the Tigers

 

What to do now at a new bus stop of life, what captures my attention or even fascinates me? For one, an article from The Atlantic, which, along with The New Yorker and several of the independent blogs their staff writers post fairly regularly, posts from intelligence and wisdom. Here's that particular link: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/06/evangelical-church-pastors-political-radicalization/629631/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=one-story-to-read-today&utm_content=20221228&utm_term=One%20Story%20to%20Read%20Today

Like a sermon that passes several good stopping places, the article is way too long to hold my concentrated attention, although I, an outsider looking in when it comes to the new "evangelical church" and politicized "evangelical Christianity," think the writer, who grew up as the son of an evangelical pastor and speaks as an insider, totally rocks it. (Is that an expression?)

In America today, politics rationalized religion is over the cliff beyond dismaying as a perversion of any Holy Gospel of our LJC that He or even Paul would recognize. Still, maybe nothing is helped by speaking out and stirring local division, and maybe the best one might do is a medical course of action called "watchful waiting." Wait it out and hope for the best; although Bolin is correct, "if you're not taking a side, you're on the wrong side," so what to say, what to do? Time to move on lest one offend a client, where the tension becomes not Right or Wrong, good v evil, left v right, red v blue, Choice v Life, but economics v integrity. "Silence is Assent" is a saying, as is Silence is Complicity.

From approved liturgies,

God of all mercy,

we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives.

We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. 

We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. 

Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.

where evil done on our behalf might include an infinite number of acts or inacts of government that rob citizens of their agency; dump desperate, trusting immigrants off; separate immigrant families; let Americans live and die hopeless, hungry, cold, unsheltered, sans medical care; enable random murder of innocents; ...

We are leaving a year of horror and hope. What to say? What to avoid saying? The academic discipline of Logic, in decision-making, acknowledges not only Yes or No, This or That, there is Decision by Indecision, which Either leaves everything as-is Or leaves the decision to others.

What to say? If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all? Or speak up and show my colors? Once when Auburn was playing Clemson I was asked, "Who are you for?" I said "the Tigers" but was challenged by a partisan, "Which Tigers? Declare yourself."

Silence.