“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.”

1 Peter 2:13-15

“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;”

Romans 13:1-3

These two statements by two of Yeshua’s witnesses, Peter and Paul, represent a drop in the ocean of legislation, instructions and prophecy populating the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament.  It is perhaps less well known that the Lord Jesus Christ insisted that his domain as Lord of all be distinct in the minds of everyone from the domain of civic power, whom he labeled as “Caesar”.  He did this when he was confronted with the question of paying taxes or not.  The right to avoid paying taxes is now an issue in the United States because tax law is being used to slap the wealthy on the back and burden the average taxpayer. The Lord Christ said that people – Jewish people – should tithe, but not “…neglect[ed] the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; …” (Matthew 23:23, NASB)

What Christ taught about government

He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed.

Luke 1:52-53

The nature of accountability of governments to people is not discussed by the four evangelists.  The pastors and missionaries do not discuss it.  The most cogent statement about government is left entirely to his mother. It is Mary alone among the witnesses in the New Testament who spoke about the commitment to remove powerful people from power and conversely to put into power humble and meek persons.  That White religious men in the United States are still clinging to power and the privilege of wealth is evidence against which no-one can argue.  Crooked sheriffs, bribe-prone justices, angry, privileged and unprincipled young people are all part of the goon structure that takes, for example, a lie factory like Sarah Huckabee-Sanders and makes her governor. So let the political and priestly dynasties exit without too much protest

Goon production 

High-sounding intentions, especially of bipartisanship, are not a rallying point in a country that proudly calls itself “United”.   Independence of thought is a given in a country where representing diversity is necessary.  Small pockets of people, most the wealthy and the police, are holding their nation hostage with violence, nationalist and insurrectionist demands.  It is happening with ethnic majorities calling the shots, with tiny political parties in Israel, and even nineteen members-elect of the House of Representatives in the United States.   People who have been observing human trends for an extended period of time are aware that the most heinous deeds by people in seats of authority were designed, modeled, given a badge of acceptability, and cheered on by people who we suppose were trained by good citizens, not to mention noble people with spiritual pedigree.  Not even a post-secondary education seems capable of preventing monstrosities like the Florida governor, DeSantis.  What on earth gives an optometrist like Senator Rand Paul the right to attack the scientific processes of viral control?  What makes a pastor think he can ignore what the Biblical texts say and make up doctrines about faith, wealth, and national security.  What light are people collecting when they study the Bible?

Fool’s peace

The goons have no solution to the situation where parents know that a mass murderer is likely to show up at their child’s school, and we have to suspect that what the goons really want is for fewer and fewer people to go to school.  All the world apparently needs is goons bent on savagely repressing the people whose land has been stolen.  Blacks in the United States and Palestinians in Israel have every reason to fear when government flexes its muscle.  Israeli theft of Palestinian land will never pass the smell test, and the administration of Mr. Netanyahu does not deserve the label government, not when the security chief is a known brutal fascist.  An explanation an apology is overdue for a tainted politician to be acclaimed as king of Israel.  The claim  of  an undivided Jerusalem is itself an atrocity, not to mention the futile fantasy of rebuilding a temple on temple mount.  The temple was not twice demolished by hateful foreigners, but by God’s express decree.  Let me reproduce the destiny of Jerusalem and Zion from the pen of the sons of Korah.

His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah. I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me; Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’ But of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”; And the Most High Himself will establish her. The Lord will count when He registers the peoples, “This one was born there.” Selah. Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say, “All my springs of joy are in you.”

Psalm 87