The Left Confuses Me

The fallout from the US election continues and things are getting bizarre. Protests continue in different cities, we even had some in Toronto. As far as I can tell they are protesting because they believe Trump is evil and that he will enact evil policies that will strip the rights of minorities and descend America into a white supremacist state of hardened intolerance and bigotry. At least this was the impression my educated leftist friend gave when he rebuked me saying "I will not be silent while White Supremacy is becoming normalized!" and linked to an article listing several hate crimes against minorities that had been perpetrated by white supremacist thugs emboldened by Trump's electoral success.

I noted that the article had no references or links but didn't voice my skepticism because I know that for this particular friend that would mean getting blasted for robbing the oppressed of their agency... or something like that. Now, a week and a half later I see right wing posts full of references for how these 'whitelash' attacks were faked and no evidence of the supposed crimes can be located. As far as local and regional police are concerned the attacks were never reported to them even though many stories claim that the police were involved.

I understand that a lot of people are scared and that a Trump presidency is a dark prospect for some minorities and immigrants in the United States. This makes me sad. What baffles me though is that some folk are openly fabricating horror stories that leftists use to justify their narratives and that even once it comes to light that the supporting horror stories were just made up the narrative still stands. What baffles me even more is that the majority of leftist protesters protesting right now are paid to protest things that haven't happened. The explanation I can come to is that some very wealthy leftist forces are trying their best to keep their political power by controlling the people with fear mongering and, of course, the leftist media eats it all up and reports it as narrative confirming fact. Why all the dishonesty? I'm not a politically savvy person by any means, but I've heard it said that the left is all about the narrative. Narrative > Facts. If your supporters have a strong narrative they will interpret all the facts according to that narrative. The narrative serves the ideology and if you question the ideology or the narrative then, according to the narrative, you are either morally deplorable or require educating. It's a sick self validating spiral.

Oh, I know the right has its own spirals, don't think I'm endorsing right wing nonsense just because I'm criticizing left wing nonsense. I just wish we could cut the nonsense all together. Perhaps this is an impossible and even nonsensical wish.

But is it really nonsense? What is this vision that they are so caught up in, this all encompassing narrative? In what ways does it intersect with the Word of God and what He is doing in the world? Am I too generous, not generous enough, and does my mental generosity matter? Lord have mercy on us all as we walk according to the light in this world. In whatever our circumstances, insufficiencies, inadequacies, and ignorance give us grace to distinguish between the world's light and your light, and may we become as Christ said, the light of the world for all to see.

Stability and Confusion?

We are officially moved to Orillia. My commute has gone from 35 minutes to 5 minutes. We still have lots of boxes in the garage and storage room to go through but all the essentials are in place. This brings a sense of stability amidst a full week of chaos. The boys are starting to feel it too, that this is home, where we will stay and live. Hopefully we can go out to meet the neighbors and maybe make some friends! Apparently there's a nice Pentecostal pastor on the crescent somewhere. Maybe we'll make cookies, knock on some doors, and invite our neighbors to celebrate with us on our being unpacked in a week or so.

Alongside this growing stability is a growing confusion, if that is the right word to describe it. Maybe its the move, maybe its the political wars on social media, or maybe its just a new stage for me but I find myself unsure of a few things. Politically I have always leaned right. I am familiar with right wing talking points like abortion and religious rites but I look at the foment and lament on the left and wonder if I'm blind to something important that they see and I do not. I look at the mocking and jeering from the right and get a sick feeling in my stomach. I try to avoid political spats on Facebook but found myself in two light ones this week, both times realizing that I didn't know what I thought I knew nearly as well as I thought I did. I'm all for opportunities for learning from those who disagree with me but this really stresses me out for some reason.

There is just so much I don't know. I don't know what will happen tomorrow. I don't actually know how the average lay-Christian thinks or acts or what it is like to deal with the loud and proud right wing of America who voted for a man and policies that are objectively anti-christlike or what to do with the loud and proud left wing who demands that I "check my privilege" as though my skin color, sex, and religion were all big problems. I don't know how to deal with the right that demands the abolition of abortions without actually loving or helping solve the problems of the people who want abortions (as though life after birth isn't their business) and I don't know what to do with the left wing that slams the right for being anti-woman, hateful, and stupid. It's like I can see both their points and why each thinks that theirs are valid while the others are not. This is only one out of a million issues and I just don't know how they fit together or what to say if I'm ever asked. I don't have a solution but I know one who does and it is to Him that I pray for wisdom and understanding where I just feel like I have none at all.

Going back to where I am now, the house feels like a dream. It's surreal. I'm in this strange mental in-between space where my sub-conscience still expects the house in Barrie, and even jumps back to Caronport now, while I'm physically in a new house. It's bigger with a better layout. Everything looks nicer. It's a dream. It's a good dream. It's also not a dream, which takes me off guard sometimes. This is a privilege and I hope that we can use it to raise the boys well and to honor God with our lives.

The Beginning of President Trump

The Americans had their election. Two days ago they voted in Donald Trump. Many cheered. Many cried. Many are celebrating. Many are mourning. America is a nation divided. I don't like Trump but I didn't like Hillary either. I thought she might be safer option though, which should be something coming from a guy who naturally leans to the political right.

The news and social media are reeling from the election results. I am sad, but not for the same reason that many are sad. I'm sad because there are so many in the States who equate 'Republican' with 'Christian' and use the terms interchangeably and that Donald Trump will regrettably become a symbol of Christianity in politics. He may have catered to get the 'Christian vote' but the man is no Christian and both the Pope and numerous Evangelical leaders have called him on it. A man who never backs down, never repents, never apologizes, never compromises, and unashamedly focuses on building walls, creating enmity, personal wealth and sexual gratification is not acting as a Christian ought to act, not be a long shot. In a strange theological turn many are hailing a man of anti-christlike qualities as God's chosen savior of the American people. They are in for a rude awakening.

I wrote a sarcastic post on Facebook about how it was almost time for 'the new president is the anti-christ' season where crazy people took a patchwork of Bible verses out of context to link current events to end-times prophecies but I find myself writing something similar right now. I don't think Donald Trump is 'The Anti-Christ' like what the New Testament talks about. I do think that he is 'an anti-christ' though, a powerful ruler of the world who many look to and will look to for the things they ought to look to Christ for. I see Trump as harming, not helping the Church. Even if he grants American Evangelicals political clout and power it will harm, not help their witness. Anyone drunk on power and any church who colludes with the powers of the world disqualify themselves from what God is calling them into, his own Kingdom, his own transforming and restorative work in the world.

In our Lord's own words we find the sort of people we should be and should be around.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Turning away the poor and the needy, the widow and orphan, the foreigner, this is not in keeping with how our Lord wants us to act. My fear is that many Evangelical churches will have plenty of opportunity to act as Jesus' hands and feet in faith and humility under the Trump administration but would rather put their faith in politics and policies and ignore their calling to Christ's redemptive work towards the needful other and so show themselves to be a lie.