MAGA Has a Distorted View of Christianity

Joy Reid formally anchored a popular show on MSNBC called The Reid Out. Since being asked to leave the network Joy is speaking more openly about America’s decline from a democracy to an authoritarian regime. The message and ministry of Jesus has gotten lost in MAGA [Make America Great Again] dogma. Eighty percent [80%] of Christian evangelicals voted for the current regime and even though many of their lives are being decimated they continue to bow their knee to the cruel want to be dictator. Joy’s Facebook video on a holiday celebrating Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection in my opinion vividly parallels the disparity in His message and that of MAGA “Christians”.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1C45PQHFNP/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Constitutional Crisis and the Despot

 The United States has been in a constitutional crisis since July 2024, when the Supreme Court ruled that a president has immunity when he or she is in office. I made this video two months ago one day sitting in my home office. The lighting is bad, and the look is not glamorous, but the words were totally unscripted and impromptu. More recently the current occupant of the White House has essentially ignored the ruling of a federal judge and the United States Supreme Court to return someone being imprisoned in an El Salvadorian concentration camp. MAGA wanted a king to worship and now they have one and he is making their lives a living hell. But they asked for it.

Good News Drought

 

Have you ever wished for something remarkable to manifest in your life—like an unexpected financial windfall, a bonus, a refund, or an inheritance? I am someone who lives in the realm of positive expectations, always believing the glass is half full. I thrive on hearing good news and stories of answered prayers. Gratitude is woven into my daily life; I express thanks to God profusely throughout the day. There’s nothing I cherish more than hearing positive physician reports for myself and my family. As a natural-born cheerleader, I take immense joy in seeing people thrive and live their best lives. But lately, I've been yearning for the exhilarating thrill of receiving good news from a different avenue—like an unexpected check in the mail rather than another bill. Just imagining it fills me with excitement.

 However, I must admit that I’ve been wandering through a "good news desert," with no relief in sight. A desert, as defined, is a dry, arid region that receives little rainfall and has sparse vegetation. The word "sparse" perfectly encapsulates my experience of a good news drought. Good news happens, but its occurrence is inconsistent. And rarely does the news extend beyond medical reports. A welcome mirage of waterfalls would be so rejuvenating, yet that’s not my fate. The heat is scorching and unrelenting, and the longed-for water remains a figment of my imagination. My usual upbeat demeanor feels under siege. Some days, the cloud of discouragement looms large. Hope and faith are my secret weapons. Even on my lowest days, I reach for memories when I obtained a good surprise, I check messages on my family chat page, and I get joy in knowing they are doing well. I find joy in knowing what meals they will be eating or preparing. I get joy in hearing about something they watched on television. So those things become the rejuvenating waterfall in what felt like a desert. I will continue to have hope and faith for an exciting, good news experience but in the meantime, the joys of good health, love of family, and community service will have to suffice.

 

 

 

I Promised Myself

 

On October 24, 2024, a month away from the first death anniversary of my oldest brother I took out my journal and penned these words. I promised myself today I wouldn't cry. But I lied. I promised myself today that I would remember you as you lived not as you died. But I didn't. I promised myself today that I would think happy thoughts and laugh when thinking of you. But I couldn't. I promised myself that when I got in the car I wouldn't think about all the times you were seated next to me and we laughed about a story our younger brother told us from the back seat. But I didn't. I promised myself that today I would accept your pure desire to vacate your body temple to live in an immortal one. But I can't. From the place where you now dwell you know all things. You knew leaving the physical realm would give you peace and leave me with grief. You knew that I would shed endless tears but you knew that my inner capacity for resilience would one day, in time, suddenly surface and I would see you as you now see yourself. Happy, whole, complete, worry-free, healed, and totally void of the cares of this world. 

Soar high, big brother. I know you hate seeing the tears, but you wouldn't trade your current existence for one second in the physical realm. My love for you is endless and without borders. I miss you every second of every day. So today, I promise myself to wait for the sudden moment when thoughts of you will "bring a smile to my face before bringing a tear to my eye." I love you brother I did the best I could. I would do it again for you if I could. Rest well big brother. I love you forever and always.