Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr

Lectionary: 373

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.

Democracy imposes a particularly heavy burden upon Christians who take their faith seriously. It reminds us that we are responsible for our decisions. Freedom is inescapable, and so is the responsibility that comes with it.   

Jesus's metaphor of fruit trees offers some advice about how we should judge others. The good bear good fruit, and the wicked bear bad fruit. We can use their spiritual fruit to assess others and their worth in the community. Nor can we piously say that we don't judge others. Of course we do, and we must. A man carrying an AR-15 into a church or shopping center intends evil, is evil, and must be disarmed immediately. A predator exploiting the vulnerability of children is evil and must be stopped. 

Democracy forces us to judge our government officials, both incumbents and candidates. Are they worthy of the office? Are they capable of doing the work? What credentials do they bring to the position, and what does their past reveal about their future behavior. 

Many people justified their support of Donald Trump upon Isaiah's prophecies about the emperor Cyrus the Great. Unlike tyrants of the past, that Persian ruler didn't care how people worshiped so long as they paid their taxes to his empire. He even permitted displaced nations to return to their homelands when it served his purposes. Isaiah saw Cyrus's ascendance as good news for the Jews. He called it gospel. But no one really cared what Isaiah or the Jews thought about Cyrus. He became emperor by conquest, not by election with popular support. 

Comparing the candidate Donald Trump to the emperor Cyrus the Great, some voters supposed that a narcissist with a history of fraud and tax evasion would nonetheless promote Christian principles like opposition to abortion. If he was transparently racist and chauvinist, he might be used nonetheless by the Christian right to promote their own goals. 

The study of Consequentialism is long, deep, and complex; and many Americans loathe a discussion which spans centuries, but it raises the ethical question, "Does the end justify the means?"  

The shortest answer a priest might offer is, "No." Abortion is not justified by the better life a couple might enjoy after terminating their pregnancy. Capital punishment is not justified by the time and expense that are saved by killing a trapped and unarmed person. Although survivors may feel safer following the execution of a killer, their relief does not vindicate the evil of murder. A war should not be ended by the mass killing of unarmed citizens. 

Jewish and Christian prophecy warns the Chosen People that their violation of God's covenant will have dreadful consequences. They might not follow automatically, because there is nothing automatic or mechanical in God's plan. The consequences of sin cannot be foreseen by scientific principles of cause and effect. Rather, we are told, the Lord who is always free to do what he wills and when he chooses, will punish sins against justice and mercy. Ignoring God's law is utter foolishness. Dismissing God's laws is the work of fools. 

But those who wait on the Lord will enjoy the promised reward which will be given in his own time and in his own way. Those who study the Word of God know this. 

Citizens of a democracy are obliged to participate, and sometimes to choose between two or more seedy candidates. In the selection of one, they need not pretend they are choosing virtue over vice, or God's candidate versus Satan's. If they prefer and elect one candidate they are nonetheless responsible for that candidate's service. 

Their engagement in the political process must be more than listening to 24/7 news channels and voting in biennial elections. They should know the leaders of their townships, counties, cities, states, and the federal government. All politics is local. They should be familiar with proposed amendments and laws. They should, like Saint Joseph, know what's going on even when they have no voice or choice. 

A Christian electorate must prefer righteousness, justice, and mercy, especially for the vulnerable, poor, and despised. If they must occasionally hold their noses while voting, they should do so nonetheless.