To see the Holy Spirit descend like a dove and hear the voice of God claim Jesus as the beloved Son must have been quite a spectacle (Mark 1:4-11). What we learn from the spectacle of Jesus' Baptism is that God is with us in Jesus, who would turn the known world upside down. It came at a time when empire had run rampant, resulting in the devastating occupation and oppression of God's people. This Jesus event was light in the darkness, complete with an exposure of the darkness for what it was by Jesus and a vision of God's Will in what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for those who would be faithful to God.
What have we learned from the spectacle of Wednesday last?
Do you see how the forces of empire, with its values of greed, hatred, lust for power and desire for status above others have brought us to this dark time?
Those who support a sitting President rioted and tried to prevent the democratic process from happening after a legitimate election took place. Incited by that President, they stormed the halls of elected government, shut the democratic process down, vandalized and did violence. The result was the death of five American citizens, one more than the endlessly Republican investigated riot in Benghazi.
After that, the Congress re-convened and certified a legitimately executed election, but not without 8 different Republican Senators and 147 (65% of the) Congressional Representatives still objecting to the results of that legitimately executed election because their candidate did not win, full with illegitimate and debunked claims of election fraud. They voted against certifying a legitimate election! Elected officials in the Republican Party attempted their own end to the democratic process, after a failed violent one by the mob's violence they fomented through their false claims of election irregularities and fraud for weeks before.
At least 8 Republican Senators and 147 Congressional Representatives love Power so much that they hate Democracy by comparison. Their sycophantic, coattail grabbing attempts and hateful, divisive, provocative words and actions have helped to deepen the political and ideological divides of the nation they have sworn to represent, lead and serve. They are ALL Republicans.
Now, many of them are objecting to the pursuit of consequences for their words and actions. They will resist any punitive actions for their un-American words and actions, now claiming that it is a time for "healing," even knowing that there are those who are still planning more violent insurrection and sedition in our near future. They are complicit, at the very least.
There can be no healing until there is a recognition of wrong-doing in this, and repentance from it. If there are no consequences for this, it will not help heal the nation, but will push the envelope of new, even more extreme norms in the expressions of ignorant hatefulness which have become much more normative in the last four years within our nation. Just as placation of the South after the Civil War only led to more injustice through Deconstruction and Jim Crow, expressions of overt and systemic racism that still thrive today, so we will not heal the divides within our nation by sticking our heads in the sand and ignoring the extreme injustices promoted by Republicans at this time in our history.
Until this nation (and those who represent the citizens of it in their government) resoundingly opposes the racism, ethnocentrism, misogyny, xenophobia, classism, homophobia, Islamophobia and nationalism which has been born of a false sense of white superiority and has been nurtured by oligarchs who have used it to gain and keep power in our government, we will have to constantly fight the evils of fascism within our nation. Those who falsely believe they are entitled above others due to their race, misogynistic beliefs, sexual orientation and participation in the cult of American Civil Religion are angry that their false entitlement has not been recognized and accepted as legitimate and, currently reflected in the election results of 2020. The last four years have given voice and power to the ignorant and hateful fascists in the nation. They had a platform because of the election of their delusional narcissist in the highest office in the land. His sycophantic, coattail grabbing colleagues propped him up, shielded him from prosecution and thus emboldened him to spread the ideological hatred from which they benefitted. They fomented the lies about the election results in order to continue to stay in power. Now, some of them are distancing themselves because their insurrection and attempted coup have failed, but McConnell, Graham, McCarthy and the 147 Congressional Representatives and 8 Senators are still in love with the power over our Democracy, and are still in office. They are ALL Republicans.
Until the people of the nation take responsibility for the hatred, greed, lust for power and desire for status, nurtured by re-written history and the myths of ideology around them, we will not heal from division and we will face threats to our Democracy from these enemies of it, both foreign and domestic.
Until the people of the nation strive to live the ideals of the Gospel of Jesus, centered on Agape Love and Grace, reject laissez-faire Capitalism that keeps us under the thumb of Oligarchs and the Fascism that keeps us under the boot of autocrats, we will continue to devolve and will eventually implode, as do all empires.
Until we take delight in the Jesus of the Gospels and His Good News of Agape Love and Grace for a world torn apart by empire, we will continue to be subject to the occupation and oppression of empire here, in this nation.
That healing must start with an acknowledgement of the darkness. It must then continue with a commitment to the light of truth, selfless love, humility and Shalom for ALL people, equally.
Any cries of "Shalom, Shalom," when there IS NO Shalom will further promote this divide and threaten us all. It will lead to worse spectacles and destruction in our (near) future. It is time to expose the darkness for what it is and commit to living in the light of God.
Pastor Jamie
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