a day after

A DAY AFTER THE WEEK BEFORE 

I hope, as I write this, I do not do so from my own political bias, which I prefer to keep out of my church-based writing and my preaching. Blind Freddy of course could tell what it is, though even Blind Freddy is not right all the time.

But as I tried to say an eternity ago in last week’s column, I have no understanding of economics. Pundits tell me that largely drove the US election outcome. Before an eternity ago (Tuesday) a lot of sources told me that those signs were good: better than in 2026 to 2020. The Democrats were clearly abysmal at getting that message across amidst the white noise of election fever (which seems to go on for four years in the USA). Ah well. What’s done is done,” as Lady Macbeth muttered. I support democracy, though in an ideal world I would probably support benevolent dictatorship. It saves a lot of money and stress, but sadly tends not to stay benevolent for long. Maybe Ataturk did?

So yeah, I don’t want to talk Right or Left. Democracy suggests both have strengths and weaknesses. Let’s not go there.

But I want to talk decency. I want to talk Christian witness. I want to talk Christlikeness. Even in politics. And I acknowledge, by and large we do it quite well in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Perhaps a little less so in the USA? By and large we don’t say things like “In two days, we are going to take out the trash …” and then name our opponent. (“Chris” covers both sides of our politics!). We don’t, however disingenuously, suggest guns should be pointed at our opponent, whether referring to firing squads or the theatre of war.

Having landed on the wrong side of the US equation this past week I must practice what I preach. Maybe I’m a drama queen? Maybe I catastrophise? Bluntly I am very scared of the next four years. But be that as it may I am faith-duty bound to pray for the leadership (because US leadership is world leadership).

But: benefit of the doubt, for now. Perhaps threats to “round up” illegal immigrants, despatch “the enemy within,” or that a special counsel should be “thrown out of the country” are okay? Maybe, if they are just rhetoric?

But wait: loose words are dangerous. They give permissions to those who are mentally unstable. We saw that on January 6th, 2021. “Stand up and stand by” excited some very dangerous people.

Many American Christians have moved into dangerous territory, alongside many Americans of every persuasion. As Christ-bearers we must pray for and support our elected leaders, until we mustn’t. And then, God forbid, if a time comes when a government becomes anti-decency, anti-human, anti-Christ, there’s a long and time-honoured path of passive resistance and non-violent action.

May that never happen, either in the USA or here. But it could.