I feel sufficiently recovered from the Anglican Primate’s Extravaganza of news obsession, and have so settled back into the usual way of pushing children through their scholastic paces, that I thought some quick takes might be a nice weekend indulgence.
One
I know it’s old news, but oh my word, that clip of Trump at Liberty University keeps hurting my Christian sensibilities. It’s not that he said ‘2 Corinthians’ instead of ‘2nd Corinthians’ (although, the fact that that was the main outcry irritated me even more) it was What he said. The new Way of the Bible is to take any verse you like and, to quote Chris Roseborough, narcigete it. Amazingly, even Trump can get in on this craze, not only applying this single scriptural moment to himself and his campaign, but to Liberty University as well. I’m sorry but the verse isn’t about any of that. The verse is about being found in Christ and having the Liberty that comes by the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work, such that you are able, slowly, to keep God’s perfect law, imperfectly of course, and thereby experience the freedom that comes through the law, not being bound to sin, but being full of the freedom of the law. But whatevs, way to go Trump, finding a verse in the bible with the word ‘Liberty’ in it. I’m impressed.
Two
Also, oh my word, no Christian says anything like ‘I’m Presbyterian and I’m very proud, very proud of my faith, very proud.’ Cough, well, I mean, he just did say that, but, um, I’m going to go out on a limb and not believe the reality of his claim. A true Christian would at least feign some kind of humility, like, I dunno, maybe, ‘I’m so grateful to God for something or other.’
Three
Politics aside, I’m really disappointed that nobody congratulated me on my brilliant observation that Trump is really Rodney Dangerfield, brought back from the dead. And as such, I don’t think there’s any doubt he’ll win this election. Who doesn’t love Rodney Dangerfield? That’s right, deep down, Everybody Loves Him, even though they don’t know it yet. More Booze all around and then it’ll become clear!
Four
Sorry, didn’t realize I had so much pent up Trump angst. On a happier note, I think I’m coming down with a rich and bubbly cold. A couple of children have it, and seem to be enjoying it pretty well, so I’m sure this tickle in the back of my throat must be that. It’s going to be great, it’s going to be YUGE.
Five
In college, being very lonely once for three weeks because of being stuck in a blizzard with only myself, some books that I didn’t feel like reading, and a VHS copy of Little Women, I fell into the terrible position of having a movie I didn’t really love embedded deep in my psyche. To my delight, Elphine, who hasn’t had to see that movie yet, but who seems to bear some of the same obsessive characteristics of her mother, cough, has been rewarding herself with Cinderella, the really good new one with the total lack of victimhood and superciliousness of the Usual Disney Bilge. I’m pretty happy for her. It’s a great movie.
Six
I was supposed to spend the week desperately writing Sunday School lessons, but of course I didn’t. I realize that I’m not helping to Make America Great Again but gosh, I just can’t get past my own human limitations. This whole year I’ve been struggling mightily with the sort of nebulous civic Christianish but really not Christian at all Personal Striving Meme. I don’t know what else to call it, I long for a better word. Basically it’s the idea that if you work hard, you can achieve your dream destiny thingy (that’s Chris Roseborough again). On the one hand, this is totally a good thing for a culture to embrace. I don’t want any of my children getting away with the idea that they can just lie around and good things will happen to them. I want them to work hard and achieve stuff, anything really (I like to keep my sights low, if they leave home and have any level of job and education, I’m going to be pretty happy). And, it’s true, hard work will take you a good distance. But this basically good idea, when joined with Christianity, is pure toxicity. Christianity is Not about you working hard and achieving heaven, or God’s favor, or anything. It’s about you admitting that you can’t do that and seeking the mercy and forgiveness of God. I’m really grossed out to be hearing this dumbness not only from sections of the “church” but now also in politics by people who ought to be more honest about how Christian they really are, and by that I mean, are not.
Seven
Well, I’m going to end this with an apology. I sat down to write a nice fluffy review of my week, of the loveliness of Luncheon, of the fact that some of the children learned to spell some words, of the fact that my List of Doing All the Things has been cut in half through diligence and hard work, but instead of that I fell headlong into a reactionary political screed. I’m really sorry. But really, ask yourself, do you really go on the Internet to read nice things? Deep down you know that if there were no Outrages, we would all be terribly sad, and America would be Dismal and Bad instead of YUGE and Great.
Have a lovely weekend and go check out better and holier Quick Takes.
Oh, and here’s a picture of what Frances thinks of Trump.
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