A good friend of mine posted the following on FB tonight, concerning the election tomorrow
Posted by
Strongbad (aka Rambler14)
Nov 4 '24, 18:33
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Traditional values vs Jesus’ values
Like many, I have been baffled for years by the way in which so many fellow Christians are enthralled with a living personification of Mammon, even to the point of believing in him as sent by God to save us.
It finally made sense to me when I heard someone confidently talking about how the Trump movement is about “traditional values.” It occurred to me: if we read “traditional” in the sense of “age-old,” it works. If we’re just talking about caveman values – those which make sense in the absence of faith, hope, and love - then Trump is actually a reasonable figurehead for the movement:
Self-interest. Seeking dominion, power, and glory for oneself or one’s group. Let the best man win. Eye for an eye. Dog eat dog. Us versus them. Me and mine. Charity begins at home. Nationalism. Seek power over others. Strike first, strike hard, show no mercy. To the victor go the spoils. Glamour. Gospel of health and wealth. Judgmentalism. Insecurity. Fear. Control. Narcissism. Vainglory. Scarcity. Kill off or mock the weak. Only those of us in the club are OK. Selfishness. Greed, and even believing greed is virtuous. Keeping up appearances. This is how the world works, best to play the game….and win.
These are the traditional values that fuel the MAGA movement. And fair enough, there’s a degree of rationalistic logic to many of them. The natural response is to be as selfish as everyone else. But is any of this “good?” What is good if all we’re here to do is to live out survival of the fittest among humans? Is that what Jesus taught?
Of course not, and there are many of us who know it. A better way is possible, not just plausible. These are the values Jesus embodied, and we see them in practice often enough to know they’re not just a fairy tale:
Empathy. Compassion. Service of the poor. The kingdom, the power, and the glory are God’s alone. Recognizing the blessings of the poor in spirit, those who grieve, the unimportant, the merciful, the peacemakers, those who hunger for righteousness, the pure in heart, and those persecuted for challenging the self-righteous. Caring for all neighbors. Admission of wrongs. Repentance. Forgiveness. Generosity. Kindness. Humility. Gratitude. Sincerity. Honesty. Faith. Hope. Love. Dying for everyone, including those with traditional values who killed him.
Jesus came to show us a different way, not the traditional values of self-interest and greed. What does it mean to say we are Christian if we do not embody those values?
On the eve of the election, my main concern isn’t about what happens tomorrow. We're all going to make it either way. My concern is about the soul of the Christian church, and by extension the souls of everyone from that tradition. The shallow and sanctimonious traditional values garbage that is being preached in many Christian churches is disheartening to the point of despair. Nationalism, wealth, and self-interest have become idols worshipped in places once illuminated by love. That is not going to end with this election, regardless of the outcome. The grip of Mammon on the Christian church in America is undeniable. A good part of the Church may well be doomed, and it's not because of outside forces. I believe there is a remnant that will survive. But that remnant doesn’t look like a proud megachurch reassuring its congregants of their superiority over others and worshipping wealth in subtle ways. It looks like Jesus, quietly serving those in need. It’s not loud of mouth, but robust in service, warm-hearted, and compassionate. It reflects the Jesus of the Gospels, not “traditional values.” That will be the only church worth saving.
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