Thursday, October 31, 2019

Love the Emperor

Not really many presidents or other politicians (or Trump) that I’d like to hang out with. Or actors or newspeople or even athletes and maybe some preachers. So many are power-hungry and megalomaniacs and self-obsessed. That said, some in office do better than others at getting the business of the government conducted with the best interests of the citizens at heart. Would be nice if they did this humbly and quietly, but you can’t have everything.
 
Last week’s lesson was on I Peter 2:13-25. 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme 16 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Love the emperor. 18 Servants be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
 
We live in a fallen, sinful world. Like the people Peter was writing to, we are but sojouners on the Earth. Our citizenship is in Heaven. Still it makes you wonder why God would allow certain people (like Trump, etc.) to be President of the United States. The US is not God’s chosen nation – that’s Israel. All this must be part of God’s overall plan. Just think how much worse the Anti-Christ will be – a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
 
Just finished one book on Harry Truman and started another. Seems like a decent, hard-working, stand-up guy, as Presidents go. I used to think the 1950’s might’ve been a good time to live, but it sounds like there were problems and fears even during those postwar years.
 
I don’t get the paper AJC so not sure which of New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s columns was printed. Looks like his most recent one about Trump was from Oct 19.
 
 
 
All the more recently with the sad state the US is in these days seems like some church people are trying to separate church from government and country, and just focus on God and Jesus and love. Traditionally church and love/support of country have gone together but less and less here recently. These days since the outcry against government becoming louder and louder I consider myself a contrarian, wanting to support the US all the more. Used to have a US flag on the old Civic. Politicians should wear US flag pins on their lapels. Why don’t they do this?
 
I’m just not crazy about flags on football helmets and other special uniforms for Memorial Day and Independence Day – because I’m a uniform freak. There are too many uniforms. Teams should wear their regular uniforms. The Astros wore orange jerseys at least 23 times this year. College football helmets have enough stickers, too many in fact. Is an American flag sticker really needed? Same with college basketball uniforms. EXCEPTION: wearing flags on unis during wartime is a good, patriotic thing.

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