This weekend we saw the news that 6 beautiful people in Israel taken hostage 11 months ago were murdered by Hamas just days before they were found. Vladimir Putin continues his terrorist attacks on Ukraine. The people of Sudan are being starved to death by tyrants. As I see all of this happen, I mourn, as I am sure you probably do too. I want to see Jews and Palestinians freed from the grip of lunatics. I want to see the innocent people of Russia and Ukraine free of the fascism of Putin. I want to see the people of Sudan freed from tyranny, starvation, and genocide at the hands of madmen. I would think everyone would want these things, but it appears that I am wrong.
A remarkable number of Trump supporters respect and extol the virtues of Putin and Kim and others like them. Protests all over America have seen support for Hamas grow among many people on the left. Most Americans don’t know that over 25 million people in Sudan are dying of starvation. And these are only three of the many conflicts taking place all over the world. I understand just how frustrating it is to try to keep up with all the wars and rumors of wars, and I understand how complicated they all are. I am shocked by President Netanyahu’s duplicitous behavior as thousands of innocent children die. I am fully aware of Ukraine’s sketchy past and history of corruption. And I know all about colonialism’s legacy and how it impacts places like Sudan. Still…
Many Americans supported Hitler until they saw what he was doing to Jews and other groups he detested. Except for a few lunatics, as a nation, we turned against the Nazis and worked together to defeat them. As a child, I watched people protest our actions in Vietnam, but I don’t remember anyone supporting the totalitarian dreams of the North’s leadership. We grew up on comic books that had Superman and Captain America fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. And sure, we have not – and still don’t – always live up to our own loft goals, but we should never support terrorism or fascism or tyranny of any form. For those who believe that America is, in some way, faithful to God, it is inconceivable to me that any of them would support anything but democracy. And yet, too many of our fellow citizens do.
Democracy has been said to be the most difficult form of government to maintain, but it is also the only one that is supported by and, at the same time, supports, justice. Tyranny is easy – just let one person tell you what to do. Fascism is easy – kill anyone who disagrees with you. Democracy, however, allows all of us to have a say, regardless of whether or not anyone is listening. For those who believe in God in any form, Democracy is the only choice; but it has to be worked at. No matter what political party one belongs to, supporting tyranny and violence is unacceptable. Only equality matters. To believe otherwise is un-Godly and un-American.
Prayer – Holy God, in the midst of differences of opinion and religious practices, unite us in the belief that all people are equal to You. Amen.