Absolute Immunity? Pssh... #AbsolutelyNot #SupremeCourt

            If you’re like me, you understand that we are as perfect as we are omniscient, meaning we (humanity) are nowhere near either, but we choose to put in the work daily, seek to increase in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, as well as grow in trustworthiness, integrity, and character. Although the prospects of self-actualization (ugh!) may loom like a taunting legion of Ted Talks, artificially inflated lofty social and financial status dreams imposed upon our collective psyches like aimless mylar helium balloons—bloated, shiny things ever beyond reach, we’re committed to soldiering on, undaunted, undistracted. At least, we’re trying, eh?

            Occasionally though, on the playing field of “moral givens”—I find myself in the path of a blind-siding blow straight to the unguarded empirical ethics-- by mental bodycheck delivered via delusional verbiage courtesy of crazed linebacker bigfoot spewing beastly ridiculousness from a position of power. I am stunned. I try to shake it off, thinking that I could not have possibly heard what I’d just heard, and I need validation—a slow motion replay—to confirm that I actually DID hear what I’d heard, and it was as profoundly, astonishingly foolish or stupid as I’d thought.

            Until this week, the most glaring example of this occurred near the onset of the recent global pandemic, as the leader of the free world suggested Covid 19 could be beaten back by injecting disinfectant or shining bright light “into the body”…that flashback is likely to hurt my head every April until I DIE.

            This week was just as bad—if not worse—but once you reach a certain depth of witlessness, comparison is difficult. (Ex: if you’re falling into a crevasse of 5000 feet vs 10,000 feet, you’re just as f’d—the math is pretty close; the bottom = disaster. I hope this does not become an annual national tradition—each April observing a “Death to American Democracy? Hold My Beer!” Day.) It is likely you’re aware that the Supreme Court heard arguments this week as to whether a US president should have absolute immunity from criminal charges, and that some of our justices behaved as this assertion is worthy of debate, or maybe worth considering exceptions for “personal” acts vs “official” acts. So. Much. Wiggle room. This is intended for the benefit “Individual 1” only though. Otherwise, this would not even be addressed, don’t you think?

            If you respond to the above assertion with the thought, “Absolute immunity? Oh HELL no!” don’t let the few former president’s lackeys wearing the fancy robes fool or distract you, as you are correct in your assessment. I know I am stating the obvious, but sometimes the matrix seems to be twisting so hard in this current nationalist poo storm, it feels important to state the truth without apology or compromise.

            These justices are not acting in good faith, or even within the guidance and instruction of the faith they claim to espouse*. Biblically speaking (and, ok, just speaking as anyone with even the most casual acquaintance with a moral compass), those in authority should be held to even higher account than everyone else. So, that vibe of gross hypocrisy you’re feeling is not your imagination. Neither is that nagging exhaustion you’re enduring, watching injustice incessantly tap dance on your principles.

One day at a time, my friends. If you’re like me, you’re not going to stop fighting the good fight, and you’ve no plans to surrender.

            *Here are some scriptures for anyone interested as to why, if these justices are true believers, they should not be sleeping well:

  1 Peter 5: 2-3 “2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”

Luke 12: 48b (at first blush it seems mildly out of context for the content above, but I would argue that—in the big picture—it is not really) “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

James 3:1 (I would assert that the word “teach” in this context could be interchanged with the word “lead”.) “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”