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The Sins of our Fathers

The Sins of our Fathers:
Race, Religion and the Rise of Trump

A Documentary Film by Matthew Pridgen

If you are looking for a film that makes you feel great about America, this is not the film for you. If you are looking for a film that makes you feel great about the Christian faith, this is not the film for you. If you have been wondering why Evangelical Christians are the biggest voting block that continues to support Donald Trump no matter what he does, this is the film for you.

The film is set in Charleston, S.C., “The Holy City” with a skyline dominated by church steeples, the city where the American Civil War began. The film begins with a question: “Did you vote for him in 2016?” Matthew Pridgen, the writer of the film, responds: “Yes, I did,”

We learn from statements on the screen that Matthew is a White, Evangelical Christian that grew up in Charleston, in the affluent area known as “south of Broad” (street).

“So yea, I’m one of those 81 percent of Evangelicals who voted for Trump in 2016” Mattthew continues. “Why did you vote for him?” asks the interviewer. “I didn’t know anything about him, really. I was a life long Republican and he was the Republican nominee. And at that time I was voting pretty much solely on the abortion issue.” “Did you vote for him again in 2020 or 2024?” “No” Matthew replied, shaking his head.” “What happened?” “The East Side happened.”

We are set up for the conflict by video footage of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. giving his speech, “The Other America.” The two Americas Dr. King spoke about in that speech stand side-by-side in Charleston. The affluent live South of Broad, in mansions that are viewed by hundreds of tourists each year. The poor, mostly black population lives on the East Side, in housing dating back to the days of slavery. During his college years Matthew got involved in drugs. After taking 27 hits of LSD he tried to drown himself in the ocean. “And I met Jesus, on an 18 hour swim in the Atlantic Ocean.” After that experience, Matthew developed “a heart for the homeless . . . that’s how I got to the East Side.”

The film moves back and forth between Matthew, sitting in his lavish home and pictures of the East Side. It tells the familiar history of race relations in the South: slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crowe, the Civil Rights Movement, desegregation of the public schools. In each case, Southern Christianity used the Bible to sanction, justify, and promote the superiority of the white race.

“Religion is a powerful thing,” says Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove in the film. “People who have tried to maintain control throughout the history of the world have used religion to keep people together around their agenda, and that is part of the American story that we can’t overlook.” The film makes clear, after the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 produced a number of counter movements, all intended to maintain white control. Here is where the film is most enlightening. Richard Nixon’s War on Drugs disproportionately targeted black communities, resulting in mass incarceration of black males. The Moral Majority appealed to white Southern Christians with its emphasis on traditional values, morality, and culture—all of which helped maintain white control. Ronald Reagan’s famous line, “Government doesn’t solve problems, government is the problem” echoed southern dissatisfaction with what they saw as government overreach in both emancipation and desegregation. All these movements culminated in the rise of Donald Trump, who used both religion and white supremacy to maintain power.

Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove offers an alternative to the religion based on race and control. “God gives us a very different way of bringing righteousness, bringing justice into the world. It’s not through force but through the power of love. And I think confronting this abuse and distortion of faith is an opportunity to relearn those core messages of the Biblical story.”

In the last ten minutes of the movie each of the main characters who were interviewed echo this same message in one way or the other. But if there is a criticism to be made, it is that ten minutes of hope in a 90-minute film is insufficient. I left the movie mostly discouraged by this long, evil history of Evangelical Christianity in America. It is an incredible act of faith to believe and hope that love can overcome such darkness.

The film concludes with singer Ann Caldwell singing a traditional African song. The lyrics are chilling:

“Lord, how come me here? I wish I had never been born.

There ain’t no freedom here, Lord I wish I had never been born.

They treat me so mean here, Lord I wish I had never been born.

They sold my children away, Lord I wish I had never been born.”
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DISOBEYING ILLEGAL ORDERS

DISOBEYING ILLEGAL ORDERS

Are members of the military required to obey illegal orders? This question has made the headlines after Senator Mark Kelly and five other lawmakers released a video saying that members of the military “must refuse to obey illegal orders.” Less than seven percent of Americans have served in the military, so many do not understand the importance of what the lawmakers were saying or whether it was even true. What is an illegal order? Should it be disobeyed? What are the consequences for a soldier who does so?

 

Absolute obedience to orders is central to military discipline. Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are taught to obey the orders of their superiors from their very first day in basic training. Obedience to orders becomes instinctive, which is often referred to as muscle memory. Commanders cannot allow those under their command to second guess every order. In order to defeat the enemy, it is essential that orders be obeyed quickly and without question. Nevertheless, illegal orders must be disobeyed. Not to do so will logically lead to war crimes.

 

The saying, “all’s fair in love and war” is not true. Certain activities are not acceptable on the battlefield. Most Christians accept St. Augustine’s Just War Theory. This theory is divided into two parts: jus ad bellum (justice in going to war) which lay out conditions that must be met before a nation can justly engage in war, and jus in bello (justice in conducting war) which include limits on what is acceptable in war. Jus in bello includes two principles: proportionality and discrimination. Nations engaging in war must use only the force necessary to accomplish the military objectives and must discriminate between warrior and civilians. Dropping an atomic bomb on Baghdad in order to kill Saddam Hussein would be a violation of the principle of proportionality; bombing a hospital would violate the principle of discrimination. Of course, in war things are not that simple, especially when fighting terrorists. When Hamas located their command headquarters underneath a hospital they put Israel in a very difficult position. While Just War Theory has no legal standing in the United States, it is the foundation of internal law, including the treaties signed at the various Geneva Conventions.

 

Both U.S. and international law require combatants to disobey illegal orders. The United States Code, Title X, §.890, art. 90 reads: “If a superior insists that his illegal order be obeyed, however, the soldier has an affirmative legal obligation to disobey the order and report the incident to the next superior commander, military police, CID, nearest judge advocate, or local inspector general.” According to U.S. law, members of the military are obligated to disobey an illegal order. International law also demands soldiers disobey illegal orders. In the Nuremburg trial of The United States of America vs. Otto Ohlendorf, et al., the court ruled that “the subordinate is bound only to obey the lawful orders of his superior and if he accepts a criminal order and executes it with a malice of his own, he may not plead superior orders in mitigation of his offense” (italics added). Military members have taken an oath to defend the Constitution. Their oath and their responsibility to the rule of law transcends their duty to obey the orders of their superiors.

 

Disobeying an illegal order is a serious matter. According to the Manual for Courts-Martial, a military order “may be inferred to be lawful, and it is disobeyed at the subordinate’s peril.” However, “this inference does not apply to a patently illegal order, such as one that directs the commission of a crime.” The definition of a “patently illegal order” is not defined. The Manuel continues: “the lawfulness of an order is a question of law to be determined by the military judge.” In other words, the soldier who disobeys an illegal order takes a huge risk. The validity of their judgment is likely to be questioned by a military judge after the fact, and they could end up in a military prison. In the heat of battle decisions must be made quickly. The average combat soldier in the Vietnam War was 19½. Few adolescents are equipped to make such moral judgments.

 

But the laws against obedience to illegal orders are necessary. They help keep our servicemembers from committing war crimes. The My Lai massacre is an illustration of the kind of atrocity that can result from obedience to illegal orders. Only seven of the roughly 100 soldiers ordered by LT William Calley to shoot old men, women, and children who were crouched in a ditch disobeyed. The obedience of the others to the Lieutenant’s illegal order resulted in the most notorious atrocity of the entire war.

 

While obedience to unlawful orders can lead to atrocities, it can also harm the warrior. Members of the armed forces are one of the few populations allowed to violate the taboo against the taking of human life. Warfighters must know that when they take a human life it is the right thing to do. There is a difference between the nineteen-year-old who took a life in Vietnam and his high school classmate who killed a civilian on the streets of Detroit. Killing in Vietnam was done so under the rule of law; the murder in Detroit was a crime. Obedience to an illegal order turns the soldier into a criminal. Such activities lead to extreme PTSD and what has been called Moral Injury, a spiritual injury to their conscience. They have behaved dishonorably. Honor, not obedience, is the cardinal virtue of the soldier.

 

Targeting a civilian fishing boat, whether or not there are drugs aboard, is a violation of the Just War principle of discrimination (and probably proportionality). The United States has other options to stop the flow of drugs into our nation, including the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard was originally established in 1790 as the Revenue Cutter Service to capture smugglers seeking to avoid taxes. Thwarting smugglers remains a core mission of the U.S. Coast Guard. They regularly board and search vessels suspected of carrying drugs. I recall being aboard a Coast Guard vessel off the shores of Venezuela for this very purpose. This is law enforcement work. If the Coast Guard needs assistance in this work, U.S. Navy ships can be deployed to the area. Once they hoist the Coast Guard flag they fall under their sister service’s command. I often rode Navy frigates along the Pacific coast of Central America that fell under Coast Guard authority for counter-drug operations.

 

The rule of law is a central feature of democracy. In recent years there has been an eroding of this core element that governs our life together. Both national and international law must be obeyed. Members of the armed forces must retain the right to obey the law when given an illegal order, for their own protection and to prevent atrocities.

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HOMELESSNESS

HOMELESSNESS

Mural, Central Avenue, Holland MI
Last winter at least 7 homeless people in my city died from exposure to the cold.

Holland, Michigan, where I live, is a delightful, picturesque community. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, our downtown shopping area boasts numerous restaurants, coffee shops, and specialty retail stores. A snowmelt system heats the sidewalks in the winter allowing pedestrians to walk on bare pavement in spite of “lake effect” snow. Hope College, on the edge of the downtown area, provides a multitude of students from around the world that bring an excitement and energy that can only come from the youth. And, of course, the first two weeks of May are “tulip time,” one of the largest flower festivals in the country. Right now, thousands of tulip bulbs are being planted along our streets, ensuring a grand display for the many tourists who will come from around the world to enjoy this spectacular flower—and spend their money. I am privileged to live just a few blocks from the downtown area of this amazing small city.

Like many communities around the world, our community also includes the homeless. They tend to congregate in the downtown area where a local Seminary provides a daily noon meal and the public library offers protection from the elements. A homeless camp behind a major grocery store a couple of miles away was recently removed, with no provision made for them to live elsewhere. The homeless population in the downtown area, and my neighborhood, has noticeably increased.

Ours is a neighborhood that was once known for its crime. Through the efforts of the residents, the city, local churches, and an active neighborhood association, it has become a safer and more desirable place to live. An annual “mural fest” has attracted artists, and many former blank walls now serve as canvasses for amazing works of art. Today our neighborhood includes a considerable diversity of people: Dutch American and Appalachian whites, Hispanics, African Americans, young families, older couples, singles, widows, people who are poor and people who are financially comfortable, and college students. The homeless are a part of that diversity.

Last night our neighborhood association sponsored a “dessert night” at a local youth center. Someone brought up the increase of homeless people in our community. We tried to maintain a balanced perspective. The homeless are not a “problem,” but our neighbors. But if there are too many homeless, they will overwhelm the community. Residents need to feel safe. We want to care for homeless men and women without becoming a magnet attracting an unmanageable number of needy people from larger cities like Grand Rapids, Chicago, and Detroit.

At this gathering we learned that seven or eight homeless people died last winter from exposure to the elements. A local church has made a commitment to open its doors to the homeless whenever the temperature falls below 10 degrees (Fahrenheit). They hope to serve as a model for other congregations.

Homelessness is a very complex issue. Poverty, drugs, and mental illness are all factors. The lack of affordable housing is only getting worse. Veterans are twice as likely to be homeless as the general population. Our small group of neighbors are not equipped to solve all these issues. But we decided we could set a goal to ensure that no homeless people die this coming winter in our community. We decided we could address these issues by working with local ministries that serve the homeless, working with our local newspaper to publicize the issue, and contacting our local representatives to see what more can be done.

For those readers who live in a cold climate, how many homeless people died in your community from the cold last winter? Does that concern you? As we head into another winter season, are you willing to work to reduce that number?

At least 7 homeless people in my city died last winter from exposure to the cold. I hope that number will be zero next spring.
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HOLY WAR

Holy War

Artwork by Sébastien Mamerot from Wikimedia Commons

The Koran calls it jihad. Christians speak of spiritual warfare. Theologian Abraham Kuyper uses the term anthesis, “ a conflict of faith and unbelief, between the Christian and non-Christian views of life.” The aging Apostle John writes of two spirits, the spirit from God which Christians call the Holy Spirt, and the spirit of the antichrist. Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (I John 4:2-4). Good and Evil. Light and Darkness. Two powerful forces continually in conflict. Followers of Jesus are called to spiritual battle against the power of sin and the Devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12). A Holy War.

Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was well aware of the extent of human evil. His classic work, The Gulag Archipelago, exposed the political repression of the Communist system and the horrors of life in the Soviet prison system, known as The Gulag. He reminds us that this war is not waged and won on the battlefield, but in human hearts.

If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?

Ever since Rev. Jerry Falwell developed the political organization known as the “Moral Majority,” many conservative Protestants have engaged in a so-called “culture war,” a battle to restore the traditional, Biblical moral values that they believe had been lost in the political turmoil of the 1960s and 1970s. Led by Fundamentalist Christians, who had previously shunned political activity, conservative Christians have become a major voice in American politics and one of the largest groups that make up the Republican Party’s base. Their moral concerns are focused primarily on sexual morality. Other moral concerns, such as economic, environmental, and military morality, receive much less attention.

 

For these Americans, and for those on the political left who oppose them, the choices are simple. Our politics have become as binary as computer code. The issues are black and white. Whatever members of my party say or do is right. Whatever the other party says and does is wrong. To paraphrase Solzhenitsyn, the [name the opposing party] are people insidiously committing evil deeds, and we must separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. “Own the Libs.” “Protect Democracy from Fascism.” “This is the most important election of our lifetime” (which somehow is true of every election), “the other party is (or will) destroy our country.” It is all so simple. Holy War. “We” are good, on God’s side, “they” are bad, instruments of the Devil himself.


But it’s not that simple. Good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. In his first State of the Union address after the September 11, 2001 attack President George W. Bush identified a political “axis of evil”: North Korea, Iran, and Iraq. A 400-year-old catechism, used to teach the truths of the Christian faith, identifies a different “axis of evil”: the devil, the world, and our own flesh (Heidelberg Catechism, answer 127). These are our “sworn enemies,” according to the Catechism, and they “never stop attacking us.” When Jesus taught us to pray, “deliver us from evil,” he was not talking about external attacks, but attacks on our own heart and soul.


This inner battle against evil is where Holy War begins—and where it is won. Politicians seek to stoke anger and hatred in our hearts for their own purposes—to gain our vote. Jesus calls us to develop love in our hearts. A love so broad and inclusive that it includes our enemies. Jesus doesn’t call Republicans to “own the libs.” He calls them to love Democrats. He reminds Democrats that Republicans are not a “basket of deplorables” or “garbage,” but image bearers of God and are to be loved. It’s more important to love the candidates put up by the other party than to beat them.


According to Jesus, “the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart” (Matthew 12:34). In the Book of Proverbs we read, “The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil” (Proverbs 15:28). A modern paraphrase of these verses might be, “You can tell what’s in a person’s heart by what he posts on social media.” What does our postings on social media reveal about the true nature of our hearts?

My point is simple: as Christians we need to focus much more attention than we have in recent years on developing Christian virtues. The fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. “Against such things there is no law” writes the Apostle Paul (Galatians 5:22-23). Whoever occupies the White House is irrelevant in this battle. This Holy War is fought through a firm commitment to pattern our life after Christ, prayer, discipline, and most of all the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a challenge and a struggle all Christians must engage in, whether conservative or progressive.


I thought this posting would take less time to write than it did. I struggled to weigh my words and not gushed out evil, as the Proverb quoted above encourages. It was time well spent. I pray that God will bless President Elect Donald Trump and the United States of America. But even more, I pray that God will lavishly pour out the Holy Spirit on all those who identify themselves as Christians, and develop within us a virtuous love that will change the world. Or, to use the prayer words of Jesus, “Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

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POLITICS IN THE PULPIT

Politics in the pulpit

Americans are in the process of electing a new president. While election day is officially November 5, early voting is already taking place in many states. It looks like there will be a large turnout as Americans decide whether former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will occupy the White House the next four years.

It seems like every election is dubbed “the most important election in our lifetime.” That is certainly being said about this election. Can the American economy survive another four years of a Democrat? Will Donald Trump put an end to democracy? Passions are running high.

It comes as no surprise, then, that people are looking for guidance in how to vote. One place many want to go to receive guidance is their place of worship. Others are convinced that they know the only Christian answer to how we should vote. Which raises the question, “should politics be brought into the pulpit?” My inbox this morning included a blog by Rev. Brian Keepers on this question– https://blog.reformedjournal.com/2024/10/28/politics-in-the-pulpit/ .

Tim Alberta’s excellent book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism (Harper Collins, 2023) deals extensively with this question.

My answer to this question is an emphatic “Yes!” There is no way to avoid it. The Christian message is inherently political. The first recorded creed Christian church was just three words: “Jesus is Lord” (I Corinthians 12:3). That is a political statement. If Jesus is Lord, then Caesar is not. Many early Christians were martyred for making this claim.

The question is not, “should we bring politics into the pulpit,” but “what politics should we bring into the pulpit?” Tim Alberta’s book is about the danger of bringing Republican politics into the pulpit. The danger is that the gospel is lost. But Republicans are not the only ones guilty of this. I’ve been to mainline churches where the sermon could have been delivered at the Democratic National Convention.

The politics that belong in the pulpit are, to quote John Howard Yoder, The Politics of Jesus. While I disagree with Yoder’s pacifism, he correctly points out that Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom” (Matthew 4:23). “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15). Jesus’ message was a political one. It was about a universal kingdom (a political term) in which God is the King. His message was not primarily about how to insure we get to heaven in the afterlife, but how to live under God’s rule and authority in this one.

The American national conversation is binary. Democratic or Republican. CNN or FOX news. The result is a divided nation, with each side hostile to the other. The Christian message offers a third way, the Jesus way. You can find this third way described in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). The kingdom of heaven belongs not to the rich and powerful, but to those who are poor in spirit. Those who mourn are blessed. The meek, not the mighty, are the ones who will inherit the earth. The hungry are fed. Peacemakers are the children of God. Those who are persecuted are blessed, because to them belongs the kingdom of heaven. This makes no sense. Imagine a Republican or Democratic platform based on the beatitudes! I doubt if they would win the election.

But this is the Jesus way. It’s a way forward that will lead to human flourishing for all—urban, suburban, rural Americans; white, black, Latino or Asian; those on either side of the southern border. The Old Testament uses the word shalom, which we translate with the word “peace.” Peace will only come when God is acknowledged as the Sovereign ruler of all, and God’s ways are followed.

Of course, we will not experience this shalom on November 6, or whenever we get the results of the election. Many are worried about civil unrest. Shalom will only fully come when Jesus returns. In the meantime, as citizens of God’s kingdom and citizens of this temporal nation, we do whatever we can to advance shalom. That includes being involved in the political process—not primarily as a Democrat or Republican, but as a follower of Jesus, as a Christian. It means prayerfully considering who would best serve as the next president. We will not all make the same decision on this question. There is no single answer on how a Christian should vote that your pastor can give you from the pulpit next Sunday. There are many things to consider, from abortion to healthcare to world conflict. But I do hope that he or she will include the election in the congregational prayer.

One final thing: after you have carefully and prayerfully considered the issues and the candidates, make sure you get out there and vote!

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FLAG DAY

Flag Day

Americans have a unique attachment to the Stars and Stripes. Drive down the street of any residential neighborhood and you will more than likely see the American flag flying in front of one or more houses. The grand finale of this display of flags is on June 14th, which has been designated as “Flag Day.” Apparently, according to google, the United States is one of 81 countries around the world that honors its national ensign on a special day. In Canada Flag Day is February 15, the anniversary of the adoption of the beloved maple leaf flag. Mexico celebrates Día de la Bandera on February 24.

 

The title for my blog is “Windmills and Tory Gates.” The windmill is a symbol of the Netherlands, the Tory Gate symbolizes Japan. America has no such national symbol, unless you count the Golden Arches. The flag, with its 50 stars, unites us. You can go to Brooklyn, New York; Selma, Alabama; El Paso, Texas; Minot, North Dakota, or the island of Guam and you will see the same flag. It symbolizes what we all have in common.

 

The American flag is especially significant to veterans. We are willing to die for the nation the flag symbolizes. Like so many veterans, I was given an American flag at my retirement and the words of the poem, “Old Glory” were read. The first two stanzas of the poem are as follows:

 

I am the flag of the United States of America. My name is Old Glory. I fly atop the
world’s tallest buildings. I stand watch in America’s halls of justice. I stand guard
majestically over great institutions of learning.

I stand guard with the greatest military power in the world. Look up and see me. I
stand for peace, honor, truth and justice. I stand for freedom. I am confident; I am
arrogant; I am proud. When I am flown with my fellow banners, my head is a little
higher, my colors a little truer. I bow to no one. I am recognized all over the world.

This important national symbol is to be respected, and so over time we have developed a “Flag Etiquette,” rules for how our national emblem is to be displayed, stored, and used. The Veterans of Foreign Wars has a wonderful website that lays out how to properly treat our flag.

 

https://www.vfw.org/Flag/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=vfw-flags&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw65-zBhBkEiwAjrqRMGmhtzkH-c2H-qvs1MHwFCxGa1TQwHgHliS4MmfvYIOhvsPUyvVMLBoCuRkQAvD_BwE

The following “Special Rules” come from that site:

Do not let the flag touch the ground.
Do not fly flag upside down unless there is an emergency. 
Do not carry the flag flat, or carry things in it.
Do not use the flag as clothing. 
Do not store the flag where it can get dirty. 
Do not use it as a cover.
Do not fasten it or tie it back. Always allow it to fall free. 
Do not draw on, or otherwise mark the flag. 

I’m troubled by the frequent use of our common national standard for partisan political purposes. I’m not talking about political candidates of either party properly displaying the flag on the podium when they offer their speeches. I’m referring to things like Americans (including a member of the Supreme Court, or his wife) flying the flag upside down to make a political statement. I’m referring to American flags with a former President’s face printed in the middle of it. I’m referring to the American Flag being used as the letter “U” in a word that encourages a sexual assault on the current President. Last week I saw Old Glory flying above a Confederate flag—two flags representing two different nations at war. Which nation is this homeowner a member of?

 

I suspect I will hear from readers that I’m being unfair, that I’m only pointing out abuses of the flag by the political right. Perhaps I’m blind to how the left does the same thing. I do remember in the 1960s those on the left would burn the flag in protest against the Vietnam war. Many were appalled at such disrespect. But the right to freedom of speech allows the use the flag in ways that Flag Etiquette does not.

 

The First Amendment to the US Constitution allows freedom of speech, including speech that is unpopular, even disgusting. Flag etiquette is a custom, a means of respect, not a law. The law allows us to be impolite. But the lack of decorum does have consequences. It uses something that is meant to unite for the purpose of division. The poem, Old Glory, speaks to these consequences:

 

I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of countries that I have
helped set free. It does not hurt, for I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled
on the streets of my own country. and when it is by those I have served in battle with,
it hurts. But I shall overcome, for I am strong.

When you see the American Flag flying this coming Friday (or any day), I would invite you to reflect not on our differences, but on what we all have in common.

Here’s to Old Glory! Long may she wave!

 

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GUILTY!

GUILTY!

  • May 31, 2024
Yesterday was an historic day. For the first time in history, a former President of the United States was convicted of felony charges. A jury of his peers unanimously found Donald Trump guilty on thirty-four counts of falsifying business records.
The response was predictable, based on political party. To quote House Speaker Mike Johnson, “Today is a shameful day in American history. Democrats cheered as they convicted the leader of the opposing party on ridiculous charges, predicated on the testimony of a disbarred, convicted felon. This was a purely political exercise, not a legal one.” Democrats are cheering, Republicans are crying foul.
While I don’t identify myself as a Democrat, those who know me know that I’m not a supporter of Donald Trump. But I’m not cheering this morning. I’m just sad. Sad for our nation. Sad that we bear the shame of a former President being convicted of felony charges. Sad that this conviction will probably not end his political career. Remember Gary Hart? In 1967 the Miami Herald exposed his affair with Donna Rice aboard the aptly named yacht, the “Monkey Business,” ending the Senator’s presidential aspirations. Times have certainly changed. Having sex with a porn star (or a White House intern) does not disqualify someone from being president. Paying money to make stories that are harmful to a candidate’s chances of winning go away is normal politics. We no longer expect basic morality from our leaders, I lament this loss.
President Trump had this to say to reporters following the verdict: “This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who is corrupt. . . They know what happened here. I am a very innocent man.” This sounds exactly like so many Marines I worked with when I was serving as chaplain for the Brig at Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejune, NC. “I’m innocent. The trial was a sham. I’m not guilty—I’m a victim!”
As I reflect on these matters, I’m reminded of another national leader who was caught in an illicit affair. Rather than paying hush money and falsifying business records, this leader arranged to have the woman’s husband killed on the battlefield, a much worse offense. His name was King David, and the woman he had the affair with was Bathsheba. If you’re interested in the sordid details, you can find them in the Bible, in II Samuel 11-12. “The thing David had done displeased the Lord. (II Samuel 11:27). David was convicted, not by a jury of his peers, but by a direct ruling from the ultimate judge. He was informed of the verdict, not by the foreman of a jury, but by a prophet of the Lord.
David’s response was genuine and sincere. He was broken by what he had done. He writes of his brokenness in a poem that has served as a confession of wrongdoing ever since. We know this poem as Psalm 51:

Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.

There are two ways to respond to a guilty verdict: denial or confession. I consider myself an Evangelical Christian. According to the teachings of Evangelical Christianity, defense and denial will get us nowhere. Sin must be repented of, confessed, and taken to the cross of Jesus, where it is forgiven. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” (I John 1:8-10).

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” according to the Apostle Paul (Romans 1:23). There but for the grace of God stand I. I’m no better than Donald Trump. But unconfessed and unrepentant sin will continue to fester and cause major destruction. I’m not cheering today—I’m sad, lamenting for the nation I have served and that I love. May God have mercy on us all.

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REMEMBERING THE FALLEN WELL

Remembering the Fallen Well

This past weekend those of us living in the United States enjoyed the three-day holiday called Memorial Day. For those living in northern part of the country, this holiday marks “the official start of summer.” It is the beginning of the 100 days, concluding with Labor Day, that tourist and vacation communities and their businesses rely on to turn a profit.

Many have made the observation that Memorial Day is not intended to be a long weekend for summer recreation but a day to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to gain and defend the freedoms we all enjoy and too often take for granted. I agree with this observation, while at the same time would reject the implied guilt trip for those who spend the day boating or playing golf.

What does it mean to remember those who have lost their lives in one of our nation’s wars? How can we remember the fallen well?

Sadly, Memorial Day is often treated as a second Veterans Day. A local sign advertised a Memorial Day ceremony with the words, “Honor our veterans.” As a veteran, I find this offensive. Veterans came home. Memorial Day honors those who did not. I enjoy a wonderful life with my wife, children, and grandchildren subsidized by my military pension. Feel free to honor me any way you want on November 11, but this is not my day. Most, if not all veterans feel an obligation to ensure our fallen comrades in arms are remembered, and remembered well. That is why we are willing to march in the parades. But please, don’t take the honor that those who died deserve and give it to those of us who came back.

On Sunday morning the pianist at the church I attend played “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” as the prelude. Aside from the troubling fact that this Civil War era song implies God is on the side of the North, I was troubled by the emotions the song evoked in the congregation. We felt good. Many offered applause. We can revel in American exceptionalism.

I hesitate putting this experience in writing. The pianist meant well. She played the peace masterfully. The service she gives in support of the music ministry of our church is outstanding. Her choice of a prelude seemed appropriate for the weekend, a national holiday where our patriotism can unashamedly be on display. The same song or similar ones with a patriotic theme was probably featured in the majority of preludes in the churches across the country.

But the reason for Memorial Day is not to feel good, but to honor the war dead. It is a sad day, a day where we are invited to face the losses that come from war, and our responsibility for those losses. “Regardless of whether you’re Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Communist, Liberal, Conservative, Conscientious Objector, or Pacifist,” writes Benjamin Sledge, “we all sent the soldier overseas.”1 This is a tough reality we all want to avoid facing. 

So how do we remember the fallen well? Perhaps the best way is to reach out sometime this week to one of their survivors. After the service Sunday morning I went up to one member of the congregation, an older women who lost her brother in the Vietnam conflict, and put my arm around her. I suggested that this was her day. As Christians (which we both are), we believe her brother is with the Lord. She, not her brother, is the one that bears the pain his death. She has made a sacrifice much larger than any I made wearing the uniform. As I spoke with her, it was clear: she still carries that pain 50 years after the loss.

On behalf of the President of the United States, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to Country and Corps.

These words are part of the military honors given at the graveside of a Marine veteran as an American flag is presented to his or her next of kin. Similar words are spoken, with slight variation, for those who served in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, or Navy.2 Are we in fact a grateful nation to those who have borne the losses of war? How do we express that gratitude? How do we remember the fallen well? Perhaps one way to honor them would be to look around and find someone they left behind. Reach out with a card of a phone call. Express your gratitude for their loved one’s service. Share in their pain. Honor the sacrifice they have made.

1 Benjamin Sledge, “The Conversation We Refuse to Have with Our Veterans.” Human Parts: A Home for Personal Stories and Perspectives May 24, 2019 https://humanparts.medium.com/the-conversation-about-war-and-our-veterans-we-refuse-to-have-a95c26972aee.

2 https://www.americanflags.com/blog/post/honoring-our-fallen-the-american-flag-presentation-2
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Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

“Christ Entering Jerusalem” Wilhelm Morgner, 1912
The opening hymn was familiar (to me) and appropriate to the occasion

All glory, laud, and honor, to you Redeemer, King.
To whom the lips of children made sweet Hosanna ring!
You are the King of Israel and David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming, the King and Blessed One.

It was Palm Sunday, 2022, and I stood and sang with gusto. I noticed my three-year-old granddaughter sitting next to me, coloring. At the mention of “children” in the hymn, I picked her up, held her, and began swaying to the music. I whispered in her ear something to the effect that, “This is the story of children waving palm branches as they welcomed Jesus.” She was mesmerized. The next song reinforced the message:

Hosanna, loud hosanna, the little children sang
Through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang
To Jesus who had blessed them, close folded to His breast
The children sang their praises, the simplest and the best!

I doubt she understood what “pillared court and temple” meant, but she certainly understood children singing to Jesus. Just before the sermon those in the congregation 5 years old and younger were excused for children’s worship, where they heard about Jesus’ riding on a donkey and were given a xeroxed picture of the story to color. After the service, my granddaughter wanted to show the picture to her grandpa.
As touching as that experience was, it was the offertory that made the biggest impact on my soul. The pianist played “The Palms” by Jean-Baptiste Faure (1830-1914). I didn’t remember all the words, but I knew the last two lines:

O'er all the way green palms and blossom s gay
Are strewn this day in festive preparation,
Where Jesus comes to wipe our tears away;
E'en now the throng to welcome Him prepare.

Join, sing His name divine, Let ev'ry voice resound with united acclamation,
Hosanna! Praised be the Lord, Bless Him who cometh to bring us salvation.

Tears came to my eyes. Something deep within me, memories of previous Palm Sundays had been gently triggered. My church uses a great deal of contemporary music in worship, which I appreciate. These new songs contain a freshness that is lost when a song is used too often over the years. Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people, writes the Psalmist (Psalm 141:9). But there is also something rich about singing the songs that have nourished believers for generations. Undoubtedly there were those in the congregation who did not know the two older hymns, or for whom the offertory had no meaning. On the other hand, I was not the only “Seasoned Saint” who was connecting with that piano solo. An older gentleman sitting behind me was humming. The lady in the seat ahead of me was moving her head in time with the music.

In addition to memory, what we were experiencing was the power of ritual. The Dutch Calvinist Church where I grew up did not have all the rituals common in Roman Catholic and mainline Protestant churches. I never heard of “stripping the altar” on Good Friday, and we didn’t have a sunrise service on Easter morning. But we had our own traditions. Chief among them was the singing of familiar hymns at specified times during the year. Palm Sunday simply required our singing “All Glory, Laud and Honor to Thee, Redeemer, King.”


Ours is a multi-generational church. Grandparents worship with their grandchildren. The Praise Team leads us in contemporary music. The organist plays the hymns. Next Sunday the Easter service will conclude with the “Hallelujah!” chorus from George Frederick Handel’s “Messiah.” The freshness of the “new song” and the power of familiar rituals. Both are important.


  A multi-generational church is a multi-cultural church. The rich and meaningful traditions that touch the soul of the grandparents often seem meaningless to those who are younger. Singing contemporary songs from words projected on a screen feels like a loss to a tenor like myself who reads music. America is filled with white, mono-cultural churches, catering to just one age group: High Schoolers flock to the hip church down the street that offers their kind of music, accompanied with lighting and smoke machines. The dying church around the corner clings to its organ and hymns. Church is a place where people want to feel comfortable.


A multi-generational church is not always a comfortable place. The congregation faces some of the same challenges as a multi-racial church, including the challenge of experiencing something that is meaningful to others even if it isn’t what I would necessarily choose. Multi-racial congregations are quite rare in America. The challenges are too great and often seen as not worth the effort. Perhaps the same could be said about multi-generational congregations. They require a desire to learn from people who are different from us. They require tolerance. They insist that we leave our judgments at the door. Most of all, it is essential that they are places populated by people filled with love, the kind of love the Apostle Paul describes when he writes: Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:2-4)


Multi-cultural worship is hard. But it is also incredibly rewarding. People of different generations have a great deal to learn from each other. Telling that one story to my granddaughter of Jesus, palms, and children singing enriched my life immeasurably. I also have much to learn from younger generations of believers. I’m eager to discover what they have to teach me.


I want to thank the members of my church who loved those of us who are older so much that they were willing last Sunday to sing a couple of hymns written long before they were born and listen to a classical piano piece as an offertory. Together, young and old, we reenacted the story of the pilgrims entering Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday:

To You, before your Passion, they sang their hymns of praise.
To You, now high exalted, our melodies we raise.

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DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Dr. King welcomes Joseph McLawtern, USN to the podium of Grosse Pointe High School, March 14, 1968.
Today is a national holiday in the United States in honor of the Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Many will recall his “I Have a Dream” speech, given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream . . . I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. ”

Others will remember his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” written to a group of white clergymen in defense of the ongoing non-violent protests in Birmingham, Alabama. I remember that when I was eleven years-old he came to speak at the high school in my community, Grosse Pointe Michigan.

In late 1967 Grosse Pointe was a troubled community. The race riots in neighboring Detroit in July of that year and the resulting fear and tension were still fresh in everybody’s mind. The riots– there were several across the city, lasting for almost a week– resolved nothing. Racial tension remained high in both Detroit and Grosse Pointe, the Motor City’s most exclusive suburb.

It was not surprising then that there was mixed reaction to the announcement in December that Dr. King was going to make a speech in our “lily white” community on March 14. Many were excited by the prospect of the Civil Right leader coming. The Grosse Pointe Human Rights Council was sponsoring the event in an attempt to foster better understanding between blacks and whites. Others clearly opposed his visit. “Why is he coming here to stir up trouble?” I recall one person asking. I’m sure he was not alone in his sentiments.

The chief of police, Jack Roh, was certainly concerned about trouble. His fear was that black militants would use this opportunity to demonstrate, and so he drafted riot control plans. Roh’s concerns were well founded; there was trouble that night. The trouble came, not from black militants as Roh had feared, but from members of an anti-communist white supremacy group called Breakthrough. In order to keep Dr. King safe, Roh actually sat on Dr. King’s lap on the last leg of the trip from downtown Detroit to the high school. Three weeks later Dr. King went to Memphis, TN, where he fell victim to an assassin’s bullet.

As I reflect on Dr. King’s legacy this year, when our nation is in such turmoil, I think Dr. King’s historic visit to Grosse Pointe gives us a number of insights. Allow me to briefly highlight just two.

First, Dr. King was willing to travel to The Other America. That was actually the title of his speech: The Other America. “I use this title because there are literally two Americas,” he said. He was clearly influenced by the report of President Johnson’s National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, the so-called Kerner Report commissioned in response to the Detroit riots. That report began with this blunt assessment: “This is our basic conclusion. Our nation is moving toward two societies, one Black, one White.” When Dr. King accepted the Grosse Pointe speaking invitation, it meant he, a poor Black southerner, would have to travel to a wealthy northern white community. He had the courage to go to The Other America.

Dr. King’s words remain true today. “There are literally two Americas.” The two Americas in 2022 are different from the two Americas of 1968, but they are just as polarized. We have many ways to describe these two Americas: red states and blue states, Republicans and Democrats, people who watch FOX news and those who watch CNN. Whatever label you give to it, there is no question– we are two nations. The two Americas of 2022, like 1968, don’t understand each other, nurture prejudices against each other, and avoid each other. And, like 1968, we are destroying each other.

King had the courage to go to The Other America. The danger was real. Roh had to sit on his lap to keep him safe. But he made the trip. And he gave a message that is as relevant for the two Americas of 2022 as it was for the two Americas of 1968.

"Let me say finally, that in the midst of the hollering and in the midst of the discourtesy tonight, we got to come to see that however much we dislike it, the destinies of white and black America are tied together. Now the races don't understand this apparently. But our destinies are tied together. And somehow, we must all learn to live together as brothers in this country or we're all going to perish together as fools."

Whether we vote Republican or Democrat, whether we get our news from FOX or CNN, our destinies are tied together. We need to learn to live together as brothers and sisters in this country or we’re going to perish together as fools.

It is tempting to surround ourselves with people like us, people with whom we agree. When we do so, we only reinforce our misconceptions, our misunderstandings, and our prejudices. We all need to make the frightening journey to The Other America, wherever that is. Those who live in urban areas need to spend some time in “flyover country,” drinking coffee and chatting with the locals. Those who live in the heartland need to spend some time in places that are not dependent on agriculture for their economic survival. Every one of us would be both challenged and enriched by developing relationships with people who are from a different background or think differently than we do.

Secondly, Dr. King treated those with whom he disagreed with absolute respect. I had the privilege a couple of years ago to interview an elderly woman who was there that night. She had just one memory of that historic event. “Dr. King was such a gentleman,” she said.

When Dr. King was introduced, the audience gave him a five-minute standing ovation, the first of 32 times they applauded the speaker. But twice during his speech he was interrupted by those who opposed him. The first interruption came from a woman in the audience. “I’ll just wait until our friend can have her say,” King said.

The second disruption came from a young man when Dr. King began speaking of his views on the Vietnam War. “Alright if you want to speak, I’ll let you come down and speak and I’ll wait. You can give your Viet Nam speech now listen to mine. Come right on,” King offered. The young man walked up to the podium and introduced himself. “Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Joseph McLawtern, communications technician, U.S. Navy, United States of America. I fought for freedom I didn’t fight for communism, traitors and I didn’t fight to be sold down the drain. Not by Romney, Cavanagh, Johnson – nobody, nobody’s going to sell me down the drain.” The Civil Rights speaker thanked the young man and continued his speech.

We need to treat those with whom we disagree with absolute respect. We need to allow them to “give their speech” even as we challenge them to “now listen to mine.” And we need to listen when they give their speech– listen to both the content of what they are saying and to their heart that so passionately energizes their position. We need to avoid stereotyping, name-calling, and crude language. We need to learn how to disagree without becoming disagreeable. We need to restore civility to our conversations.

I hope someday, years from now, when an old person is asked about their memories of me, they are able to reply, “He was such a gentleman.”