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Tuesday, August 20, 2019

For Sunday 8/25/19 - "Moscow Mitch" proclaims himself a Christian?


Photo by Antonika Chanel on Unsplash
Lectionary Scripture - Luke 13:10-17 NRSV

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

Lectionary Reflection:


"Moscow Mitch" -- as Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the U.S. House of Representatives calls Senator McConnell -- proclaims himself to be a Christian.  Frankly his version of Christianity is warped, twisted, corrupt.  It's nothing I can wrap my mind around as a healthcare professional and minister.  Personally, I doubt that "Moscow Mitch" could look Jesus in the face for a single second for his machinations bent on gutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Securty -- social programs critically important to our seniors and disabled and others of our nation's most vulnerable citizens.  

"Moscow Mitch" appears to think however that elimination of these programs serves a greater purpose.  The greater purpose served is paying for the $1.5 trillion tax cuts he and POTUS 45 rammed through Congress in the fall of 2017.  Of course, the overwhelming portion of those cuts benefited the wealthy -- billionaires and multi-millionaires like himself.

"Moscow Mitch" misses Jesus' message entirely in today's scripture passage.  Jesus "freely" heals the woman bent over from a spinal condition oppressing her life for 18 years.  By contrast, "Moscow Mitch" egotistically proclaims from his position of power "no more free stuff".  His behavior is certainly in keeping with the inflexibility of the synagogue leader in the scripture above.  Jesus, however, stands over and against the "powers that be".  In his time, they were religious leaders and authorities that plotted and tried to forbid Jesus from exercising compassion and manifestations of God's generous loving nature.  By contrast, "Moscow Mitch" is not much different from the synagogue leader and refers to himself as "The Grim Reaper" toward anything he can get away with labeling socialism.  So called "free stuff" particularly gets his goat.

Recently, I had the pleasure of entertaining in my home a highly successful business person with business locations and homes throughout the world.  The individual is now enjoying travels throughout the world and working through a bucket list that reflects desire to experience humanity's many diverse places and cultures.  At one point during our time together, the person said, "In all my travels, I have witnessed every developed democratic nation working to give their children's generations the best opportunities possible for their future.  Every country that is but America.  This nation prefers instead to enslave its young adults to debt they will never be able to pay off in their life times.  This means foregoing homes they will never be able to buy.  Paying costly rental for housing.  This means debt that will be passed onto their children and grandchildren.  All of it just so the wealthy can have more to themselves."  The individual then talked about the importance of a society and culture providing free or nearly free education along with universal healthcare.  Rest assured though for "Moscow Mitch" these things are nothing but the evils of socialism which make him foam at the mouth.  

"Moscow Mitch" get on your knees, ask Jesus' forgiveness, turn your inhumanity around, stop trying to look for ways to enrich yourself and your wealthy friends --- especially through dealings with Russia, a mortal enemy of the USA.  You seem to have no conscience as you seek to empower our mortal enemy by failing to pass election reform, election security measures, and for whom you remove economic sanctions that benefit you monetarily.  If you can't get down on your knees and repent and start doing right by everyone in this nation to lift them out of debt and financial ruin due to education and healthcare costs, to protect our nation from enemies within and without -- then it is time for you to leave politics.

Mr. Temple Hypocrite "Moscow Mitch, resign from the Senate, go home.  POTUS 45 will soon join you.  Go home, enjoy your ill-gotten booty.  Leave the real work of healing our nation to people who have the altruistic intellect and spiritual generosity to do so.  They will surely succeed where you could not because of your miserly greedy soul.  Watch Mitch, watch those bent over in oppression from debt, from grief, from poor health, bent over from being ignored and demonized.  Watch God heal them.  Watch God raise them upright to see the sky, to see the shining, just, and peaceable reign of God that awaits them on the horizon.  They are being called to it -- and you hypocrite, you "Grim Reaper", you shall be left behind to froth "socialism" at the mouth until you can froth and foam it no more.

Brad Shumate
Free of Encumbrance
Eugene, Oregon
USA

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