Sunday, May 3, 2020

The Great Game

Biden or Trump. For the next six months, a cacophony of voices will loudly demand that we pick one, while ominously predicting chaos and tribulation should the wrong man be elected. Such cheerleaders are fools, who have far too much confidence in the efficacy of smart people and smart ideas. And we shall become even bigger fools, if we choose to drink the Kool-Aid they are selling.

Once upon a time, our Brother counseled us to "repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." These words are a reminder that our leaders are not divine, the state is not a source of grace, and both are players in a contest of power, not love. Sometimes the competition brings nice toys to the people, and sometimes it leaves them with a stocking full of coal. Politics is a useful tool for building human fiefdoms, but a piss-poor one when it comes to living in the kingdom.

Be that as it may, it is our civic duty to participate in the game. So let us perform the task wisely, refusing to turn it into something greater than it actually is. If you trust Biden or Trump to advance the common good, give him your support. If someone else, someone guaranteed to lose, has earned your respect, do not be afraid to vote your conscience. Always remember, the kingdom is here and now: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And nothing that happens in November can alter that reality.