The TP ticket, law and order and the UMC

Well, the UMC just consecrated its first lesbian Bishop–that one even made the New York Times! What, of course, also made the national news is the Trump/Pence ticket (which shall probably always be known to those who dislike Trump as the Toilet Paper ticket).

And now we have even more policemen ambushed and ruthlessly murdered, leaving many wondering, “are we REALLY falling apart?”

Expected responses:

• “This has to stop.”
• “We need more law and order.”
• “We need to obey the Book of Discipline” (that one is for United Methodists up in arms about this latest transgression of its own law book, so full of contradictions and problematic statements that it requires its own equivalent to the US Supreme Court to interpret).

So, let’s talk about what more “law and order” means. You may be sure the TP group will trumpet that one loudly. And you may be also be sure the law and order folks in the UMC have already begun their attacks.

Now, here’s the world we DON’T live in: One of order, neatness, clean categories and well-behaved people who know their places and stay quietly in their tight little boxes, a few benevolent folks at the top working endlessly to keep peace and ensure prosperity for all.

Here’s the world we DO live in: scarily messy, often violent, frequently erupting masses of unhappy, discontented people driven by fear, scarcity, and desperation, tight power at the top working endlessly to gain more power and more control.

Here’s how a successful TP ticket will define “law and order.”