Aliens in America: Day 3

Keep Flinching 

'As aliens, live in reverent fear.' (1 Pet. 1:17) 

Don’t let this election season make you as vulgar as it is. Trump can’t stop swearing—he’s loose with the f-word, describes his opponents as ‘sons of bitches’ and has named Kamala a ‘f*cking bitch,’ ‘dumb as a rock,’ ‘real garbage,’ a ‘wack job,’ a ‘bum,’ and ‘nasty.’ He is not above reposting sexually explicit slurs about his opponent. 

And this from a man who claims to be God’s agent in restoring a broken America. 

Kamala doesn’t return the favor; she apparently graduated from the junior high lunchroom. But her party hasn’t, and if the Democratic Convention is any indication, we’ve yet to imagine the unchastity yet to be loosed on America.  

A bemused British journalist observed: ‘Policy-wise, genitals are top of the agenda. Hoo, it’s abortion city. Madame Prosecutor has made clear that she will write Roe v. Wade ‘into law’ the moment she gets into the White House, so—in the absence of almost any other hint of policy—the convention has run with it in the only way American politics knows how: to terrifying extremes. 

At parties, you are showered with morning-after pills and condoms. ‘It’s reproductive-rights-forward in there,’ warns a 23-year-old with a cheese on his head.  

About a mile from the hall an abortion lorry offers free vasectomies and medical abortions…it sure does capture the spirit: almost everyone believes in zero limits…Everyone is fully pro-abortion and pro-woman while, of course, not being able to say what one is. What is a woman?’ 

The Sunday Times (London), August 24th 

Demure as she is thus far, Kamala represents woman’s ‘choice’ while not being able to define who she is as one. Her lack of clarity has crowned her the queen of every sexual identity imaginable—all celebrated at the convention.   

It’s a degrading platform for the human race, made no better by Trump’s inane name-calling.  

My advice? Keep flinching. When Trump goes on a tirade, remind yourself that he wants to be president of the USA. When regal Kamala reveals her violence toward the unborn as a central tenet of her campaign, flinch. Don’t deny your alienation. 

Aliens in America. Never felt more like one: we can be grateful for this country AND gutted by the choices before us. St. Peter helps us. He reminds us that we need to experience uneasiness about what goes on in our world. If we don’t, something is off.  

Real estrangement from the world: we, as Christians, are moral strangers in America. If not, we should be. Anyone can claim to be Christian, like Trump and Harris, but at day’s end, they reflect two profoundly compromised parties more than they do Jesus.  

Their confusing ‘witness’ reminds us of our need to flinch. The Christians St. Peter addressed in his letter also experienced unrest, harassment, and alienation from their culture as a result of their faith. ‘They no longer shared non-Christian values and weren’t free to commune as they had. They wouldn’t partake in the same events, practices, and associations.’  

Harassed? Maybe. But also invited by Jesus to bring the real Kingdom. Flinching can deepen into a prayer to reveal Jesus to those who may not know better.        

‘Keep us flinching, Jesus. May we not become worldly, vulgar, without limits. Help us be conformed to you, not the leaders of this world. Reveal something of Yourself to those around us by our singlehearted lives.’   

‘Jesus, You are the King and we are first citizens of Your Kingdom. Would you free us for You in this election season, not to hide but to shine? You’ve always asked nothing less from Your elect whom You have made ‘strangers in a strange land’ (Ex. 2:22). Here we are, a people who don’t know what to do but who look and listen to our King. 

“Father of all holiness,

guide our hearts to You.

Keep in the light of Your Truth

all those You have freed from the darkness of unbelief.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son.”’

Amen