Tag: faith

A Step Toward Martial Law

Pat Liberty

At the time of this writing the National Guard is flooding Washington, DC and supplanting the authority of local law enforcement. This is happening at the direction of the occupant. There is so much wrong with this action that it is hard to know where to start.

First, a few facts. In 2024 violent crime was trending down in all areas. According to the statistics of the Washington, DC police department, violent crime saw a 35% decrease in 2024. The number of homicides also decreased from 64 to 48 in 2024. Carjackings have also seen a significant decline compared to six consecutive years of increases. The number of carjackings was 498, nearly half of the average of the preceding six years.

In other words, the facts don’t match the actions. This is nothing new for the occupant. He regularly disregards the facts and the constitution to continue his unlawful and outrageous power grabs. He invoked the Home Rule Act to take federal control of the city.

The Home Rule Act is different from Martial Law but is a stop on the same train. According to Time Magazine, “…the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, gives the President of the United States the authority to commandeer DC’s Police department in ‘conditions of an emergency nature.’ Attorney General Pam Bondi is now in charge of the Metropolitan Police Department, he said.” Now there is a truly terrifying fact. Pam Bondi would fail at being in charge of a one car funeral.

The Home Rule act grants a municipality a degree of self-governance and autonomy within the state’s legal framework. Martial law, on the other hand, is the imposition of military rule over a civilian population, typically in times of emergency or crisis, and involves the suspension of normal civil law and governance. It is unclear what the limits of the National Guard will be in DC and whether local law enforcement will retain any authority.  Under the Home Rule Act, local control is balanced with federal oversight. This does not match the rhetoric of the occupant.

As if this is not enough to cause outrage, the occupant is talking about expanding the National Guard (and perhaps military) to cities like Los Angeles, Baltimore and Oakland (Time Magazine). It appears to be only a matter of time before the occupant begins declaring Martial Law in specific locales with an eye toward expansion into significant geographic regions, if not the whole country.

Martial law replaces civilian authority with military authority. It is declared in times of war, rebellion or national disaster. Washington, DC does not meet the criteria. Martial Law is declared when civilian authority has ceased to function, is completely absent, or is completely ineffective (Office of Justice Programs, USDOJ). Again, Washington DC does not meet any of these criteria.  Martial Law cannot be used as long as civilian authority continues to function. The function and limit of authority of the National Guard in Washington, DC is unclear. It appears to be a smash up between Martial Law and the Home Rule Act.

In New Testament times, the issue of human rights was defined by whether or not someone was a Roman citizen. Roman citizens had special status and were protected from scourging, crucifixion, having their land seized or being sold into slavery. Jews had no such protection. They were largely left alone as long as they paid their taxes and knuckled under to the general agenda of Roman rule. They got into trouble, however, because they refused to bow to Ceaser as a God or worship any other Roman official. This was considered treason and Jews were punished by the forfeiture of their land, scourged, crucified or sold into slavery.

It is an example (one of many throughout history) of peoples being marginalized because they do not belong to an occupying force, or refused to obey an occupying force. The suspension or eradication of individual rights and personal autonomy are similar. The concept of human rights and social justice in our time, however, is not mirrored in biblical times. That said, it is important to note that only 5-10% of people in the Roman Empire were Roman Citizens. That means that the majority of the population was subject to the whims of Roman Rule and Roman Law, which clearly favored its own citizens. What is similar from Roman times to ours is the usurping of personal agency to an occupying force.

Jesus’ response to Roman authority often got him into trouble. He refused to bow to any Roman God. He regularly disobeyed Roman rule if it conflicted with the rule of Yahweh and held himself and his followers to higher standards. He was ultimately crucified under Pontius Pilate because he posed a threat to the Roman political system. Throughout the Roman empire the voices of dissent were silenced, often by brutal force or death. Still, Jesus and his followers held to the vision of the Realm of God. Jesus viewed Roman authority as second to the authority of God who desired peace, justice and shalom for all people.  

The time is now to make our ultimate loyalty known and to stand against the rising tide of fascism and the erosion of human rights.  

Saved?

Pat Liberty

In one of his cockamamie speeches, number 47 said he felt he was” saved by God to make America great.” Of all the vomit-worthy things he says on a regular basis, this one caught my attention.

There are many ways to understand what it means to be “saved.” There are many theologies of salvation. Some believe that salvation comes once and for all in a specific moment. You might hear someone say, “I was saved on July 10th” or whatever date. It is cited as an experience of being born again. Others see it as a lifetime process of continuing to grow in the grace and image of God. They cite no specific moment but believe in the presence of the Holy helping shape and divine their lives. These are just two of the theologies of salvation. Gallons of ink have been spilled defining what it means to be “saved.”

What most of the definitions have in common, however, is this: one is saved for the purposes of God. The life of the faithful disciple is to embody the presence of the holy in one’s daily life. One labors for the things that are central to the message of Scripture. These are care and concern for the poor, marginalized and disenfranchised, working to undo unjust systems that persecute those with less power, creating the realm of God on earth, a realm where justice, peace and enough for all is the norm.

Salvation is never understood for self-aggrandizement. It is not to shore up any political or social system. In fact, God’s realm undoes political and social systems in favor of an equal distribution of goods and services to all people. In God’s realm there is no underclass, there are no second-class citizens and there is no mega-wealth. In ancient times it was believed (and I think they were onto something) that there was limited wealth. If someone was wealthy, it was because someone else was poor. The wealthy literally took the resources from someone else.

We know now that CEO’s make 290 times as much as a typical worker. In 1965, they were paid 21 times as much as a typical worker. And while everyone has been griping about inflation, the truth is that corporations including grocery store chains, department stores like Wal-Mart and petroleum companies have posted record profits for shareholders. Meanwhile their workers qualify for SNAP benefits and their children qualify for reduced price lunches. The minimum wage has not been raised since July of 2009 when it was raised from $6.55 to $7.25. In the intervening years the cost of living has increased by roughly 47%. Do the math. These financial statistics do not embody the values of the gospel and the proposed policies of #47 do not bode well for the poor.

When one is “saved” they embody the fruits of salvation; justice, mercy, compassion, love for others, economic justice, respect for God’s creation and radical welcome. None of that is on #47’s radar. Salvation is an invitation to walk with the Holy One in humility and faithfulness. It is a discipleship journey that lasts a lifetime.

Tax cuts for the wealthy, mass deportation of immigrants, persecution of the LGBTQI community, systematic voter suppression, lack of redress from the legal system, discrimination in employment, housing and lending and the normalization of prejudice, violence and hatred are not gospel values. They do not embody salvation, no matter how you define it or what your theology is.

It is heresy for #47 to claim God as part of his plan to destroy America. God is nowhere to be found in his rhetoric or his actions. Those of us who strive to live into gospel values, whether we are church goers are not, have a responsibility to speak out and speak up to anyone and everyone who will listen.  Part of the reason #47 has been able to spread his MAGA right wing political and religious bullshit is because the theological moderates and liberals have been too long silent about his actions. Take to social media, talk about your faith, your theology and what you are doing to live the gospel. Repost this blog to educate people about the nature and purpose of salvation. Write letters of protest to #47 and tell him you are outraged by his hubris and heretical speech. Organize a demonstration. Put signs on your lawn. Make your revulsion known.

More than 50% of the people may have voted for this ego-maniacal narcissistic excuse of a human being, but we are a strong minority and not a small one at that. His tropes worked to unite the right, now our tropes need to unite the left. Find your voice and speak up.

The Big Picture

Pat Liberty

An excerpt from my sermon October 27, 2024. Preached at Ledyard Congregational Church, Ledyard CT

“A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, wich are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:42-44

Most of the time a sermon on this text goes something like this.  The temple is the equivalent of the church. Jesus notices the widow gives everything; we should be like the widow and be more generous, trusting that God will bless us and provide for us if we are more generous.    

Except, that is not what the text is really about. As Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza suggests, we need to approach the text with a hermeneutic of suspicion, meaning a willingness to question the assumptions we bring to the text.  Like assuming we know what it says and what it means based on previous hearing and teaching.

This text is so frequently used at church budget time that the interpretation that identifies the widow as a model of faithfulness for us is hard to get past, but let’s take a closer look.

First of all, it’s important to remember that the widow is New Testament code language for the poorest of the poor, those most marginalized by a patriarchal society. Second, there is NOTHING in the text, not one word that suggests that Jesus thinks it’s a good thing that this woman put her last two coins into the temple coffers and goes away destitute. Jesus describes her behavior and comments that she gave all she had, but he doesn’t praise her for her behavior.

If we go back to the beginning of the passage, in most Bibles it is subtitled warnings about the Scribes, which suggests the focus is on the temple leaders and not on the widow.  Verse 38 begins with Jesus warning his followers to be aware of those who put on long robes, receive seats of honor, put on a good show of prayers and devour widows’ houses.” 

The role of scribe was important and honorable in the life of the temple. They were learned men whose job was to copy sacred texts, but they also served as lawyers. They had authority to negotiate contracts. They were also a part of the governing council called the Sanhedrin. They had tremendous power in the temple system. And, the religious rulers were in cahoots with Rome in an unholy alliance. Scribes were appointed to settle the estates of widows, who had no legal right to property, and were regularly exploited by these powerful men. Unscrupulous religious leaders and political officials exploited the vulnerability of widows and there was no place for them to go to seek justice, as they had no voice in religious or social structures. Hold that thought.

Jesus is instructing his followers. This is a field trip of sorts to the Temple, showing things not to do…Jesus would later send his followers out to preach to the people. He cautioned them against accumulating wealth, lest they be distracted from their primary role.  They were to trust in God’s Providence as they did God’s will. Any money they were given was to go to the poor. He also constantly warned his own disciples against seeking honor rather than serving others.  Pointing out the ostentatious clothing of the scribes was a way of illustrating that these religious leaders had ceased to care for God’s people.

The greater condemnation that comes to such leaders is calculated on a simple formula: greater knowledge means greater responsibility.  From the one to whom more is given more is expected.

That the scribes failed to be scandalized by the demands Temple worship made on one who had so little is what raised Jesus’ ire.  He neither praises nor condemns the widow; his judgment is on the injustice of the temple system and the lack of compassion for those in need.

Essentially Jesus takes the entire social, religious, economic and political system and goes “BOOM.” He  blows it right out of the water. In order to evaluate a social system we have to ask who benefits from it. In Jesus’ time it was the Scribes, the lawyers. Who is it in our time? The American oligarchs who don’t pay their fair share of taxes? Or is it the legislators we send to congress, who, for the most part, in the time of their tenure become millionaires? How does that happen? What kind of back-room deals do they need to make with the rich and powerful to line their pockets.

Who is victimized by the system? Single moms who work two jobs and have no health insurance. Single dads who fall behind on their child support payments because they don’t make enough to live on. Older Americans who live on Social Security alone and have to choose between paying their utility bill and buying groceries.

Again and again in the gospels we see that what makes a time, a place and a people holy is caring for the poor, the widow the orphan, and the stranger; those whom the world defines as the last the least and the lost.  And Jesus’ harshest words are reserved for the Scribes, whom he calls whited sepulchers. They look okay on the outside, but inside they are filled with death and destruction.

In the realm Jesus brings, everyone has a place at the table. Everyone is part of the community. All people stand on equal ground, because place is defined by God’s welcome and not having things the world deems important.  Jesus’ vision for the religious community and for the social order included understanding equality as something rooted in God and not in the trappings of the world. And for all of his faithfulness to God’s dream for the creation, Jesus was executed as an enemy of the state because he exposed the wickedness and collusion of religious and political leaders.

Jesus bore witness to a time and place where people would seek God and acknowledge God as the author of all that is. Out of that inner faith, that inner conviction, followers would live in faithful, joyful obedience.  It was not an act of volition, of willpower, of thinking the right way.  The in-breaking of God’s realm was rooted in passion for God’s way of being in the world, in faith that was life changing, a vision of success that was dramatically different from the world’s, nothing short of wholesale embrace of the upside-down values of God’s realm.

Jesus’ judgment on the social, religious, political and economic system of his time exposed the system for what it was: rigged by the rich for the sake of the rich. It was a morally and spiritually bankrupt system that failed those for whom God’s realm was most concerned.

Jesus calls attention to the empty prayers offered for the sake of appearance and balances this against the devouring of widows’ houses.  And this is the razor’s edge…Jesus sees their actions as indicative of their faith. Their failures of mission are an expression of their inner emptiness.

The big picture from this story is Jesus’ creating a social order that is committed to justice for the poor. In truth, Jesus talks more about the poor than he does about any other group.

The stewardship that is at issue here is how the system, the establishment, stewards its resources for the benefit of those it is called to serve. 

Gustavo Gutierrez, the founder of Liberation Theology wrote, “the poverty of the poor is not a call to generous relief action but a demand that we go and build a different social order.”

Our ability to be instruments of God bringing faith, hope, light, pardon and joy is about God in our lives and how we live that out in the world, not just through our charity, but through our social activism and political commitments. Faithful actions and deeds are not the source of our salvation but the fruit of it.   We often get the mphasis on the wrong syllABLE, thinking that our good works are the most important thing.  Don’t get me wrong they are important; they become holy when they are expressions of our faith in God and are followed with action in the social arena that works for justice on behalf of those who have no voice.

Beth Moore writes, “When our story is told a century from now-and it will be- how much of the American church ran after idols and delusions, false christs and conspiracies. History will not only fault the pastors for not confronting us with the truth but the congregations who forbade them to.”

This is a moment when our faith commitments need to inform our social, economic, political and religious actions.

Christ is either at the center of those actions, or not. Amen.

Resources:

Myers, Ched. Binding the Strong Man, a Political Reading of Mark’s Gospel

The New Interpreter’s Bible

Whoever You Are…

Pat Liberty

Each Sunday I open worship at the church where I serve as Interim Pastor with these words: “Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey you are welcome here.” I never get tired of saying it. Church is (or should be) a place where everyone is welcome. No exceptions.

It never ceases to break my heart when “religious” institutions play judge and jury for populations they deem “sinful.” They proclaim without humility that entire groups of people are going to hell because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning, intersex or asexual/agender. One sweep of their judgmental broom and millions of people are swept into the dustbin of eternal damnation.

This is the antithesis of what Jesus was all about. And, as the most perfect incarnation of God, this hatred is the antithesis of who God is. Jesus hung out with bums and whores, extorting tax collectors, the poorest of the poor, lepers and adulterers. He loved them, healed them and sent them on their way into a new renewed life based on grace instead of fear.

Jesus turned the world upside down by loving those deemed unlovable by the powers that were. His harshest words were reserved for corrupt political leaders and religious poohbahs who colluded with the politicians to make the already difficult life of the poor even more untenable. Jesus never feared speaking truth to power.

Jesus wasn’t afraid of the power of love to change the world. He died trying to show the world what love could do. He was put to death as an enemy of the state, a criminal, whose only fault was sharing the life-giving love of God with those the world called nobodies.

The church today needs a bunch of leaders who love those whom others are so willing to damn to hell. The church needs a bunch of Jesus-like leaders who aren’t afraid to speak truth to power. In short, the church needs to be the radical, life-giving community Jesus intended his followers to be. As the Rev. Dr. William Barber wrote, “We are either chaplains of empire or prophets of God.”

The church needs a few good prophets who are willing to risk seeing what love can do. Prophets are those who see the way of God with such clarity they cannot keep quiet. Prophets are not clergy, though they can be. Prophets are ordinary people called to extraordinary work because of their faith, wisdom, tenacity and courage. It begins and ends with love. If we can manage that, God will lay out the path. Who’s in?

Can We Please Stop Calling it Christian?

Pat Liberty

Let’s face it, there is nothing Christian about Christian nationalism. So, it’s time we stopped calling it Christian as if it bears any resemblance to the faith and practice taught by a middle eastern man two thousand years ago. Calling it Christian legitimizes it and strengthens its purchase in the minds of those who think the United States was founded as a Christian nation.

It encourages people to envision a “return” to Christian values.

Religious nationalism is a more accurate name, though seeing the followers as religious is a stretch. At least it separates the radical nationalism that is sweeping our country from any connection with the Christian tradition. Religious nationalism is a socio-political power play to put white men in positions of power, roll back rights for women and LGBTQI people and return to a time long ago when women were the property of men. It also demeans other religious traditions and promulgates a distorted view of Christianity. Then they varnish it all with a little Jesus language and call it Christian.

Christian nationalism as a movement has roots that date back five centuries. According to an article in Time magazine, some of our forbears saw America as a “promised land for European Christians. Others saw it as a pluralistic democracy where all stand on equal footing as citizens.” Most Americans favor the latter vision of the United States, while the increasingly radical Republican party clearly favors the former.

Sadly the white Republicans have some ground to stand on. In the fifteenth century a series of papal bulls (which carry the full weight and authority of the church) established the Doctrine of Discovery. According to Time magazine, “the doctrine claims that European civilization and western Christianity are superior to all other cultures, races and religions. From this premise it follows that domination and colonial conquest were merely the means of improving, if not the temporal, then the eternal lot of Indigenous peoples.”

It was just a half step from there to the “Christian” superiority that has plagued our nation from the very beginning. We call ourselves a melting pot nation, but in truth Christianity is still the favored religion and it informs social, national and foreign policy at an increasingly alarming rate.

The “Christian” roots of white supremacy are sunk deep in American soil. From the convoluted theology of a few misguided popes’, unfettered permission was given to seize land, displace Indigenous people, murder those of other religions, remove children from their homes to be raised in “Christian” orphanages and overthrow barbarous nations so they could be brought to Christianity. It is a litany of horrors too long to list and too nauseating to read in one sitting.

The religious nationalism that is sweeping our country is firmly planted in the five hundred year old Doctrine of Discovery. By claiming a legitimate Christian history as foreordained from the beginning, there is no arguing with them over a different vision of America.

In the Time magazine article, a recent pole done by the Public Religion Research Institute in partnership with the  Brookings Institution, the following question was asked, “Do you agree or disagree that ‘God intended America to be a new promised land where European Christians could create a society that could be an example to the rest of the world.’ The survey found that while only three in ten Americans agreed with this statement, majorities of Republicans (52%) and, white evangelical Protestants (56%) affirmed it.”

This movement is not going away. It is growing stronger. The best we can do as Americans is educate ourselves on our history and take away the name “Christian” from its association with nationalism. It seems a small vocabulary change, but words have power. Relegating it the amorphous category of “religious” takes a little of the wind out of its sails. As Americans, it is up to us to shift the narrative and we can’t do that if we don’t know our own history.

A meme on Facebook asked the question, “What did Germans do during the rise of fascism? You’re doing it now.” If we are arrogant enough to think it cannot happen here, is not already happening here, then I guess we deserve what we get. And trust me, it won’t be pretty.

Excerpts from the Time magazine article are from The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and a Path to Shared American Future by Robert P. Jones, published by Simon and Schuster 2023.

Finding Our Way Through Fear

Pat Liberty

Fear. It’s a universal feeling. Most of us are afraid of something. I don’t mean phobias, like spiders or elevators or heights. I mean clench your gut fear of things like the unknown, death, being alone, getting old and things like that.

What they all have in common is a certain loss of control over life and how we think it is supposed to go. And that’s what makes these other things so scary. These huge fears are things over which we have no control.

Most of the time we can push fears out of our mind, but every now and then they come creeping in and destroy a night of sleep or keep us from focusing on something that needs our attention. Fear generally can make us miserable.

 Fear is a big deal in the bible. It’s one thing we share with people from antiquity. The words “do not fear” or “do not be afraid” appear three hundred and sixty-five times in the bible. That’s one “do not be afraid” for every day of the year. And that’s about the frequency with which we need to hear those words, for there is surely much to be afraid about in this weird and wonderful world of ours.

For the three hundred sixty-five times the bible says do not be afraid, there are a thousand and one things that show us that the truth that God will be with us. That God is with us.

The way home from fear is simply paying attention to what is going on around you.

  • I will be with you…every single day the sun chases away the darkness and light has the final word.
  • I will be with you…there’s a knock at the door and a friend shows up with a meat loaf and the living Christ stands before us in the face of a friend.
  • Spring follows winter and life once again greens the planet and dots it with riots of color in spring buds and flowers. I like to think of it as God painting.
  • That sometimes fleeting feeling of peace that comes out of nowhere in the moments when we most need it. Not for nothing it is called the peace that passes all understanding. We can’t describe it, don’t know how it comes or why it goes, but it is as real as our heartbeat.
  • I will be with you…the gentle exhale that grounds us in the present moment with an assurance that no matter how it all turns out it is going to be okay.
  • There is no place where this life can take us where God is not. Yes, even in the wrenching scenes that cross our tv screens each night, God is there in the relief workers, the first responders, doctors without borders and the pilots who fly the planes dropping food.

When we are paying attention to what is going on around us we are bathed in grace. Everywhere we look is the reminder that God is as close as our slightest whisper. All of our senses conspire to remind us that what goes on around us every day is miraculous.

The daffodils poking out of the ground. The moldy smell of leaves making their way into the cycle of life one more time. The feel of sunshine on your face after days of rain. The clasp of a friend’s hand in our moments of deepest loneliness. The holy silence that binds us to one another when there are no words. The sacred tears that slip down our cheeks in moments too wonderful or too terrible to tell.

We will still be left with unanswered and unanswerable questions, but somehow they are beaten back down to size and made manageable when we look around and realize everything is grace. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”

Frederick Buechner wrote, “Listen to your life, see it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness, touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Do not be afraid.”   

A New (Old) Rosary for a New Day

Pat Liberty

As a life-long Protestant, my experience with the Rosary is limited. Still, I’ve always had a little trouble with some of the wording. “Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death” seems a little depressing for a daily prayer diet. I understand that the repetition of a simple prayer has the capacity to transport one to a deeper state of prayer and meditation, and the Rosary offers that. All that sinning and dying is still a little bit much for this heathen Protestant.

Apparently, I am not alone in my thinking. Matthew Fox, former Roman Catholic now Episcopal Priest has unearthed an earlier version of the Rosary prayer. He proposes it as a new Rosary for a new time. I think he is on to something. Check it out:

“Hail Mary, full of grace,

the Lord is with you, untroubled maiden.

You are blessed among women,

you who brought forth peace to people

and glory to the angels.

Blessed too is the fruit of your womb,

Who by grace made it possible for us to

be his heirs.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us

heirs and co-workers of God

at the hour of our creativity.

Amen.”

I like it.

It affirms that we are co-creators with God in this world we share with humanity. It suggests that we are stewards of the bounty that is creation. It holds forth the possibility for peace, a gift that comes through the fruit of Mary’s womb. We call him the Prince of Peace. May it be so in our world.

So much of the Christian tradition is based in shame, guilt, and fear it is hard to lift our heads to the greater glory that is also ours as “heirs and co-workers of God.” How different our world would be if we focused on the possibilities that are ours with the loving power of God rooted within us instead of the fear of hell, eternal damnation, shame, guilt and fear.

Just a thought from this heathen Protestant.

Source

Dailymeditationswithmatthewfox.org