Category Archives: Anxiety

Anxiety, Arrogance, Blindness, Christians in America, Nationalism, Religious Right

Many Will Come . . .

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These are funny times. Pundits are magnanimous in their talk about how divided these United States are. The divisions are many and strident. At I write these words, the election is just over and the political alienation is palpable.
From the right, many are claiming protection for their righteous values while from the left the push for women’s reproductive rights and the LGBTQ+ front continue their own advocacy efforts.

The Reverend Jerry Falwell was instrumental in the formation of a platform for Christians to unite politically forming a voting bloc for politicians to solicit. The Moral Majority (some said was neither) was a conservative group built in the way the Tea Party was built to create a voting bloc. Today’s bloc is simply called the Evangelical Right with many “leaders”.

In the lead up to the 2024 election, a persistent narrative emerged that Donald J. Trump was specifically chosen by God for the mission of being the president of the United States. Books have been written and illustrators have been busy embellishing this tale of predestined favor with T-shirts and hats. In a book titled “Why God Chose Donald Trump for President” Muhammad Kanafsky shares this delightful prose: “Donald Trump is one of those who loves to work and improve life in this World. That is why God chose him to be President of the United States of America.” I can only assume this was self-published.

What has been startling is how his pursuit of the evangelical vote fed into the self-serving non-Biblical movement called Christian Nationalism. A movement promoting the idea that these United States were established by God to be a Christian nation. Christians from across the nation have condemned this fiction. [Editor’s note: Please see my post https://www.the6p.net/2022/12/01/why-christian-nationalism-is-both-non-scriptural-and-heretical/

This yarn about Trump’s designation as a chosen leader is one of the most misbegotten pails of hamster vomit the world has ever seen. In the words of Christ from Matthew 24:4-8 as rendered in The Message:

“Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, ‘I am Christ, the Messiah.’ They will deceive a lot of people. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming.”

Anxiety, Courage, defeat, Waiting, Winner

Disappointed, Yes; Downcast, Never!

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Disappointed?
 
The results of the election are not in.  States are still counting ballots.  The demonstrated disposition of the electorate is clear.  The frustrations and anxiety of black and brown people around police brutality, race relations, and inequity across the country is insignificant.  The sentiment that the economic turnaround can be achieved in the midst of a crippling pandemic seems naive.  Still, the results bear the fact that in spite of all of the exposed lies, the visible corruption, the restrained racist rhetoric, America still seems to cling to this warped president’s leadership.  
 
Does it matter how many people died as a result of the pandemic, how divided we are as a nation or how angry his political adversaries are?   The answer may be reflected in the result of the election and if the president loses, the result of several civil lawsuits and financial rulings against him.  
 
Posturing and gamesmanship have brought us to this point with two daunting destinies pending:  four more years of fascist inept administrative performance or a Biden presidency fraught with no majority in either the House or the Senate.  
 
Downcast?
 
Quiet down before God,
    be prayerful before him.
Don’t bother with those who climb the ladder,
    who elbow their way to the top.
 Bridle your anger, trash your wrath,
    cool your pipes—it only makes things worse.
Before long the crooks will be bankrupt;
    God-investors will soon own the store.
Before you know it, the wicked will have had it;
    you’ll stare at his once famous place and—nothing!
Down-to-earth people will move in and take over,
    relishing a huge bonanza.
Bad guys have it in for the good guys,
    obsessed with doing them in.
But God isn’t losing any sleep; to him
to him they’re a joke with no punch line.    [Psalm 37: 7-13 MSG.]  feel free to reflect on the whole Psalm!
 
 
 
Anxiety, Bread of Sorrows, Fatness, Psalm 63, Worry

Quiet 2

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 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

The word rendered vain in verse 3 of this psalm attributed to Solomon is shav, defined as “emptiness, vanity and nothingness”. He says it is vain to spend time worrying, pondering and/or fretting about problems, issues and situations, especially those that you can do very little about.  Notice Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 6:
25Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing ?
and later: 
31Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?  32For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.  33But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. 34So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. [AMP].
If we don’t have to worry about food, clothing or basic necessities, what do we have to worry about?  Doubtless some would say plenty!  The earnestly spiritual of us would say nothing – yet YES! I recognize that this is much easier said than done.  We are working to overcome and restore our ‘natural’ soul that remains prone to fear, intimidation and anxiety.  We have to focus on the solutions and the Solution-maker rather than our problems.   The story of David and Goliath showcases David’s focus on God and his refusal to focus on the size, aggression and braggadocio of Goliath. 
We will inevitably have sleepless nights, we will also have problems that we will attempt to cast upon the Lord only to take back later by trying to solve them ourselves.  Our need for the inherent peace and quiet of God’s kingdom and the need to have ongoing fellowship with the Lord brings us to Psalm 63 where the soul satisfaction theme of this blog is described and David describes his practice of fellowshipping with God in those night hours. 
Psalm 63:5-7
 5My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
 6When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
 7Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

We would be very prudent to do the same.