Render Unto Me That Which I Want

I am writing this late on Easter Sunday, and it's hard to know where to begin. I could write about the dilemma of an Episcopalian who wants to celebrate the day in an East Texas town of 5000. Oh, there is a church, but they only get a priest every other Sunday and otherwise the service is conducted by members of the congregation. Well, shoot, I can do that myself in my living room, and with my wife and me, we are close to the total attendance most Sundays.

So, since I have never been able to make the jump to Baptist, we decided to try for another fairly centrist denomination. I learned anew that in a town this small, you aren't going to get riveting, enlightening or motivating sermons like we got in Houston or Dallas. It's pretty much, be a good person like the book says, and we'll see you next week.

And that's just about all there is to say on that subject, but since it is Easter Sunday, I looked around at our world and my country. As I try to do yearly, we watched my mother's favorite biblical film, King of Kings. And as usual, Jeffrey Hunter's performance of the Sermon on the Mount was the best sermon I got all weekend. I actually stood on the Mount during one reporting trip to Israel, and it is smaller and less high than is usually depicted.

The traditional Hollywood version makes the scene in Life of Brian spot on when those at the bottom of the hill can't hear Him.

Oh, and there is a chapel now at the top, built with money from, uh, Mussolini. His name has been tactfully chiseled out of the tiles and simply replaced with thanks to Italy.

But for the record, here are the words from the sermon known as the Beatitudes.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

By the way, in the Latin Vulgate, each of these blessings begins with the word beātī, which translates to 'blessed.'  I know you've always wondered, so, you're welcome.

And in the spirit of this day, the President had a message to all who seek to emulate these 8 blessings.

Jill and I send our warmest wishes to Christians around the world celebrating Easter Sunday. Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ’s Resurrection.

As we gather with loved ones, we remember Jesus’ sacrifice. We pray for one another and cherish the blessing of the dawn of new possibilities. And with wars and conflict taking a toll on innocent lives around the world, we renew our commitment to work for peace, security, and dignity for all people.

From our family to yours, happy Easter and may God bless you.

Oh, sorry. Wrong President. Here we go...

Michelle and I join our fellow Christians in observing Good Friday and celebrating Easter this weekend. This is a time to remember the sacrifices made for us and hold all who suffer close to our hearts. Yet it is also a time to rejoice, give thanks for the Resurrection, and unite with Christians around the world in proclaiming, "Christ has risen; He has risen indeed." We wish all who celebrate a blessed and joyful Easter.

Oh, dadgum it. Wrong guy again. Ah, here is today's message...

I did a quick word search for terms like, you know, Jesus, cross, sacrifice, resurrection and other familiar ideas, but to my surprise, found nothing.

This from a CNN report just after the 2016 Trump victory...

Two days before his presidential inauguration, Donald Trump greeted a pair of visitors at his office in Trump Tower.

As a swarm of reporters waited in the gilded lobby, the Rev. Patrick O'Connor, the senior pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Queens, and the Rev. Scott Black Johnston, the senior pastor of Manhattan's Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, arrived to pray with the next president.

From behind his desk on the 26th floor, Trump faced the Celtic cross at the top of the steeple of Johnston's church, located a block south on Fifth Avenue. When Johnston pointed it out to Trump, the President-elect responded by marveling at the thick glass on the windows of his office -- bulletproof panels installed after the election.

It was clear that Trump was still preoccupied with his November victory, and pleased with his performance with one constituency in particular.

"I did very, very well with evangelicals in the polls," Trump interjected in the middle of the conversation -- previously unreported comments that were described to me by both pastors.

They gently reminded Trump that neither of them was an evangelical.

"Well, what are you then?" Trump asked.

They explained they were mainline Protestants, the same Christian tradition in which Trump, a self-described Presbyterian, was raised and claims membership. Like many mainline pastors, they told the President-elect, they lead diverse congregations.

Trump nodded along, then posed another question to the two men: "But you're all Christians?"

"Yes, we're all Christians."

He did indeed attend as a boy. Here is Trump's confirmation class in 1959...

I remember mine, at roughly the same time at St. Peter's Episcopal in Pasadena, Texas. We spent time studying the tenets of the church and the faith. We also looked at different faiths and denominations to make sure we were certain in our choice to become adult Anglicans. We even visited everything from a Baptist church to a synagogue. I was later confirmed by the Bishop of the Diocese of Texas, John Hines, who later went on to head the national church.

But on this day of all days, I reflect on those 8 blessings offered by a man who was about to die the most painful death imaginable, and wonder how we stack up to these ideas.

We imprison the foreigner in our midst, whether he is guilty of anything or not, in violation of that Constitution thingy. And we might add, that Bible thingy...

Leviticus 19:33-34
33 “ 'When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 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."

Chuck Grassley, senator from ruby red Iowa heard a bit about it at a town meeting...

And it isn't just the Beatitudes. When it comes to our cutting programs to fund health care, food, and housing for the needy here and abroad, the Good Book has a bit to say...

Proverbs 24:12 says, "If you do not speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, if you do not plead the case of the poor and oppressed, then the LORD will judge you for your silence." 

Matthew 7:12 outlines the Golden Rule, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." 

Luke 6:31 repeats this as, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." 

James 2:8-9 says, "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors." 

Then there are people being sent to basically an El Salvadoran gulag without any determination of whether they are just illegal or actually dangerous. If they are just here illegally, you send them home, not to prison. And, yeah, there is a verse for that, too...

Hebrews 13:3 ESV / 656 "Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body."

Add to all this the reduction of American influence for good in US diplomatic posts. A reported draft of another royal decree, excuse me, executive order, shows a complete reorganization of the State Department, headed by birthright citizen Marco Rubio.

The document that has been circulating around the administration calls for reductions in the US presence in Canada, Africa, and elsewhere, a reduction in efforts on human rights, and more. The Guardian newspaper reported...

A draft Trump administration executive order reported to be circulating among US diplomats proposes a radical restructuring of the US state department, including drastic reductions to sub-Saharan operations, envoys and bureaus relating to climate, refugees, human rights, democracy and gender equality.

The changes, if enacted, would be one of the biggest reorganizations of the department since its founding in 1789, according to Bloomberg, which had seen a copy of the 16-page draft. The New York Times first reported on the draft.

One diplomat who saw it told Politico...

“There’s a lot that could be reformed, but you could give infinite monkeys infinite typewriters, and they would come up with something better than that.”

Rubio said this Holy Week that we need to wrap this Ukraine thing up soon, or we are basically out of there. Of course, it is the Russians who are holding up any talk of peace, but the bravest man on the planet right now, Zelenskyy, is somehow the problem. Trump even said that "You don't pick a fight with someone ten times your size."

Ukraine picked a fight? But it doesn't matter, we are about to desert our friend anyway. Yeah, there is a verse for that, too...

Proverbs 17:17 ESV / 193

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Oh, and just for giggles, this just in. Hegseth had yet another Signal chat with family members about the Yemen missile strikes. So maybe we could save money on those pricy embassies, and just phone in our international diplomacy. That would make room for more tax cuts.

Suffice to say, it's been a unique Easter weekend here in the Grand Old Republic and the stock market should be interesting this week as well.

So, in the true Presidential spirit, Happy Easter and Passover to all you radical left and right-wing lunatics out there.