Pandemic and Pandemonium

I’m neither given to writing on current events nor am I a purveyor of bad news. However, what is going on right now in our country and in the world is sheer madness.

And I have something to say about it.

We are in the midst of a global pandemic. “Coronavirus” has become a household word. International travel is restricted and domestic travel is not recommended. Financial indices are plummeting. Contrary to what some think, this is not some left-wing conspiracy — human beings are literally dying.

Here’s the problem — we are in the throes of a true global crisis and we have the single most unqualified person at the helm of our nation. (Full disclosure, I love everyone but I don’t think everyone is qualified for every job).

I’ve heard all the arguments: he is chosen by God (I have to choke back the laughter whenever I hear this), he is a “baby christian” (exactly what the hell is that?), he’s cleaning up the corruption in Washington (cleaning corruption with corruption), and “we need to give him a chance” (he’s had three years and all he’s done is make things worse) — and I simply cannot assign any validity to any of them.

Before I go any further, I’m not one for fearmongering. I believe that if we exercise common sense and basic hygiene, we will be okay. However, steady leadership makes all the difference in difficult times. And we sorely lack that, right now.

The thing that makes me uneasy is the fact that people still support this current administration. Depending on your source, the president has told over 14,000 well-documented lies since taking office. How can you suddenly expect him to tell the truth. And his chief supporters are people who call themselves “christians.”

There is nothing christlike about this administration. There is no evidence of love — which is, essentially, empathy and compassion. There is no evidence of integrity. There is no respect for other nations or cultures. There is widespread dishonesty and corruption. These are not my opinions; it can be verified empirically.

Adding fuel to this dumpster fire are the people who not only agree with his policies but actually double down on the lies — chief of these are so-called “evangelical” leaders. The selfsame people who touted themselves as beacons of morality now support the sort of immorality they made their bones by railing against.

The truth of the matter is this country is broken. It is broken spiritually, economically, and racially. And, instead of having leadership that works toward repairing these breeches, the current leadership actually widens the divide. Indeed, we are broken from leadership down. How can we count on broken leadership to provide any solution? How can leaders that lacks the respect of the global community provide the global leadership that America is known for?

The short answer: it can’t.

I think that many of those who lend their unyielding support to this current administration desire a narrowly-defined theocracy. This line of thinking leads to a narrow and exclusive approach to problem solving. This results in “solutions” that inspire little confidence.

This is where panic kicks in.

You can talk about “God has not given us the spirit of fear…” all you want. People often reject what God has GIVEN in favor of what man is SELLING. It is the buying of the bill of goods sold by this administration that is leading to an unsure populace.

There is an old “church saying” that “if there’s smoke in the pulpit, there will be fog in the pews.” The point of this saying is that if there is confusion in leadership, there can only be confusion among followers. We are currently led by the clueless and this is making cluelessness fashionable.

In the midst of this, you will hear cries of “deep state” and “fake news.” Please don’t buy into this. These are attempts to discredit the free press that the founders deemed necessary to a free state. The media is far from perfect but instead of striving to discredit it, we need to develop the correct filters for consuming its content.

Here’s the bottom line, folks. We are in the midst of a serious situation but we will get through it — not because of current leadership but in spite of it. You will hear a myriad of reports on the current state of things — don’t simply ignore these; learn to apply filter and let love (empathy and compassion) be your chief filter. Operate in wisdom. Wash your hands. Limit your exposure to crowds. Eat smart. Exercise. Use common sense. And last but certainly not least, do not trust a liar to lead you. A leader who lies to you will lead you to your slaughter.