can be found in 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33. Manasseh was captured by the ruler of Assyria and, interestingly, taken in chains to prison in Babylon. (2 Chronicles 33) In prison Manasseh repented and God brought him back to Jerusalem where he tore down all the altars he had built to false gods and removed an idol he had placed in the temple.  But still his people were tainted because he had seduced them too evil.

And we must acknowledge the evil about us, in us, and even in the leadership over us as a means of not participating in evil. This isn’t rebellion, this is being truthful. We must grieve as the Lord does both for those who are hurt and those who hurt. This isn’t rebellion its knowing, feeling and carrying the grace of God to brokenness. We must be willing to be slandered for telling the truth this is also God’s grace.