I’ve been wanting to write what may be my final post about the up-coming election, but I’ve felt a bit sluggish lately, not to mention being burned out from finishing a writing deadline. So for now I’m taking the lazy man’s, quick way out. I was recently humming these familiar lines by Paul Simon, from about 50 years ago.
Siting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon.
Going to the candidates to date.
Laugh about it, shout about it
When you’ve got to choose.
Every way you look at this you loose.
To amend Mark Twain: “History may not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.” Take a break from the laughing and the shouting. Here’s the famous song. Enjoy: Mrs Robinson.
Image courtesy of Simon & Garfunkel website.
©2016 by Charles Strohmer
Waging Wisdom 
ON THE PENDING USA 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
For Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump:
Do not be deceived God is not mocked
Because what goes around comes around
And what you have sown is what you will reap.
For the aftermath of post-election USA
At dawn I lift my eyes to the horizon
As far as my eyes can see
And I see gathered there
Massive storm clouds rising
With great shafts of lightening
Striking the shores of the sea
And I see signs above
and wonders below
With the sun turned to darkness
And the moon turned to blood
For the great and terrible
Day of the Lord has come.
– From The Shining Path (adapted)
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I hope you are wrong, man! A post-election alternative is that we’ve learned our lesson in incivility, and where it’s worsening will lead us, and that we will recover aspirations toward humility and grace to those with whom we differ. And yet, the percentage of Americans (left/right; religious/secular) who are messianic for their party may win the day. [Note from Charles to to readers: check out The Shining Path: https://www.amazon.com/Shining-Path-W-Gordon-ebook/dp/B019P4ZCIQ.%5D
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Hi Charles,
I think my point is that this election has been (and will be) a disclosure of the hearts of those both on the left and the right (secular/religious) but mostly on the right — hearts full of fear, hearts in the grip of many kinds of nationalist idolatries and a deep existential insecurity. That a shape shifting demagogue like Trump could have gotten as far as he has (as of October 27th) using the kind of language he has remind many of us here in UK and in Europe of the rise of Hitler who made similar appeals and vowed to “make Germany Great again.”
I am on my knees on this one: I pray that God by His Spirit will ‘contain’ and limit the destructive powers which are ready and eager to be unleashed. I am not suggesting Hilary does not pose other kinds of risks but I am sure she would be the ‘less dangerous’ of the two on the world stage and to that extend the lesser of two evils.
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I’m not sure the analog to Hitler is correct, but thank you for praying for us. Many Christians, especially, seem to have lost social civility, grace, and hope this time round and in their place adopted a mocking attitude. Not good, as Prov 29 & Ps 1 remind us.
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