I want to go on record as being deeply and sincerely grateful to Mark Galli and Christianity Today.  At long last a noteworthy evangelical Christian, prominent enough to make his voice heard on a broad scale, has found the courage to tell the truth about Donald Trump.  This is the victory I’ve been waiting for. 

I don’t care that Donald Trump is President.  I don’t care what his politics are.  I do, however, care very much when self-styled Christians, for purely political reasons, sully the name of God by associating it with such a vile and despicable human being.   

Let me repeat what I said four years ago – before Stormy Daniels, before Charlottesville, before Mueller, before the “phone call,” and before impeachment.  I cannot for the life of me understand how self-proclaimed followers of Jesus can get behind a person of this description:  a coarse, crude, crass, cruel, unfeeling, greedy, materialistic, power-hungry, egotistical megalomaniac; a loud-mouthed, foul-mouthed, arrogant, self-aggrandizing, blustering, boasting, bullying braggart; a willfully ignorant, cheerfully unlettered, anti-intellectual boor; a philanderer, an adulterer, and a debauchee; a person who thinks public discourse consists in calling other people names.  This is the exact opposite of the spirit and character of Christ.

This man calls himself a “winner” and says that he “can’t stand losers.”  Four years ago he told us that “we were going to start winning so much that we’d get sick and tired of winning.”  On that score, at least, he was right.  If he’s a “winner,” I’m happy to count myself a loser.  For my part, I’ll willingly cast my lot with the Greatest Loser of all Time:  the One who, though He existed in the form of God, despised the devil’s offer of political power, died a criminal’s death, and gave up everything for my sake.           

By J. R. R. Tolkien

Grim was the world and grey last night:
The moon and stars were fled,
The hall was dark without song or light,
The fires were fallen dead.
The wind in the trees was like to the sea,
And over the mountains’ teeth
It whistled bitter-cold and free,
As a sword leapt from its sheath.

The lord of snows upreared his head;
His mantle long and pale
Upon the bitter blast was spread
And hung o’er hill and dale.
The world was blind, the boughs were bent,
All ways and paths were wild:
Then the veil of cloud apart was rent,
And here was born a Child.

The ancient dome of heaven sheer
Was pricked with distant light;
A star came shining white and clear
Alone above the night.
In the dale of dark in that hour of birth
One voice on a sudden sang:
Then all the bells in Heaven and Earth
Together at midnight rang.

Mary sang in this world below:
They heard her song arise
O’er mist and over mountain snow
To the walls of Paradise,
And the tongue of many bells was stirred
in Heaven’s towers to ring
When the voice of mortal maid was heard,
That was mother of Heaven’s King.

Glad is the world and fair this night
With stars about its head,
And the hall is filled with laughter and light,
And fires are burning red.
The bells of Paradise now ring
With bells of Christendom,
And Gloria, Gloria we will sing
That God on earth is come.

Friends:

In certain respects the discussion following my last post seems to have veered off topic and into the weedy realm of politics, as was almost guaranteed to happen.  I have already made it clear that I am not interested in politics.

My old pal James Jones says, “I don’t think I know anyone who likes him, but when put next to Hillary …?”  The answer to this is simple:  If you don’t like him, don’t support him.  You don’t have to support any of these people.  You are free not to participate.  There is another way, as Terri Moon indicated in her reference to “a different kingdom.”

Please do not misunderstand the following as the expression of a political perspective on my part.  I detest politics.  Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Conservative — it’s all bosh as far as I’m concerned.  My problem is that I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone can find anything to “like” about a person who can only be described as a coarse, crude, crass, cruel, unfeeling, greedy, materialistic, power-hungry, egotistical megalomaniac; a loud-mouthed, foul-mouthed, self-aggrandizing, blustering, boasting, bullying braggart; a willfully ignorant, cheerfully unlettered, anti-intellectual boor; a philanderer, an adulterer, and a debauchee.  “Baffling” is the  only word that comes to mind.

Public service announcement to anyone who cares:

Due to an apparent lack of interest, new Pilgrimagination posts will be appearing far less frequently from this point forward — at least for the time being.

Meanwhile, all previously published materials will remain available on the Pilgrimagination website at pilgrimagination.com.

Thank you.

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

A history in pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Reader:

To any and all who chance to stumble upon this, the first of what I hope to be many future installments, my message today is simple:  “To every thing there is a season,” and “All good things come to him who waits.”

Quod scripsi scripsi, quod scribo scribo, et quod volo scribere scribam.   That which is past cannot be changed, and there is no telling what may be yet to come.

To those who are sufficiently interested to wonder what happens next, I can only say, “Patience.  Watch, wait, and observe.”

Many things that have not emerged may yet be in the making …