Reflections on January 6th

How long, Lord, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not save?
³ Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.
⁴ Therefore the law is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice is perverted.

(Habakkuk 1:2-4, NIV)

When I reflect on the events of 2021 in the United States, I confess I am perplexed. If you followed my blog in the months up to the presidential election of 2020, you’ll remember that I supported Joe Biden, not because I’m a Democrat (I consider myself an independent) but because I considered Donald Trump to be an existential threat to our democracy.

I still believe that.

Whether Mr. Trump runs for president again is immaterial. He has a stranglehold on the Republican party. Sadly, and more disturbing to me, he also seems to have a stranglehold on Evangelical Christians.

I have watched in growing disbelief and dismay this year as the events surrounding the election, and particularly the events of January 6th, have been spun and re-spun by followers of Mr. Trump.

As I think about these things, I find myself reminded of the complaint of the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk. He looked around and didn’t like what he saw, either.

He saw injustice and wrongdoing all around him. He saw destruction and violence, strife and conflict. What was worse, the law appeared to be paralyzed, with justice never prevailing.

I find his last sentence chilling: “The wicked hem in the righteous so that justice is perverted.”

When I see Congress unwilling to hold accountable those who tried to overthrow a legitimate election, I admit I feel a lot like Habakkuk did. But what is worse, when I see many of my brothers and sisters in Christ fully supporting those who would have destroyed America–indeed, acting and talking as though this is the only position a Christian should have, I am deeply disheartened.

Earlier this year I took down the posts I made about the election and its aftermath, mostly because after suffering a near-fatal heart attack on Jan. 27th I wanted to move on. But I also took them down in a spirit of unity, hoping that this year would bring healing, that we all would move on.

But that is clearly not happening.

So, over the next few weeks, leading up to the 1-year anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, I’m going to repost those pieces I wrote, along with some commentary reflecting back and looking forward.

I realize most people don’t care what I think and I will likely not change anybody’s mind.

But I’m okay with that.

I process things that I’m concerned about by writing. And so I’m going to write about this, if only to remind myself that, even in troubled times, God is in control.