I find it appropriate that Halloween and Election Day are just around the corner. Halloween is a phantasy. The election is a real horror. Both days are about the masks we wear.
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The Masks we Wear
The Kingdom of Heaven Suffers Violence
Last week we heard the horrible news that Father Jacques Hamel was beheaded at the altar of his church as those in attendance were forced to watch. He was not the first, nor will he be the last to suffer. Jesus declared,
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Is This the Time of National Restoration?
“Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:6-8).
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“Give us a President!”
As we enter the 2016 presidential election cycle I am reminded that the people of Israel sought a king (1 Samuel 8:5). Saul was impressive and anointed by the Spirit of God. But his ascension as king was little more than tolerated idolatry. On the day that Samuel presented Saul as their king God said, “I brought up Israel out of Egypt… but today you have rejected your God…” (1 Samuel 10:19). Humans tend to idolize their leaders, even as we acknowledge that the best leaders have feet of clay. In fact, we seem to prefer flawed leaders. It’s tough to admit that our gods are little more than grandiose representations of ourselves.
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Ross Douthat at Mere Anglicanism
A few days ago, I posted the first blog about the Mere Anglicanism conference. Ross Douthat, an op-ed columnist at The New York Times, was the second presenter. I wanted to write about Douthat’s presentation separately because I was so moved by his story and presentation.
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The Idolatry of Politics
The ancient people of Israel cried out, “Give us a king.” The desire for a king displeased Samuel, but Yahweh allowed Samuel to appoint a king over Israel. The desire for a king was an expression of idolatry. “The LORD said to Samuel, ‘they have rejected Me from being king over them… they have forsaken Me and served other gods'” (1 Samuel 8:5-8). The perennial temptation of humanity is to exalt human leaders to divine status. Admiration easily becomes adoration.
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Of Caesar and Mammon
The story of the kings of Israel offers to us a powerful reminder of the corruption of politics. After a period of rule by heroic judges and prophets, the people of Israel cried out, “Give us a king!” (1 Samuel 8:6). The desire for a king was nothing less than a subtle form of idolatry. “The Lord said to Samuel, ‘…they have rejected Me from being king over them…’” (1 Samuel 8:7f). Beginning at Mt. Sinai, the people of Israel often flirted with the pseudo-gods of Egypt and Canaan. Their desire for a king was a rejection of the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Following the words of the Lord, Samuel warned the people that a royal dynasty would be oppressive and corrupt and then he anointed Saul as king over Israel.
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