Category: Sin

I have too long been silent, remiss in expressing myself here. I have not been depressed, but I have greatly limited my exposure to news and commentary. I have almost desperately fled the depressing news of the moral decay of America. I have tried to become a regular practitioner of daily prayer and meditation, my focus on personal change. There comes a time that “even the stones cry out”.

America’s busyness, its preoccupation with wealth and success, its religious hypocrisy (prosperity theology) has made many of its citizens blind to the needs of others and the spirit of the gospel. Politics has long been a dirty business, but has sunk to a morally bankrupt level. As long as we have financial success we care not for our own fragile environment, for our long-standing allies, or for “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. . .the homeless, tempest-tossed. . .” We build walls and separate families and children.

Today’s reading, from the Letter of St. James, reads:

My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there”, or, “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. . .For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Readers and students of history remember that prosperity, albeit false, came to Germany, lifting it from the Great Depression. It came with a regime that persecuted not only Jews, but the handicapped, the outcasts, those that did not fit the mold of what the powers deemed proper. It came with militarism. It came with National Socialism, Nazism, which seems to be the political wind of today, though not called such in our media, financial or polite circles. First, the Nazis persecuted the minorities and the helpless, then their own people.

Are America’s border walls meant to keep people out or its citizens in?

I am a hypocrite, which I hate in myself and in others. I return to a theme that often what we hate in others is the fact that we see our faults more clearly in them.

HYPOCTRITE – from Greek for actor; a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion; a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.

There are the obvious hypocrites: the evangelists who fervently preach the gospel, but live in palatial homes, drive luxury automobiles and fly private jets: The Gospel of Reward Me While on Earth Because I Believe. Now where was that in Jesus’ teaching??? I don’t seem to recall that. Nor in the Buddha, nor in any truly spiritual teacher.

Some years ago there was extreme outrage over the abuse of the bodies of slain American soldiers in the streets of Somalia. The mistreatment rightly called for outrage. Yet, at almost the same time the History Channel repeatedly aired footage of our Iraqi invasion, including flaming Iraqi tanks and vehicles. The footage played like a video game, rather than the real life destruction of human life that it was.

We have many adamant pro-life advocates. Understandable, but many of those same people seem unaware and uncaring of the plight of children and the poor. Birth, but then you are on your own.

America is a nation of hypocrites. We claim to be built upon freedom of expression and tolerance, yet stifle opposing views. We claim to be a nation of immigrants, but are suspicious and intolerant of those who are different. Our self-perception is one of education and knowledge, but we glean our news from shallow sources and rumor. We seek to reinforce our views rather than challenge them. We claim to be peace-loving, but have been at war virtually my entire life. Eisenhower, a most respected general, seems to have been our most diligent president in recognizing the threat of war and the power of the military-industrial complex. How many of our leaders since him have been flag lapel wearing, stand at attention for the anthem hypocrites who avoided military service but are all to quick to send young men off to war. And what of other nations? We have meddled in the affairs of others, often because of our “economic interests”. Translate that phrase to our greed and avarice for a lion’s share of the world’s resources.

While other nations seek accords to lessen man’s impact on the environment our nation seeks its own direction of “America First.” If that is who we are as a county, so be it, but let’s not pretend to be a world leader, respectful of others and a friend to all.

Are other countries better than us? No. But America is not better than every country. And there are those from whom we could learn. One example is Bhutan where Gross National Happiness is the national measure rather than Gross Domestic Product, where its people do seem happier than many Americans.

So many of us are self-centered, egotistical, narrow-minded, and have high opinions of ourselves, believing we are better than we are. I don’t hold myself as better than others. I recently read an article asking the question of whether Trump may be the president we deserve. I think as abhorrent as he is, the answer to that question may be ‘yes’.