Monday Morning Confessional Returns

Last updated on: June 18, 2018 at 12:14 pm by Tim Suttle

Monday Morning Confessional Returns 2018-06-18T12:14:39-06:00 Tim Suttle

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I confess that I’ve been a terrible blogger lately. I confess that I have started and then not finished at least three dozen blog posts in the past few months. Usually I write to explore my own thoughts. Lately, however, I don’t seem to finish articles the way I used to.

I confess that the reason I don’t finish many articles, is that I’m afraid to post what I’m thinking. I’m afraid it will hurt people close to me. I’m trying to live peaceably with those I love. From one perspective, this is a failure of nerve–I’m trying to be a writer. Bothering people is what writers do. From another perspective this is an act of hospitality and friendship–I’m trying to be a pastor. Friendship is what pastors do. This quandary has kept me pretty quiet.

I confess that my revival of the Monday Morning Confessional is my attempt to try to explore some of these topics in a more personal, and hopefully less threatening way.

I confess that I have become so deeply unsettled by what I see happening in our society, that I find it impossible to keep silent anymore. In particular, I am troubled by the general lack of virtue in our country’s leadership, in all three branches of government, and on both sides of the aisle. I am appalled that leaders from both parties have not joined together to reject the lawlessness, corruption, and self-dealing of the Trump administration, especially the Trump family. I understand the “wrecking ball” analogy, and the desire to shake things up in Washington. I just never thought I’d see the day where so many would choose to look past things like corruption, incompetence, porn-star payoffs, and intentional cruelty to children. It’s extremely unsettling to me, personally. I thought we were better than this. I can’t believe how low we’ve set the bar in terms of what we collectively require of the person sitting in the oval office, and I think this will prove to be a costly mistake.

I confess that it feels like America is slowly but surely relinquishing its place of leadership in the world, refusing to leverage its influence for the common good, throwing its lot in with strongmen and mafia states. It feels like we’re watching the decline of America in real time.

I confess that I do not wish to be identified by a political party. I confess that I am doing my best to reject the tribalism that pits us against one another, foments hatred and contempt, and blinds us to reality. My commitment to the church remains so much stronger than any other commitments I might have. My friend Tim Gaines wrote this on Twitter this morning: “The Church is the community that redemptively confounds the categories imposed upon it. Right/left, conservative/liberal choices are crucified as the body of Christ is resurrected. To adopt a given ideology decapitates Christ as the head of the church.” It’s a pretty strong metaphor, but indicative of the violence done to the body of Christ when we bow down to rival ideological lords. I confess that I hope to confound all other categories that try to impose themselves on me.

I confess that I am profoundly disturbed that it has become the official policy of the American government to willfully and wantonly inflict horrible trauma on children of parents who are seeking asylum. I confess that if I were a father in Honduras, and my two boys were facing the kind of future most Honduran families at my pay-grade face, I would leave as well. I would do whatever it takes to come to America. The whole thing feels connected to racism. I confess that our inability to own the racism component is a big part of our problem.

I confess that I am always aware much of the reason Central American nations are such a mess is due to rampant illegal drug use in America.

I confess that when separating kids from their parents, our government does irreversible damage to innocent children, and they do this in your name and mine. Reports indicate that agents sometimes tell parents they are going to let the kids take a shower. Slowly it dawns on the parents that their children are not coming back. Can you imagine the desperation? Can you imagine the soul-wracking agony of that moment? When America has been your hope and your dream? Now imagine you are a 4 year old girl who has just been ripped from the arms of your mother. Can you imagine the fear?

I confess that I do not want to be complicit in this kind of blatant injustice. Psychologists tell us that the sort of trauma this can cause in a young child (2-4 years old) can produce a life-long attachment issues, maladaptive behaviors, PTSD… this is wrong. We are supposed to be better than this as a society. We have to be better than this. I’m not a big fan of blaming, but the proximate cause of this injustice is clear: the Trump administration and Jeff Sessions have directed this course of action. It’s a policy decision, and a directive to law enforcement. They can overturn this with nothing more than an internal memo.

I confess that I’m disgusted that what Jeff Sessions did instead, was to go on TV and use the bible to support the injustice he has personally ordered: zero tolerance. Zero Tolerance means no mercy, no grace. Nobody should want to live in a world like that. Asylum seekers and refugees from drug violence need mercy and grace, not cruelty and trauma. Sessions laughed as he distorted the bible, claiming it gives him permission to rip children from the arms of their parents. Their behavior isn’t funny, or cute. What they are imposing is not law and order, but human tragedy. The actions of our government constitute a clear moral evil, and they have nothing to do with Jesus. To invoke the bible to support actions that are so obviously evil? That is how you lose your soul…

That’s my confession… now you make yours:

Monday Morning Confessional

Previous Post

May 11, 2018

Finding Integrity on the Political Right

Next Post

June 20, 2018 Wednesday Wisdom: No Truth? No Justice? No Peace.

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion corruption Donald Trump elections Empire Entertainment Ezra Klein ideology Justice Lacan politics race Sports Ta-Nehisi Coates Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 March 2026 September 2025 March 2025 June 2024 January 2024 December 2023 May 2023 February 2023 October 2022 April 2022 March 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 September 2020 July 2020 June 2020 March 2020 September 2019 July 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 August 2010 July 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was healed of leprosy after washing in the Jordan River?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Moses Aaron Gehazi Naaman