All the Kings Men

Thanks to the recent No Kings Rally, the United States still does not have a king - just a president elected by the voters. While the president has only been in politics for 5 years 2 months, the real kings in the US may be the octogenarians in Congress - many of whom have been in office longer than the reign of King Henry VIII. Surely these protesters would support term limit legislation, right?

51 Grassley

50 Biden

48 Markey

45 Shumer

44 Wyden

44 Hoyer

43 Durbin

42 Kaptur

41 McConnell

40 Pelosi

35 Waters

35 Sanders  

While Trump landed on the presidential ballot by being voted in by US citizens participating in the Republican primaries, the Democratic nominee was placed on the ballot without the benefit of a single vote being cast for her. 

Videos from the weekend showed protesters arriving by chartered busses. Who paid for all this? Now we know.

Yes I hate to be political and yes this information was all over social media, but some people's algorithms shield them from these truths.

Denison on the No Kings rallies. 

Also: Denison got to what I consider the very heart of the matter: "saved people who don't act saved". On Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus spent the day in debate with "the chief priests and the elders of the people". The Pharisees attempted to "entangle him in his words" by asking if they should pay taxes to Rome; the Sadducees tried to trick him concerning the resurrection (Matthew 15–33).

Like impassioned political partisans today, Jesus' opponents abandoned dichotomous thinking for the certitude of their legalism, delegating their thinking to the authority of their authorities and viewing the world through the prism of their certainties. They were convinced that they alone were the right and righteous leaders of the Jewish people and that their leadership was indispensable to their nation's future under Roman occupation. When a Galilean rabbi questioned their cherished biases and, even worse, exposed their fallacies and self-righteous hypocrisy, rather than considering his contrary truth claims, they united in seeking his execution.

The bad news is that Christians can be as biased and close-minded as these opponents of Christ. As history proves and contemporary culture shows, we can be as dogmatic in our politics and opinions, as self-reliant and self-righteous, as those with whom we fervently disagree. But when the salt loses its saltiness and the light hides under a basket, the world is impoverished (Matthew 5:13–16).

Since everyone these days is listening to podcasts, here what podcaster Chad Prather recently posted: How can I be a Christian and support Trump? I don't support everything he does. I don't know anyone who does. Trump is not a savior. As a Christian I ask which outcome restrains what I believe to be most harmful?

The real question is What is the Christian placing their hope in? My faith isn't determined by who is in the Oval Ofiice, but Who is on the throne in heaven. Contrary to much of today's postmodern thinking, I can support some things, dislike others, and find my identity in none of it. 

When you start making a political position your litmus test to judge who is and isn't a good Christian, you have already stepped outside the heart of the gospel. Arrogant pseudo-spirituality that judges and criticizes based on political decisions is lazy at best, and certainly not loving your neighbor. You can love Trump or hate him - but if you can't love your neighbor while doing it, then don't pretend that this is about Jesus. 

JACK MORRIS [SABR Bio] helped set the tone for his team’s dominant, World Series-winning season by throwing a no-hitter on the season debut of NBC’s Game of the Week - in a game the network selected to spotlight the pitcher from the opposing team. In April 1984, Morris no-hit CHW to give the DET their fourth of nine straight wins to start a season. NBC chose that game to  focus on Chicago’s newly acquired Tom Seaver. But the White Sox rotation shifted due to a rain delay earlier in the week, and Seaver didn’t pitch, starting the following afternoon instead. Morris credits a college teammate Vance Law's father with helping him develop his pitching so he was drafted after his junior year. Vern Law, 1960 Cy Young winner, worked with Morris & the rest of the BYU pitching staff in the 1970s. Morris spent time as a broadcaster for the Tigers, Twins & Blue Jays, each of the three teams he won World Series titles with.