By D. Thomas

“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;” [LUKE 12:35].

Confession: I have been a bad follower of Jesus. I have been failing in those trials and temptations the times have generated.

My outrage and disgust and offense at actions, words, and legislations of the current administration in the United States have led me to judge, and to take liberties in my comments on Facebook, where I have at times fallen to name-calling and insulting, even saying such things as “trump sounds like he must have Alzheimer’s, Dementia, or syphilis that has reached his brain”, and calling I.C.E. agents and wannabes  “fascist  thugs;” almost wishing ill on a few of his fellows, or enjoying their moments of public shame– “If they can even feel shame!” I added , which is, again, that failure to love my ideological enemy.

I have also taken advantage of my civil liberty to defend our American liberties by protesting properly: assembling with others for local demonstrations, carrying signs, making phone calls and sending emails to Senators and Representatives.

I have prayed for them, though, regularly: “Lord, free them from the evil spirits which have fouled and corrupted their hearts and minds and mouths,” for I believe there are forces of evil using every opportunity to direct and lead the atrocities being enacted by humans against citizens and refugees and strangers in the land, spirits of evil fanning prejudices, fears, and passions. On both sides of the American argument, passions have been inflamed. Fortunately, the forces of good have kept protests and demonstrations against the current regime notably peaceful. We have gathered and carried signs, chanted and sung songs, marched and danced, collected food for food banks and handed out water. There are members of Congress fighting for human rights and dignities against cuts to agencies which aid the poorest, which help provide food and necessary medicines to children and senior citizens, veterans and young families, and people trying to escape violence and danger, seeking refuge, seeking employment, and citizenship.

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me;'” [MATTHEW 25: 31-35].

It is not a Christian failure to call evil actions evil, to call injustice what it is, or to defend with words, money, bodies, the rights of fellow humans to exist, here. Or to be angry about inhumanity, or heartbroken by what is happening and will be happening to people in prison/detainment camps and “red” rural counties- especially to children. Surely no regime which removes air, water, food, and product safety regulations, and slashes medical aid is trying to benefit anyone but its oligarchs. Surely no government which has curtailed and denied civil liberties, searching and seizing residents without criminal charge, and illegally imprisoning and deporting humans without trial, has been on the side of democracy, or “good”, or helped any but the authoritarians themselves.

It is not Christ-like or godly to take food and medicine away from children, mothers, older people, or to round people up and throw them into prisons without due process, without trial or proof of crime.

Jesus said “Better a millstone around the neck than to offend one of the little ones” (Matthew 18:6, Luke 17:2), and I think: “Am I supposed to be more generous to my enemies than praying and saying ‘God will attend to them, God will punish?’ Isn’t that what they say? That ‘liberals’ are disillusioned sinners, and God will punish us?’ I have written before about what is good and what is evil and who calls evil, good, and don’t know what to say any more: it is evil to say: “God says we should get rid of those people and make these wealthy White people Huge and more Rich and more Powerful!”

Jesus Christ never advocated imprisoning anyone, or conducting ethnic cleansing, mass deportations, giving perks and benefits to the already wealthy.

“‘I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me…’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food?. .And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly, I tell you, just as you did it to the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. Then He will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink…'” [MATT. 25: 36-42].

I am a bit depressed, and disappointed, again this Fourth of July. It’s supposedly a day to celebrate freedom in the ‘States. Or, a day to celebrate supposed freedom in these ‘States, of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. But, I have never been able to be too excited about Independence day, when those who wrote the great, moving words of the Declaration did not include women, did not free Black slaves, and within the document called the indigenous people “merciless Indian Savages.”And this year we have a President infamous for taking liberties with women, now taking liberties with Rule Of Law and the powers or the executive branch to threaten and coerce and punish people he doesn’t like. But I got out my 1988 World Book Encyclopedia to read the document; some of the grievances are interesting, especially this spring and summer, with budget increases to I.C.E. in this Year, and Project, 2025 climate:

–“For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury–“

“For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses–“.

The reasons for declaring Independence from “Mad” King George and Britain include, that,

“Whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government…Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long and established should not be changed for light, transient causes… but when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such a Government and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

Reading through the other great political document, the Constitution– one volume back, written a decade later– I realized that it can be interpreted, quoted, and applied to desired contexts on both sides of as many arguments as variably as the Bible–. This has been so with most administrations, infuriatingly so in this trump period, when Court orders and injunctions are ignored, and Congress and due processes are repeatedly by-passed, and bearing false witness is presidential.

What is this ”Freedom” that is celebrated? And threatened by the authoritarian Executive Branch?

Freedom might be defined as, a condition of being wherein one can make choices for ones’ self about what to think, to worship, to love, and to enjoy, and also free to abhor and avoid; wherein one can determine where to live, and how, pursuing goals of one’s necessity and choice. Communities of humans set the parameters of liberty, within, usually, moral guidelines, such as not killing or harming or stealing from or destroying other people. or their households and belongings.

Even in this age of authorized thugs and mass deportations, physical constraint of liberty does not destroy intellectual freedom.

We are free to act as the “sheep” or “goats”.

If free, we are free to be our best, and free to be our worst. We are free to hate each other, and we are free to love one another. We are free to decide what matters. I should not, then, damn anyone for feeling that the lives of Spanish-speaking Brown people they don’t know are less important than their own– for I do not know where any other is on their spiritual journey, or what turns their stories may take.

We are free to be hypocrites and sinners, but, more importantly, most importantly: we are free to repent of our sins and turn from our selfishness and meanness, free to ask Spirit Who Reveals the Truth About God to forgive us and help us to love.

Because I do not know what else to do but Show Up, donate, and Speak Up, I will continue to pray:

LORD and Christ, guard my heart and mind, help me to be generous and patient and courageous. Lead me, guide me, direct me, Holy Spirit, to Your works, in Your ways. Flow through us, use us. Open eyes and hearts, O LORD, that all may see the truth of what is good and what is evil. Convict us each of sin and righteousness, and help us to discern spirits; free those deceived and ensnared by the adversary, lead them to repent and be healed. Show me when I am wrong and guide me; use me as you will. Forgive the sins of all who do love. Deliver us from evil. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Jesus’ allegory concludes with the “goats” asking where He was:

“Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly, I tell you, just as you have did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. ” [MATT. 25:44-46].

“Consider the lilies, how they neither toil nor spin; yet, I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these… And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows you need them. Instead, strive for His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” [LUKE 12: 27, 29-31].