We all know that the world is imperfect. The theological answers leave us thirsty for more. I won’t get into that – yet, anyway. Maybe someday.
But one thing about imperfections is that they expose what we truly are and what we truly value. You can’t have everything, and anything you have will have flaws. But what you choose shows the world what you are.
We all know that there are no perfect humans. And yet, each election cycle, we are called to make a choice between imperfect humans.
I remember years back speaking with a man who was hardcore MAGA. When he showed up to church he wore an “All Lives Matter” cap, which told me everything I needed to know.
He told me one afternoon that he was a “one issue voter”. Abortion. That was all he cared about. He voted on that issue alone.
That was the rhetoric, but it wasn’t true. As he continued the conversation, he exposed himself as a racist, a homophobe, a sexist. He repeated every vulgar lie about democrats that was repeated daily on Fox News. He followed every Q Anon blog. In all of my discussions with him, he never actually ever mentioned abortion at all.
And he voted for a president who flip-flops on abortion faster that a Waffle House Cook flips pancakes.
What he valued came out in every discussion, and it wasn’t the lives of children. It was grievance, contempt and sticking it to the libs.
I’m bringing this up because there is something very concerning to me about the culture were are living in, that shows us how much work we have to do.
The president said in 2016 that he could shoot someone dead on Madison Avenue and his followers would still vote for him.
When joked with a reporter about walking into a room of teenage children and “grabbing em by the …”, or walking in on them undressed, because he “owned them”, half the country shrugged.
When he mocked the disabled, half the country shrugged.
When he refused to pay any of his bills and left contractors bankrupt, half the country shrugged.
When he sold the name of Jesus next to his own name on a bible, half the country bought it.
When he incited an insurrection, filmed on live television, half the country blamed the democrats and didn’t care.
When he pardoned the criminals who were convicted of trafficking, insurrection, assault, rape, incest, narcotics dealing, arms trading, fraud – half the country shrugged.
When he blatantly practices insider trading, enriching himself by the billions through his own half-baked policies, half the country shrugs.
When he built concentration camps and let loose masked thugs to terrorize immigrants, half the country cheered.
When these thugs shot bystanders, half the country cheered. When they kidnapped children, locked them up apart from their parents, they cheered him on.
When men, women and children are suffering in his cages with unimaginable and appalling conditions, the country shrugs.
Every single day is a new atrocity. A new degradation that removes us further and further from anything decent or beautiful.
Since 2015, I’ve been watching it unfold: horror after horror, exactly as I said it would unfold back then. I hoped that I was wrong back then, but I was not.
One horror after another. Quiet piggy. Lie after lie after lie. So easily proven. But half the country loves to be lied to.
But now, the GOP appears to be separating themselves from their Dear Leader. Why?
Not his racism, not his raping children, not his assault of women, not his grifting and theft, not his cruelty, not his lies, not his cursing, or false witness, or ignoring the constitution…
But because gas is too expensive and groceries are too expensive. “It’s the economy”.
The problem right now isn’t Trump. He’s just the symbol of fat, cancerous pride and greed. He has shown us who we are. And it isn’t pretty.
And allow me to wear a former hat for a moment – it is never too late to repent. But it isn’t about turning on Trump. It is about re-examining every single value you hold, and examining it deeply. Why was it that you were OK with every atrocity possible, until it affected your wallet?
The answer to that question might be the first step towards wisdom.
