What do you see?

  Jesus asks us, "What do you see?" The Rev. Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote of the German people while he was in prison:

‘Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed — in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical — and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the

stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.'

What the Rev. Dr. Bonhoeffer called "stupidity" we now know as confirmation bias and echo chamber that hearing a certain story and facts over and over against causes the brain to discard anything to the contrary.   Amongst our nations Republican leaders there is a malice rather than stupidity, though for some it is really hard to tell. Among those who voted for them, there is a blind faith in a cult of personality. Dietrich goes on to say that it is an act of liberation must first proceed the changing of the other's mind. We must not consider the followers deficient in every way, but just in their allegiance to the power and the story they have heard again and again. Many of those who voted for him that are in the minority communities in our nation: women, blacks, Hispanics, and even LGBTQIA are now seeing how the policies of the elected President are hurting themselves, their families, and their communities. As Elon Musk and his 'gang' work to cut two trillion dollars from the United States Federal Budget, they will be going after Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Discretionary spending that Congress is in charge of, for they are the Constitutional holders of the governments purse strings, is just over two trillion dollars, the rest is Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Of that two trillion dollars, around half of it goes towards our defense and security spending. It is truly a recipe for disaster for our nation and for the world as we see in what is happening with USAID. 

Jesus and the Jewish people were occupied by a foreign government whose military might was the strongest in the world. We are a people who still live in a democracy and have voice, vote, and rights. The courts of our nation have helped slow down and put on hold some of the more egregious cuts and firings and illegal take overs of our federal government. Some of the push back has come from inside the Republican Party as red states are realizing the cuts proposed to government programs are hurting their citizens more than they had thought. It still takes an act of Congress to dismantle the Department of Education and others that are on the chopping block. 

Calling upon Black history in the United States shows us the power of faith and the strength of the church of Jesus Christ. Christianity was given to the slaves without the book of Exodus to show them that slaves were to obey their masters. What the slaves and their descendants found was not a peace in their circumstances, but a strength and a resilience that would hold them until the world changed and a way to change the world. What African-American churches today provide is the continued resilience of a community that is not yet accepted and free in our nation. What they provide is a way to looking at the whole of faith: heart, mind, body, and soul. Not just the intellect or just how an individual feels, but the whole person in relation with the community and the nation. 

What do I see? I see an attack on all minorities from one of the political parties in our nation and an attack on the poor of which one-hundred-fifty million citizens have less wealth than just four people. I see sixty percent of Americans not having $500 in the bank in case of an emergency to fix their car, go the ER, or make a repair to their house. 

What do I see? I see those inside the federal government, citizens and patriots, who are holding on and doing their jobs as they were hired to do. I see those in our judicial branch holding this administration and Elon Musk accountable for their illegal actions and cuts to government programs. 

What do I see? I see people organizing and coming together to fight for their rights and the rights of all in our country. I see governors who are standing up for their states and all citizens. I see the church playing a part because all great movements in this country have involved the church for freedom in the freeing of slaves, the voting rights of women and all people, and the equal treatment of the law and society. I see our church hosting such a group and working together to do what we can to bring good news to the poor, for healing of body, mind, heart, and soul, and a place where people can come to get food. I see us building our resilience and fighting to make America democratic again with liberty and justice for all, not just the chosen few. 

What do you see?