There are inverse correlations in this life that can be humorous and/or troubling. Donald Trump has launched a new social media platform and it is called “Truth”. Could it be that using the word “Truth” does not, in fact, mean that truth is what is actually on offer?
In the spiritual life might it be possible that some of those who most constantly refer to God may not actually be primarily interested in God? In September there was an article in the New York Times entitled, “When Dictators Find God”. The article examined the turn to the political far right in various countries. It pointed out that, in almost every case, the politics were aligned with a claim to get back to some kind of faith in God or service to God. This is happening in Poland and in Hungary and in the United States. Donald Trump launches a social media platform called “Truth”. Should we assume that he is interested in truth? Donald Trump talks about God. Should we assume that he is interested in God? If speaking about God brings power or wealth to those doing the speaking, then maybe God is a means to an end rather than the end itself. Integrity in faith and religion begs us to ask such a question if we benefit financially or in terms of status from our God talk.
Jason Stanley, in his book, “How Fascism Works” outlines 10 things that are present in almost every fascist movement. The first of the ten is the idealization of a mythic past. This idealized (and not real) past is described in terms that fetishize some version of a patriarchal family, a rural identity and a religious worldview. This is why fascist movements speak of getting “back” to something, and the “back to” often includes God.
These leaders, in some cases actual or wannabe dictators, gain power in part by promoting what they call a return to Christianity. Historically and presently such claims have also spoken of immigrants, outsiders, and people who believe differently as threats to the return. Is Victor Orban in Hungary really interested in a fulsome, vibrant Christian faith? Is Donald Trump in the United States? Maybe our faith should aim for the maturity to see that the people who constantly refer to God are not necessarily the ones who can best help us to see God’s love and provision.
The book that I most enjoyed (audio version is fantastic) this summer was Miriam Toews newest novel, “Fight Night”. Toews is a Canadian novelist who has written many great books. She is funny and insightful and much of what she writes seems to present, from experience, that those who say “GOD, GOD, GOD, GOD, GOD” are not necessarily the people we should be listening to if we want to know more about God or if we want to know God more. “Fight Night” centres around two women and a child (grandmother, mother, daughter). There has clearly been some connection with a religious community (Toews herself has Mennonite heritage) marked by harshness and legalism from people who claimed to be closest to God. One name in particular comes up repeatedly; Willit Braun. The mom in the novel says that she would rather die than ever see Willit Braun again. The grandmother, in an emotional conversation with the grandaughter, Swiv, says the following,
All those Willit Brauns, they robbed us blind. They stole our souls … they hung out their shingles as soul -savers even as they were destroying them … they replaced our love, our joy, our emotions, our tragedies … rage! Sorrow! Violence! Lust! Desire! Sorry … am I embarrassing you Swiv? Well they burnt it all down! They took all those things and they replaced them with evil and with guilt. Oh. My. God. They took our life force. And so we fight to reclaim it … we fight and we fight and we fight … we fight to love … we fight for access to our feelings … for access to our fires … we fight for access to God … they stole God from us! All those Willit Brauns. God was the furthest thing from their minds, those scavengers, those thieves, those heretics.
I think that Grandma may be on to something.