A friend of mine told me years ago about a funny thing his family did; I think it was his grandmother, but I am not sure. Anyway, when someone said a non-sequitur, they pretended to throw a card on the table. Now, when your brain works like mine and makes connections that don’t seem to make sense – or maybe, at times, actually don’t – this can be done to me a lot. In fact, my wife thinks it is hilarious when she can toss a card in on me. Sometimes, she is right. That’s part of the price I pay for my ADHD superpower.
I think however much fun this game is, there is also a dark side to non-sequiturs. For example, I met with a guy last week about putting solar panels on my house. He was very engaging and smart, and I liked him a lot. On the way out, he asked me about a bumper sticker (there’s a rainbow on it) that I have on my truck that says, “Be careful who you hate – they might be someone you love.” I told him that I am a staunch ally of the LGBTQ community and that my church is as well. He told me he is gay and Christian. Good for us, I said. Then it got weird. First non-sequitur: “I hope this election goes the right way and Trump wins,” he said. Why? Because this guy likes Trump’s take on the economy. Okay, I can see thinking that. Then he added, “and Biden is supported by the Dark Web.” (?!).
Second non-sequitur: “Trump needs to win because Jesus is coming soon.”
I said, “First of all, no, I don’t think Jesus is on His way, and Mr. Trump isn’t a Christian, which doesn’t matter to me, as long as he upholds the Constitution. But what,” I asked, “does any of this have to do with the election? If Jesus is coming soon” – in 2025, this guy believes, “why do you care about the economy or who gets elected? None of it will matter. And if you are gay, why support someone who is supported by virulently anti-LGBTQ people?“
“Because the economy is terrible!” That’s debatable – the economy is always good for some and bad for others and way too complicated to fix on my front porch.
We said our goodbyes and he went to his next appointment, and I was left with my head spinning. I have had these conversations too many times to keep track, but one thing is clear to me in all of this chaos: a lot of people are mixing pseudo-Christian ideas with conspiracy theories and siloed political beliefs, and it is resulting in a total mashup in their brains. There is no making sense of it, and it is frustrating to even try. And yet, we must. We must continue to look at the facts and stop allowing all the weirdness to control the conversation. We need to vote for people who care about all of us, not just some. We need to return to what, in our best times, has truly made America great – our diversity, compassion, and love of democracy.
So – keep reading the Constitution. Keep praying for guidance. Make sure you can defend what you believe in. Make Love the winner of fear and hate and conspiracy thinking. Our greatness as a nation lies in our ability to believe that all people have been created equally – that all people have rights – and that no one religion should rule. Democracy matters.
Prayer – Holy God, keep us focused on caring for all people, no matter what they believe or who they love, so that Your work in our lives may be done. Amen.
Today’s art is “Order in Chaos” by Antonio Bagia.