LOGS, SPECKS, AND ASYLUM SEEKERS

As Christians we are admonished not to judge. We are reminded by Jesus about the log in our own eye and the speck in the other’s. But, as a human being, as a Christian I can observe. And in my observing I can see the actions of others. In observing I do not have to judge the actions of others. I do not have to judge the other for the one doing the action judges him or herself by their actions. So when “asylum seeking parents” have their children taken from them, when Trump gropes, forcibly kisses, ogles and demeans women he judges himself. When he calls other human beings animals, rejects asylum requests from people fleeing violence, and hunger in their own country, he judges himself. When he rejects and demeans people because of the religion they practice he judges himself. When he embraced murderous dictators, demagogy, and oligarchs he judges himself. When he looks at White Supremacists and says some are good people he judges himself.

I recently read where an author of an article said that some faithful Christians see what they regard as “good fruit” from Trump: saving “unborn” babies, stimulating the economy, and protecting American citizens from potential danger from those crossing our borders. Given Trump’s demonstrated character of “Trump First” he is not doing this for humanitarian reasons. He is appealing to his base, stimulating the economy to line his own pockets, and protecting Americans so his cronies can manufacture more guns, planes and implements of war to enrich the 1% Club of which he is a member (or at least says he is).

Trump is judged by Trump; we only need to observe and then decide on peaceful actions to counter what he and his administration are doing, what they stand for and what they embody; a new personification of evil.

The author of the article I mentioned previously says that God loves Trump. That may be (did Jesus love the demons He cast out?) but it is far past my capacity to love Trump or anything he stands for. I do leave this one up to God.

Returning to where I started; Trump judges himself by his actions, by the fruits he produces. I don’t have to judge.

“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Thus you will know them by their fruits.”

(Matthew 7:18 – 20  NRSV)

HOPE, FAITH AND THE CURRENT SITUATION

In the novel the Rule of Four there is this quote, “Hope, Paul said to me once, which whispered from Pandora’s box after all other plagues and sorrows had escaped, is the best and last of all things. Without it there is only time. And time pushes at our backs like a centrifuge, forcing outward and away, until it nudges us into oblivion.” Without hope there is only time. Pandora’s box contained only one good thing, that being hope. But is there more than hope, because hope seems like such a static thing. It is like wishing. “I wish this or that would happen.” There is no action only sedentary hope. Given the current state of affairs in our nation today we hope that there will be change away from the negativity that pervades the life of our nation. But events continue to spiral downward in a series of events that ignore the needs of the widows, orphans, and the poor among us that Jesus said we must care for.

So is there anything past hope? I feel that there is and it is Faith. Reading that hope was the last item out of Pandora’s box it seemed that there was a scripture fluttering at the back of my mind that had the word hope in it. Typing, “hope” into the search engine of an online concordance several scriptures popped up. Her are four of them:

           Jeremiah 29:11 (NRSV) 
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

            Hebrews 6:19 (NRSV) 
We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain,

            Romans 5:5 (NRSV) 
and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

     Hebrews 11:1 (NRSV) 
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

So is hope that static thing or is it something more? Is hope the motivation to action, to be the hands and feet of God in the world? One of my favorite scriptures is Hebrews 11:1 that speaks about not only hope but faith. Reading it it seems that hope and faith are very close to each other. But faith is stronger than hope because hope seems ethereal while faith is more concrete. As Hebrews say, “… faith is the assurance of things hoped for…” even though we may not see it at the present time. If there is faith and if we are the hands and feet of the Almighty then we have work to do to change what was earlier described as,”… the current state of affairs in our nation.”

So what are our hands and feet to do? They are to get to work. Start with prayer and consider what ideas will emerge during a time of quiet contemplation. Write legislators; some actually care what their constituents feel; others are swayed by votes that they may garner. Write the editors of a local newspaper and express how you feel. Peacefully demonstrate, the power of group protest can still change things. (One example is Trump signing an Executive Order stopping the separation of children and parents at the border; although previously separated families need to be reunited). Talk to other, non-confrontationally, even when passionate about a subject. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE this November for those who support a democratic, humanitarian, ethical approach to the life of our nation.