They’re everywhere – sports, politics, religion, games – and they are out to enlist us in their causes. The earliest use of the term was a group of Jewish nationalists who lived in the 1st Century, C.E. They were part of a long line of rebels trying to free themselves from Roman oppression by any means necessary. The most extreme group within the group were called Sicarii, literally “dagger men”, who were said to quietly move through unsuspecting crowds as they stabbed everyone near them silently. You probably know people who are zealous about something in a healthy way, but the zealots I am writing about are the dagger people of our time.
They believe everyone is going to hell who isn’t part of their sect. They believe what their political party or leader tells them without question. They badger and hassle and berate anyone who challenges their perspective, calling them apostates or socialists or any other assortment of names that aren’t appropriate for this thought. Zealots have committed themselves heart and soul to their causes, and they don’t care who they hurt with their words, their fists, or their weapons. They fixate on conspiracy theories and lies told by calculating cult leaders. Their cause is where their heart is, and little else matters.
Are they mentally ill? I’m not an expert on that. What I have seen is the damage they leave in their wake. It is always a warning sign to me that I should navigate their chaos carefully; you never know when your opinion might cause them to explode in some unexpected way. When I was younger, zealots were sidelined and avoided; now it seems that they are often in leadership positions that endanger all of us. They are not relegated to one political party or religion; they can be anywhere. And they are taking control of the conversation and the direction of our country.
There’s only one way to deal with zealots; step up and convince your group that there are better ways to live. There are better options than banning books or creating laws that control us and others. There are better options than demonizing people who often have no authority. Organizations that are controlled by zealots and their sycophants eventually implode, but not before they create havoc and destroy lives in their wake. We can recover, but only if we find the courage to do better. Before their dagger men and women stab us too.
Prayer – Holy God, You have called us to treat others with the love and respect that we would want in our own lives. This rule of living goes both ways – help us to work together for the common good. Amen.
Today’s art is a rendering of the Zealots fighting the Roman army, 67 C.E.