You can *never* be apolitical
Thu 06 February 2025
Content Warning: This post deals with religion and politics
Last Sunday, I did something that I really don't like doing.
I left church early.
With a heavy and conflicted heart.
The Sunday prior, I walked into church and spoke briefly with the pastor. I told him I was shocked to see Elon Musk make an unmistakable nazi* salute in front of the seal of the presidency, and was looking forward to seeing how he would address it. He politely stated that he wasn't actually preaching that day, but I went in hoping to get something out of it.
* I will never capitalize "nazi." Proper grammar be shucked. They simply do not deserve it.
I was honestly disappointed that the Associate Pastor didn't even mention it, but I expectantly went back the next Sunday to see what the senior pastor would say.
I don't recall the specifics, but he mentioned the importance of the inauguration, and then said something like, "this will not be a political sermon," sidestepped the entire travesty, and went along like it was any other Sunday, using it as an analogy for some spiritual concept I've already forgotten.
Umm, excuse me, what?
Now, I know the guy just well enough to know he is a decent person, and this isn't one of those (sorry, not sorry) sycophantic Trump churches that will follow him straight to hell.
But the politeness of the whole thing rubbed me the wrong way, rubbed me raw.
This isn't a time to be polite. I... don't honestly know what it is a time for.
A time to fight? (With what exactly? How?)
A time to scream? (That does come pretty naturally.)
A time to protest? (I'm sure we will!)
A time to speak??
Yes, a time to speak. Clearly. Directly. Forthrightly. Unequivocally. Heroically.
This is not a time to be silent, and this is not a time to hedge your bets.
"Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."
—Psalm 81:10c
I think there is value in being non-partisan. Speaking to important issues and not taking sides from the perspective of our guys vs. their guys. But being apolitical? Impossible. Any attempt to do so is itself one of the most privileged, careless, fatuous things imaginable.
100 Days to Offload 2025 - Day 9
Category: Ethics Tagged: 100DaysToOffload Bible Christianity Content Warning Ethics Life Non-technical post Philosophy Polemic