By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
Galatians 5:22-23 NRSVue
Not long ago the Emperor Donald, self-styled Supreme Leader of the United States, spoke to a group of conservative Christian leaders in Florida. The event seemed to be about adoration as Trump's gatherings usually are.
According to Reuters:
Trump was speaking at an event organized by the conservative group Turning Point Action in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump said: "Christians, get out and vote, just this time. "You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians."
He added: "I love you Christians. I'm a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don't have to vote again, we'll have it fixed so good you're not going to have to vote," Trump said.
Of course, Trump is not a Christian by any measure of discipleship. He never attends worship except for the occasional wedding or funeral and he literally doesn't know the top from the bottom of a bible, let alone it's contents. His reprehensible personal behaviour and his ready admission that he never seeks forgiveness for his sins, which are manifold. He is a convicted felon and shouldn't be running for any office, let alone the presidency.
Trump loves a certain group of Christians because everything they once held to be true about character and the "fruits of the Spirit" have been abandoned in order to bow down before a man who assures them that they won't have to vote again if he wins in November. What could that possibly mean other than that he assumes he will be emperor for life. Despite scriptural warnings against giving allegiance to human kings and rulers the enthusiasm to do so is shared by millions, many of whom are supposedly Christians. The bible calls it idolatry.
I do love that a group of 30 Democrat Senators have introduced the "No Kings Act", a specific response to the Supreme Court's ruling about immunity for criminal acts perpetrated by a president.
I am not inclined to pray about specific outcomes in elections but in this case I am making an exception. Hannah Arendt's observations about what occurred with the rise of Nazism are timeless.
1 comment:
Historian/philosopher Hannah Arendt having lived through Hitler's time contended that ultimately the dictator can do whatever he wants as the people can no longer distinguish between right and wrong/ truth and lies. Remember Trump's 2016 quote......"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?"
What a wise and prescient scholar she was.......KB
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