“Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
James 3: 5-6
Speaking truth to power has become risky business. Just ask Congresswoman Liz Cheney. She has been removed from her leadership position in the House because she will not agree to the lie that Donald Trump won the last election. She refuses to give in. The GOP cannot tolerate any sign of disunity and evidently has come to the conclusion that blind support of the past president is a litmus test for party loyalty. This means accepting and spreading what is being called “The Big Lie.” If you are not with them in this lie, you are out.
What I found more shocking, however, was a statement by Georgia’s representative, Andrew Clyde, who said this: “You know, if you didn’t know the TV footage was a video from January the 6th, you would actually think it was a normal tourist visit.” I watched the January 6th event live as it was happening and found myself crying in disbelief. It was a horrific event and as I watched, I didn’t know how bad it might get. To now hear this event described as “a normal tourist visit” is incredible.
No one can look at the videos from January 6th and believe this was not a serious incident. Nevertheless, people are not hesitating in their attempt to white wash this affair and try to change history. Do they think we didn’t see what we saw? Is this a new form of gaslighting?
Twisting the truth and telling outright lies is becoming acceptable in our country. It was lies that led to the January incident in the first place and now lies are flowing out of the event. This is what sin looks like. We must not accept this circumstance as normal. We must not be corrupted by this strange acquiescence to lies. If we accept disinformation as somehow acceptable — if it grants you a “win” — we will set our own house on fire. How can a nation stand in such condition?
We need to test what we hear and discover reliable sources of truth. We also need to be a people who speak the truth and do not spread lies. Seeking to win is no excuse for spreading lies and disinformation. Governing is not meant to be a game with the two parties working to score points against one another. I am disturbed when I hear senator Mitch McConnel say he is he is “100 percent” focused “on stopping” President Joe Biden’s administration. In other words, all he wants is to win against the president of the opposite party. He demonstrates no care for our country, only caring to “win.”
Good government is for the sake of the common good. The only reason we have a government is to secure the common good for all of us. Read the preamble:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
US Constitution
We established our government — we the people did that — for our general welfare, for our common good. We do not want partisan bickering, game playing, and dirty tricks just so one party can “win” over the other. We do not want either party spreading lies and failing to speak the truth, just to score points.
My beloved ones in Christ, let us pray… pray that we will not be deceived by lies, but will find our way to good sources of truth.
Bishop Kedda
Bishop Kedda 