The Basic Structure of the Post-Constitutional American Order

Last updated on: December 29, 2014 at 4:56 pm by Mark Shea

The Basic Structure of the Post-Constitutional American Order 2014-12-29T16:56:46-07:00 Mark Shea

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Mammon has no interest in the claims to human dignity for the useless. Only God cares about the weak.

We clever Americans seem to be heading into a Judges 2:13-15 phase of history:

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals; 12 and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were round about them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger. 13 They forsook the LORD, and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. 14 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them; and he sold them into the power of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them; and they were in sore straits. 16 Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the power of those who plundered them. 17 And yet they did not listen to their judges; for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed down to them; they soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so. 18 Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they turned back and behaved worse than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them; they did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. 20 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel; and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not obeyed my voice, 21 I will not henceforth drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 that by them I may test Israel, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not.”

How long we remain there will be entirely up to us. We can repent and turn at any moment. But history tends to show that homos sapiens is remarkably thick. Our worship of Moloch, Mammon and Venus and our hope in them to save us takes a while to die since, with it, we have to die and be born again–and we would prefer not. So we will go on telling ourselves lies for a good long while since we still retain the hope that if only we could sit in that guy’s throne we would use the One Ring for good.

The good news is that the frustration of our earthly plans is… part of the plan:

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19* For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; 20* for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; 21* because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22* We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; 23* and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24* For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. 27* And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because * the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that in everything God works for good * with those who love him, * who are called according to his purpose. 29* For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31* What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? 32* He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? 33* Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; 34* who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? * 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36* As it is written, “For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37* No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Our hope is in Jesus Christ, not in the Rulers of this world. The sooner we stop lying to ourselves about that, the sooner we can get on with pursuing reality.

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