Barney Wiget's Blog, page 6

Christmas Refugees

Did you know that in 1911 a Senator Dillingham reported to congress that “certain kinds of criminality are inherent in the Italian race” and that “the high rate of illiteracy among the new immigrants was due to inherent racial tendencies”? Or that once the railroad was finished, so was our country finished with the Chinese they’d conscripted and enslaved to finish it?

For instance, Californian legislators began passing ordinances designated to drive out the Chinese. They passed bills making it illegal for Chinese to get a business license, to fish, or marry a white person. In Santa Cruz (where I lived for 20 years) there was an ordinance that stated, “No person shall carry baskets or bags attached to poles carried upon backs or shoulders on public sidewalks.” In 1876 a congressional report in order to halt Chinese immigration to the US stated: “There is not sufficient brain capacity in the Chinese race to furnish motive power for self-government,” and, “There is no Aryan or European race which is not far superior to the Chinese.”

Neighborly: Characteristic of a good neighbor, especially helpful, friendly, kind, obliging, helpful, hospitable, civil, generous…

Did you know that prior to 1941 California had on the books a so-called “Anti-Okie Law” which prohibited the bringing of a non-resident “indigent person” into the state? “Every person, firm or corporation, or officer or agent thereof that brings or assists in bringing into the State any indigent person who is not a resident of the State, knowing him to be an indigent person, is guilty of a misdemeanor.” 

Even more nauseating to me are what some U.S. cities called “Ugly Laws,” which made it illegal for persons with repulsive disabilities to appear in public. “No person who is diseased, maimed, mutilated or in any way deformed so as to be an unsightly or disgusting object or improper person to be allowed in or on the public ways or other public places in this city, or shall therein or thereon expose himself to public view, under a penalty of not less than one dollar nor more than fifty dollars for each offense.”

Who are the “Okies” or “Uglies” being detained at our church doors or borders today?

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. James 2:1-8

Whether at the entrance to our gated communities, at our national borders, or the front door of the church, some feel it their duty to stand guard to keep undesirables from entering the neighborhood. They’ve proven that they don’t know God’s definition of “neighbor,” which includes people from all four corners of the earth, or understand his command to love our neighbors who come from the other corners.

Some people just don’t realize how large the neighborhood is when self-appointed “Neighborhood Watch Groups” stand guard at the border with signs that say, “This is my neighborhood, not yours. You’re not welcome here. Go home!” How does their inhospitable rant differ from the suburban complaint, “There goes the neighborhood!”? Since “the neighborhood” belongs to God, who are we to judge it going anywhere?

“‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)

If you want to read more on this topic, I recommend both Enrique’s Journey, by Sonia Nazario and Welcoming the Stranger, by Soerens and Hwang.

How Does it Feel?

Are you old enough or have enough of an “old soul” to recognize the song in the comments below?

Dylan wrote these words and sang them (sort of) in 1965. I was in the 5th grade. People have debated whether or not he had a certain person or a collection of people in mind. Who knows? But that’s the cool thing about poets. Their message is usually lithe enough to be applied to any number of scenarios. Listen to it first and read the lyrics. It really helps the prophetic message sink in.

When I hear it, I think of all the people I’ve heard speak disparagingly of the poor, the unhoused poor in particular. Like “Miss Lonely,” they throw “bums a dime” while “laughing” behind their back. They hang out with “pretty people” amused at those that live on the street, that is until they get in touch with their own soul’s vacancy. Then it’s not so funny. Life challenges pretty much all of us at some point to face our own emptiness. God sees to it.  

After that, we don’t “talk so loud or seem so proud.” Now we’re on our own with no direction home. We used to revel in success and security, assuming an inbred qualitative difference between us and those we pass on the street. We convinced ourselves that the poor person’s plight was due to inherent stupidity and laziness. We had not factored in how our own privilege contributed to our achievements. We might be lucky enough to have a support system, something almost no one on the street possesses.

Numbed by “jugglers and clowns,” addicted to a higher class of inebriants, looking down our long skinny noses at those with cheaper self-meds for their cold and lonely nights on the streets. We presume to have it made when suddenly, for one reason or another, our middle-class life turns to dust. We may or may not lose our house, but can’t find our way back “home.”

Being able to see the humanity in the most desperate and degenerate humans began for me when I lost everything but Jesus, my kids, and a bunch of good friends to lean on. I was bereft of my marriage, my ministry, my income, my house, and my health all in one fell swoop. Friends took me in and nursed me back to health. Even so, I found myself standing in lines to get the help I needed. Those with me in line were some of the best, realest, and most resilient people I’ve ever met.

My new reality led me to seek out fellow sufferers––“Napoleons in rags,” unknowns to men, but known and beloved by God. Some, while still unhoused and pickled by unprescribed medications that shorten the long nights, find their way home to Jesus.

Mother Teresa used to say that most people know a lot about poverty but they don’t actually know any poor people. They cross the street or retreat into their safe neighborhoods to avoid those they don’t approve of. True NIBYs work long hours in order to live and play as far away as possible from the great unwashed, unshaven, and un-everything. Jesus, our prototype, leaned into such folks in particular.

People are jumping from burning buildings, falling to their deaths, and we think the problem is that they’re jumping! Instead of asking why they’re jumping or who lit the fire or who’s warming their hands by it, we obsess with questions about their work ethic, their IQ, and drugs of choice.

Do you believe as I do that God hates poverty but loves poor people? Put another way, God loves poor people and hates that they are poor, especially what it is that makes them poor. He hates it when the people he loves suffer unnecessarily. And it’s not just American sufferers that he loves. It’s estimated that nearly 1 in 11 people globally live on less than $2.15 a day. About 40% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa live (if you can call it living) in the most extreme forms of poverty. There are bone crushing famines in Ethiopia, Gaza, Haiti, and Mali right now.

Dylan asks “How do you feel?” Usually when people ask someone how they feel, it’s because they want to know if they’re hurting in some way. They’re hoping they don’t feel too bad and that there’s something they can do about it. But Dylan seems to want Miss Lonely to feel bad now that she knows what it’s like to try on someone else’s shoes and suffer. She’s lost everything. She’s made a series of bad choices in her middle-class life and she’s now in the position of those she formerly ridiculed from afar. That slippery slide from privilege is not so uncommon as you might think. It might not be drugs or alcohol or gambling that greases the slide. Greed, self-will or arrogance will do the trick.

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

Dylan’s rebuke may seem cruel to you, but he’s in good company. I don’t think God wants everyone feeling good all the time. In fact, I think he wants us to feel bad in our conscience­­ sometimes. Someone said that our conscience is the part of us that often feels bad when the rest of us feels good. Can you relate? If not, you should get a checkup, to see if your moral gyroscope is in working order. Am I saying we should feel guilty for our privilege and others’ lack thereof? No. That is, unless our prosperity comes at the expense of their poverty. Or if we, like the priest and Levite, cross to the other side of the road so we can make it to church on time.  

How To Finish Well

Our days may come to seventy years,
 or eighty, if our strength endures…
Teach us to number our days,
 that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Ps. 90:10,12)

Many years ago, while on a prayer retreat in a mountain cabin I was reflecting on my life thus far. I thought about the number of years that had elapsed since Jesus found me and the number I would have left if I were to live to 70. (I know “70” is a figure of speech, but he does say we should “number our days.”) When I did the math, I realized I was about half way from new birth to last breath at the time.

I just now turned 70 this month and am looking at my place in this world again. (Again, I’m aware that Moses’ number 70 isn’t supposed to be taken literally. After all, he lived to 120! But maybe he was 70 when he wrote the Psalm and felt like he was about done. Who’s to know.)

In his case, Moses didn’t begin the most important days of his life until he was 80! It was then God called him to lead the Israelites out of slavery into the land of promise. So, if he had suspected he was on his last leg at 70, he was terribly mistaken and I’m glad he didn’t give up before his truest adventure began.

Anyway, back in the mountain cabin I wondered if I was half way through my lifespan, how would I choose to live the latter half? I likened it to the halftimes in basketball games in which I played as a youth when we’d all retreat to the locker room for a brief respite where the coach addressed us about our performance in the first half and made a plan for the second. He’d write some plays on the chalkboard and talk about what worked and what didn’t work so far and what had we had to do in the second half to give us the best chance of walking off the court as winners.

Wherever you are in your journey with Jesus, whether at first buzzer, just beginning the 2nd quarter, halftime, or in the final minutes of the game, let me share some advice that Coach Jesus gave me, counsel on how to finish well. Whether or not you’ve done poorly so far and you’re losing by a large margin or you’ve done well and are ahead at this point, some of the following might be helpful to you.

Some don’ts

Don’t rest on your laurels from the first half (2 Sam. 11:1) King David had won many battles against Israel’s enemies and instead of going out to war, this time he stayed home and got himself in trouble with a woman and her husband.

Don’t wallow in your failures in the first half (1 John 1:9) Confess your sins, repent, receive his forgiveness, and resolve to do better from here.

Don’t focus on your teammates’ mistakes (Matthew 18:21-22) They’re only human too. Forgive them seventy times seven.

Don’t underestimate your opposition (Eph. 6:10-18) Put on the full armor of God and stand up to all demonic resistance.

Don’t keep doing what didn’t work in the first half (Judges 2:16-23) Remember that well-worn definition of “insanity”: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Don’t neglect the fundamentals (1 Thess. 5:17) Keep praying, reading the Bible, fellowship with others…

Don’t become lackadaisical (1 Corinth. 10:12) If you think you are doing so well, be careful, you might be nearer a precipice than you realize.

Don’t quit (Matthew 10:22) “Whoever endures to the end will be saved.”

Some dos

Do evaluate your first half performance (2 Corinth. 13:5) “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” Take a long hard look at where you need to up your game.

Do be humble about your successes (1 Peter 5:5) He resists the proud and pours grace on the humble. Need more grace? Be humble yourself. “Pride comes before a fall…”

Do learn wisdom from your failures (Proverbs 1:7) “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Turn experience into insight.

Do what he says (Jn. 14:23) If you love him, obey him. He’s the Coach and has more experience at winning than you.

Do stick with the fundamentals (Luke 6:49) Everybody needs a solid foundation to stand on, so stand on it!

Do play all the way to the buzzer! (2 Timothy 4:7) Keeping fighting the good fight and finish your race. Don’t stop short of the finish line.

You actually don’t have all the time in the world (this world anyway). No one knows how long their game (life) will last, when the final buzzer will go off. It might be decades from now or tomorrow.

Don’t assume that you’ve already played and finished your game, that you’ve done your part and now it’s time to rest on the bench (worse yet, in the stands) while others play. Your assignment may change as time goes on, but you don’t get to retire before God retires you!

In fact, retirement from the kingdom is not a thing. If you’re breathing, he must have something left for you to do. You probably have some adjustments to make to finish well, some dos and don’ts to do and don’t. And for your own sake and the sake of the kingdom, play all the way to the final buzzer (or last “trumpet” as the case may be)!

Only one life, a few brief years,

Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;

Each with its days I must fulfill.

Living for self or in His will;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last. (Missionary CT Studd)

Where are you in the game? The 1st half, halftime, 2nd half, or final minutes? What will you do to finish well?

Disappointed, Disillusioned, but not Discouraged

If you know me, you’re not surprised to hear that I’m terribly disappointed by the outcome of the presidential election. The only positive I’ve been able to take from it so far is the blessing of a smooth and civil transition of power and avoiding another January 6. I was braced for the possibility of another onslaught of crazy white men in camouflage and funny red hats carrying a flag in one hand that says, “Jesus is my Savior and Trump is my President,” and in the other hand a can of pepper spray or a baseball bat. Prayer and Psalm 46 braced me, but barely.

I’m not surprised but am terribly disillusioned especially by a large portion of my own Christian community who played a large part in this outcome. I know that many voted for Trump based on his alleged stance on abortion and I respect that. In fact, I have a pro-life ethic too. Along with them I believe that the most vulnerable of the vulnerable are babies in the womb.  

I know also that many supported Trump because they’re hurting financially and hope for an economy that is better suited for them. I hope they get what they need. If it’s because they’ve personally suffered from migrants taking their job or making their lives more difficult in some way, I hope they’re able to recover what they lost. If they voted for Trump out of compassion for the vulnerable and poor, because they believe that a trickle-down economy will benefit them most, I hope they’re right. If it’s because they believe Trump will do a better job on the international stage (with China, Russian/Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and…), I hope it’s true. If they feel overlooked and forgotten by our country and its government, and voted for Trump because they believe that their voice will be more likely to be heard, I hope it comes out that way for them. If they voted for him because they think he will root out government corruption, I hope truly hope he will. [FYI, I don’t think he’ll do any of the above, but I can still hope along with you.]

Suffice to say, I’m exhausted from the last year or so of listening to Trump’s potty mouth, his incessant lying, and the putrid ideas he has about his fellow humans. I need a break from him and my personal engagement in the intersection of faith and American politics. I can’t sustain another long stretch of apoplexy over what this man and his die-hard fans do and say. My plan is to try to avoid as much of it as I can. I said, “try” because I’m not entirely sure I’ll be able to help myself.

Now, if Trump does some of things he promised or implied he’d do, so I don’t have to do so every day for the next four years, let me preemptively list my deepest objections now and leave it at that.

If he pardons himself from all the crimes for which he’s already been convicted and those for which he’s been indicted…If he pardons hundreds of the insurrectionists that were convicted of crimes on Jan 6, 2021…If he begins the inhumane act of deporting 20 million immigrants from the US…If he strips all US support to Ukraine…If he doubles down on his climate change denying while promoting oil and coal…If he continues denigrating and eventually indicting and destroying the careers of anyone who doesn’t loyally bow to his whims…If he keeps fawning over other authoritarian despots and acts like one himself…If he surrounds himself with sycophantic loyalists like Elon Musk and Robert Kennedy Jr…If he suddenly remembers that he did read and agrees with Project 2025 after all…

If he… well there are so many other asinine things he’s promised to do, not to mention those thing

If he does any or all of the above, I STRONGLY OBJECT! (There you have it. In case I either miss the news on one or more of these, or I simply can’t muster the energy to weigh in, just know how I feel about him and his incompetent, democracy-damaging presidency.)

If you continue to read some of my posts on my blog, Facebook, and Instagram, I do plan to continue posting but with a shift (at least for a while) over to things unrelated to politics. But if you’re interested in some intelligent Christian voices on sociopolitical topics going forward, I’d like to make some recommendations.

The people I consider that have the most measured, biblical, and trustworthy approach to faith and politics are these: Russell Moore, Curtis Chang, David French, Tim Alberta, Kaitlyn Schiess, NT Wright, Peter Wehner, Jim Wallis, David Brooks, Matthew Soerens, Miroslav Volf, and others… Google them. Some are podcasters, others authors, journalists, or theologians. But they all have one thing in common. They avidly follow Jesus and have expertise on how Christianity intersects with politics.  

That said, don’t depend on my voice or experts in the field. Raise your own voice for the voiceless. As Wendell Berry said, “Invest in the millennium. Plant sequoias.”

Two months before he was assassinated Martin Luther King said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Remember, God gave Noah a rainbow as a recurring promise whenever the light of the sun shines through the rain. The rainbow means, “It’s raining, but it will stop before everyone has to live on a boat!”

While my faith in the American electorate, especially in that of my fellow believers, is running on fumes, my hope is anchored in God. Elizabeth Phillips said, “Hope fixes our attention ultimately on God, and what is desirable and possible because of God… and moves us toward our ultimate future with God.”

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.… I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name!

God bless you and yours.

Barney

Is God Really on Donald Trump’s Side?

After the prosperity preachers laid their hands on Trump in prayer and political support at the Evangelicals for Trump rally January 3, 2020, he said this: “I really do believe we have God on our side. I believe that.”

As you know, there are a lot of Christians who believe it too. Just last week, Pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas squeezed in to the frame for photos of the preachers who were there with their hands on Trump’s shoulders. He prayed: “We thank you O God, and we come to you in the name of Jesus. … We thank you that you have raised up a man, Donald J. Trump, to be a warrior for the word of God and the wisdom that comes from God. Thank you for protecting him, for keeping your hand of blessing on him, and we pray as you raise him up once again to be our president that you would give him strength and wisdom and joy in the journey.”

With our pastor out of town last Sunday, I was asked to pray in the service for the election this week. I don’t remember exactly what I prayed, but I assure you, it wasn’t that!

Does Trump actually believe God is on his side? I am not convinced he even believes there is a God. If he does, he doesn’t seem to have included in his theology the concept of accountability to God in the final analysis. How about his religious courtiers? Do they believe God is on his side? It seems so. I wonder if the guys who tried to yank the ball out of Mookie Bett’s glove in game 4 of the World Series believed God was on the side of the Yankees. Evidently, he was not.

If you ask me, I think it’s blasphemy for Donald Trump — or any political leader — to suggest that God is on his side or favors his candidacy or political party. It is tantamount to being bestowed with the divine right of kings, which would be the exact opposite to the principles upon which the United States was founded not to mention to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He seems to think of himself as a monarch, and makes no bones about acting like one on his first day in office were he to be elected again.

Surely, you’ve heard Abraham Lincoln’s words, “My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”

It doesn’t seem to me that the God of the Bible is on Trump’s side and manipulated the election in 2016 (and 2020 if you believe the Big Lie) when he blatantly promotes racial bigotry and division, dehumanizes immigrants, and demeans and exploits women, including his own three wives. Is that what you think is the kind of person with whom God sides?

Was God on his side when he was found guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. Did God side with him when he cheated on his taxes, denigrated a disabled person at his rally, instigated the insurrection on January 6, asked the Georgia Secretary of State to “find 11,000 votes” for him to win in 2020? Was he on his side when Trump mocks his rivals with names like “Tampon Tim,” “Governor Newscum,” “Birdbrain Haley,” “Pocahontas”… How about when he pantomimed performing oral sex on his microphone at a rally in Milwaukee? Or when he called Kamala Harris “mentally impaired” and that she was “born that way”?

Someone may counter with “Anyone can be forgiven.” I couldn’t agree more. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive…” Forgiveness is conditioned upon acknowledgment of sin and confession, which is something Trump said openly that he never does.

God on Trump’s side?

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:13-14)

If you haven’t voted already, please please please vote for anyone or anything (animal, vegetable, or mineral). But not Donald Trump!

My Love-Hate Relationship with Donald Trump

I love him for two reasons. One, he’s been stamped with the same imprint of God’s image that all humans share. And two, he’s beloved and paid for by the God who stamped him. I pray for him regularly that he will tap into that image and discover the love behind it that put it there. I truly want Donald Trump to find out how much God loves him, so he can respond in faith and be transformed by grace!

Now, based on my understanding of the Word of God, I believe that God hates many of the same things that I hate about him. I want to see him with us in the glorified state and get to know him when his politics or mine won’t matter anymore. While there, we’d both be infused with and enveloped in the politics of Jesus.

In the meantime, that is, prior to him tapping into the image or embracing the love, I find his ideas, his words, his policies, his actions foul and despicable nearly across the board. I don’t hate him. As I said, I love the person, but I do hate what he has become or possibly has always been.

Wait, you say. Christians aren’t supposed to hate anything. Here’s some food for thought on that:

Let those who love the LORD hate evil. Psalm 97:10I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. Psalm 101:3To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Proverbs 8:13Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9

Solomon listed some particular things God hates:

“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)

By my unofficial calculation, Trump is at least six for seven of the list. Not a good average.

I hate most of what he says, how he says it, what he does to and on behalf of the country that I love. I hate the way he treats people whom he considers enemies, the way he gives them derogatory names and denigrates them in public. I hate the way he acts toward people from other countries, especially those populated by black and/or brown people. I hate his lack of concern for the environment, his unhinged way of relating to leaders of other countries, his foul way of treating women.

I could go on. But I’ll say it again. I don’t hate him or anyone else for that matter. But the Bible is clear, being a disciple of Jesus entails loving what he loves and hating what he hates.

I’d be delighted to spend eternity with Donald Trump, that is, the perfected one. But then I’ll be the perfected me and most likely forgetful of all the bad things he did, not to mention all the bad things I did while in this body. I don’t know if we’ll be there together when heaven touches down on earth. I’m pretty sure I’ll be there, not nearly as sure about him, but I still believe in the miracle of new birth. As long as he has breath, there’s time to inhale.

Who’s Poisoning Who?

Warning: This post contains some harsh words which may be suitable for some who call themselves Evangelicals.

The share of those who say they think undocumented immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of the U.S. (Survey of 5,352 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 16 to Sept. 4, 2024 by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute)

To all non-Christians, an apology

Let me begin by apologizing to all who are stumbled by this startling poll that says 60% of over 5000 Americans living in all 50 states who identify as “White Evangelicals” agree with the statement that undocumented immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of the U.S. On behalf of all those who self-identify as Christ followers, I’m truly sorry.

Candidate Trump not only repetitively lies about immigrants eating house pets, violent undocumented criminal gangs taking over cities, and that some migrants have bad murderous genes. This trope about “blood poisoning” is one of his most despicable claims. This, he’s preached repeatedly, and it didn’t fall out of some cumulus cloud. It clearly links to something called “the replacement theory,” and is a direct reference to the phrase’s original architect, Adolf Hitler.

(I’m keenly aware of the risk of referring to the German Führer as though drawing a straight line from him to our former president. I am not. Mr. Trump is dangerous, but not that dangerous. Not yet anyway. But he is the one who keeps quoting Hitler, not to mention showering praise on other authoritarians like Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Viktor Orbán.)

Trump either read the concept of “blood poisoning” in Mein Kampf, the blueprint for a “pure Aryan” Germany and the genocidal removal of Jews plus anyone else Hitler despised enough to murder. Or he picked it up from one of his close white supremacist allies such as Nick Fuentes or Stephen Miller.  

“All great cultures of the past,” Hitler wrote, “perished only because the originally creative race died out from blood poisoning.” He went on to say that when Jews and white Christians intermarry, the Jew “poisons the[ir] blood,” and therefore must be eliminated.

To my non-Christian friends: I am so very sorry that even one person who identifies as a follower of Christ would believe such a heinous thing, let alone 60% of us white evangelicals! Please don’t hold genuine Christ followers, who are not racist, liable for the false ideas of those who either don’t know what “blood poisoning” refers to or don’t care. We’re not all neo-Nazi white nationalists like those who chanted in Charlottesville, “Jews will not replace us!” Thankfully, many of those kooks or their buddies are in prison for their part in the January 6 insurrection.

To the so-called 60%, a rebuke

It’s possible that you either didn’t know what “blood poisoning” means or where it comes from. Now you do. And I urge you to disassociate yourself with such a wicked premise.

Or maybe you don’t actually know what an Evangelical is. The term comes from the Greek word euangelion, which means “good news” or “gospel.” It was first coined in the 1940s to describe Christians who wanted to identify themselves with the good news about Jesus and to distance themselves from the not-so-good news of the fundamentalistic Christianity of the time. It refers to someone who has been born again, is living their life the best they know how for Jesus, believes the whole Bible, and shares it through evangelism and good work in the world. According to the National Association of Evangelicals, “Our distinctives and theological convictions define us—not political, social or cultural trends.”

So, are you actually an Evangelical? If you are, you simply can’t believe that immigrants (documented or not) are poisoning the blood of Americans! You can’t seriously think that because their pigment is darker than yours and their cultural mores differ from yours that they are therefore inferior to you and their being here is categorically poisonous to our so-called “American blood.” If you do, you provide a grotesque caricature of the Jesus of the Bible and of those who love him.

You do not represent us. You will not replace us!

Evangelical is just a word––a label, like Christian––that, when co-opted or redefined on one’s own terms becomes pointless. We don’t need labels to truly follow Jesus.

I’m NOT an advocate of “open borders,” nor do I claim to have a simple solution to the migrancy crisis, not just at our borders, but all over the world. I’m simply saying that Christ’s true followers should be able to recognize the image of God where they see it, and treat all humans as neighbors, not as poisonous vermin.

That said, who is poisoning who?

Where Christians Get Their Politics

If you’ll scroll back at the last half dozen posts or so you’ll get more of my drift on voting.

Please note that I’m absolutely NOT saying here or anywhere that if you don’t take my advice on voting that you’re not a true believer in Jesus, or that you’re not a Christian if you vote for Donald Trump. That’s NOT what I’m saying.

What I AM saying is that these are the kinds of things that every Christian should consider. If you come to a different conclusion than me about who to vote for, that’s between you and God and we’ll just have to agree to disagree agreeably.   

There is something I’d like to propose to you that I believe should be true of all genuine followers of Jesus. It has to do with our starting place regarding anything in life, including our politics. While there are many second and third tier concerns for the follower of Jesus, the Bible, to me, is our primary source.

It’s disappointing to me when Christians can’t support their fundamental sociopolitical convictions from Scripture. I don’t mean they can’t cite their favorite chapter and verse, but that they often don’t even consider biblical values from all the chapters and verses in the Bible when developing their political ones.

I’m referring to basic moral principles, not to policy particulars. For example, the Bible is clear that we’re to love immigrants (otherwise known as “strangers” and “neighbors” in the Bible) but doesn’t give us a blueprint on how to manage the crisis at our border. It commands us to care for the fatherless but doesn’t tell us exactly how to do that on a national level.

What concerns me is the myopic approach to the Bible that many believers use when developing so many of these fundamental ethics to begin with. They can’t seem to see beyond themselves and their own personal needs. Everything beyond that is murky at best.  

Just a quick reminder, the Word of God is “a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.” It is “sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing soul and spirit.” It is “God-breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”  It’s not just bread that sustains us “but every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” “Heaven the earth will pass away but [his] words will not.”

A few years ago, either Pew Research or Barna polled Christians about how much their Bible helped them develop their political convictions. I don’t remember the percentage, but it was appallingly low. Evidently, their favorite news outlet or political party was to them a superior source. It seems some Christians are into the Bible until it contradicts their politics or social ethics.

If we’re going to call ourselves Christians, we must begin with the Bible and what it teaches us about morals, which in turn inform our politics. It’s gotta be in that order. We can’t start with politics and work backward. That’s how many cults and other aberrations of the faith get started, including a popular one called “Christian Nationalism.”

So many seem to silo off the spiritual from the social, the scriptural from the political. They divorce their spiritual identity from their political convictions. This is a huge mistake, a smooth road to idolatry and hypocrisy.

“Every Christian is a dual citizen,” says Eric Costanzo, “with residency on earth and in heaven. When there is a conflict, our citizenship in God’s kingdom always comes first and outranks every other membership and commitment, because only his kingdom ‘will never end.’”

Therefore, if you’re a follower of Jesus, please view your politics through the lens of Scripture. Double down on your biblically-informed, Spirit-filled conscience in your pursuit of “liberty and justice for all.”

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The Critical Thinking Christian Voter

A couple of decades ago historian Mark Noll began his book, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, by saying “The scandal … is that there is not much of an evangelical mind. . . American evangelicals are not exemplary in their thinking.” It’s a shame, really, since God gave us a brain to steward for his glory and the good of people.

“Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.” (1 Corinthians 14:20)

“This, calls for a mind with wisdom.” (Revelation 17:9)

I hate to say it, but a lot of us don’t seem to think for ourselves. We’re lazy thinkers. Is it because we know we were made for another world so we don’t invest sufficient effort into this one? Or could we be afraid to think too deeply about the world we live in lest we lose our faith? As though God and his Word can’t stand up to honest examination!

But in reference to voting, as critical thinking Christians we have to think through (the lens of) Scripture and use our God-given discernment. These days we have to keep our “discern-o-meter” on all the time, especially when on social media or watching the news!  

Critical thinkers don’t rush to judgment, but take time to listen to what others are saying.

They don’t succumb to “Twitter (now X)-sized thinking,” as in shallow, bite-sized clichés and pithy memes. Do we actually believe that complex social issues can be reduced to a cool sounding one-sentence platitude? 

Lazy thinkers tend to only repost the opinions of others on social media and form no opinions of their own. Critical thinkers think for themselves and don’t let their party or their favorite talk show host think for them.

Someone said, “The lazy mind is fertile soil for bogus ideas to take root.” Fear-mongering and conspiracy theories fill the media like sewage, and undiscerning people, unfortunately Christians in particular, swallow it whole.

Tolstoy said, “People have a tendency to stop thinking when it becomes difficult, but it is at that point that thinking becomes fruitful.”

These days in particular we need to be media savvy so we can tell the difference between the real and the made up. That’s especially true now that the internet is full of AI deepfakes. So, pick a few news sources from different perspectives, choose intelligent ones, be discerning, and check the facts so you’re not duped by bad actors with an agenda.

One of the problems is the amount of information to wade through. We kind of scan someone’s argument before rushing to rebuttal. The old saying is, “My theory was attacked by a gang of ugly facts.”

I suggest that if you don’t have enough time to do a thorough read or hear someone out so that you can formulate a relatively informed argument, then the best thing to do is to reserve judgment. It’s ok to say, “I don’t have an opinion on that. I’d have to think about it before weighing in on it.”

Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them. Proverbs 29:20 To answer before listening—that is folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13

Another problem is the glut of misinformation and disinformation in our faces today. Sometimes people send me some of the least credible and most outlandish news stories, memes, videos, and blog posts.

People treat truth these days as though everyone just gets to make up their own version of it.

Did you know that the Oxford Dictionary declared “post-truth” as the 2016 word of the year? The epitaph on this season of U.S. history might well be: “Tellin’ It Like It Isn’t”!

Speaking of conspiracy theories… Here are a few for your listening pleasure:

Climate change is a communist plot invented by China The world is run by a satanic cabal of elites and pedophiles led by Hillary Clinton President Biden is dying or is already dead Haitian migrants in Ohio are eating dogs and cats The Super Bowl was fixed to give Taylor Swift a platform to endorse Joe Biden The noise from windmills causes cancer The Democrats created the hurricanes on the Florida coast

Sadly, it’s not just pundits and politicians but preachers who spew disinformation … One Megachurch pastor, a regular font of fables, claims that the CIA trains ISIS fighters in the United States and that vaccines are part of a secret plot to sterilize people. He also promoted wild theories about the coronavirus, its origin, its danger and its cure that was kept secret by the government.

Sometimes I wonder how much of their own conspiracies that they actually believe themselves. Either way, they certainly do put the “con” in conspiracy!

“The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.” (Proverbs 15:14)

Brothers and sisters, I urge us all to be more literate in both cultural and spiritual realities. In order to be better equipped to tell the difference between the real and the made up, let’s consume the news discerningly and study our Bibles deeply.

And above all previous years, let’s bring that critical thought to bear in our voting this year. Thanks for hearing me out. God be with you as you go to vote.