Church is dark place leading up to Easter

It's Maundy Thursday, as described by the Christians. The days leading up to Easter are marked by profound gloom. It's a deterrent to even taking part. Committed Christians would have none of my argument, as they'd say we must realize Christ's profound trials leading up to his bloody crucifixion. They'd say Christ died for our sins so we'd better appreciate it. 

A vocalist at my church on Sunday intoned "were you there when they pierced him in the side?" 

Why did I take in such language? 

A person might appreciate Christ's death more in the abstract, in that "we know it happened, we know it was unpleasant, so maybe just leave it at that." 

I'm left feeling like one of the Cheech and Chong characters in their bit about attending a drive-in movie. It was on their "Big Bambu" album which was a hit for my generation when young. I'll remind you that they were the classic "stoners." Our appreciation of them was misplaced just like so many of our tastes in those years. You think it's absurd today with Trump obsession? We grew up having the Vietnam war and the draft thrust in our faces constantly. 

So maybe it's no surprise that my generation of the boomers veered into some questionable spaces. 

So, Cheech and Chong are at the drive-in movie place - our Morris has this institution in its history - and one of them gets fed up with the gratuitous violence. A character in the movie gets ordered to do something. He responds that he cannot because "you just cut off both my hands." So the alienated stoner says "this movie a bummer, man." 

Could have been my rejoinder after hearing "were you there when they pierced him in the side?" 

This whole bleak picture will just get worse for Good Friday. It's my impression that Good Friday is not recognized as the holiday it once was. That is a very positive trend. To be followed by Easter itself? I am disappointed that our Willie's Super Valu chooses to be closed for Easter. On the other side of the coin, the nearby DeToy's Restaurant is offering a full-fledged buffet meal for Easter! Congratulations Detoy's! 

Rather than to hear about the bloody death of a human being, I have been fond of celebrating the Easter season with the occasional chocolate bunny from our Willie's. Unfortunately I can no longer do that. Recently I was diagnosed as diabetic. I am taking three pills a day. I am glad I am not having to stab my finger to get blood samples. So I'm forgoing sugar as much as possible. 

Congrats to Pizza Ranch for having sugarless Coke available at its fountain. I was there Sunday afternoon after church, had their super buffet - not the pizza but rather the chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies and salad. Could not ask to get filled up better. The sugarless Coke was acceptable, better than I thought it would be. Our McDonald's restaurant offers unsweetened tea. 

My personal tradition of having the classic chocolate shake in the big metal cup at Don's on Friday night appears to have come to an end. 

I remember the old talk show host Tom Snyder interviewing a guest one night whose life had been spared miraculously: "Do you think you're living on borrowed time?" My recent surgery for a bowel obstruction might come under the category of miraculous. Of course it was just solid medical science. You might say Dr. Sam has allowed me to live on borrowed time. I am profoundly thankful for it obviously. 

Should I thank God too? Sounds reasonable. 

We are waiting to see if the influential "evangelical Christian" community of the U.S. will again rise up to support this monster named Donald Trump. Maybe Trump is a test or a trial that God has given us? Are we really capable of recognizing a charlatan? I recognized that on the day when Trump "came down the escalator." That of course was when he first announced in 2016. 

Do you suppose Allen Weisselberg wishes that Trump had not gotten elected? Or Paul Manafort? Others? Maybe Trump himself now? But Trump is eyeing the White House again and he knows his odds are decent. They have to be - that's just the way it is with him, and I point my finger at the Christian faith. 

It's not the fault of my own personal church and its synod affiliation. Unfortunately we might be dying. ELCA churches are on the retreat and on the defensive, yet we stick to our guns by not aligning our interests with those of Trump and MAGA. We just refuse. We are firm in our vision just as Christ himself was. 

Not the new Messiah

The legal charges are likely to keep coming with Trump. Oh my goodness, remember when Gerald Ford talked about "our long national nightmare?" He talked about it being over. Nixon was gone and then Ford pardoned Nixon. 

Wonder why the U.S. Justice Department is staying out of the legal matters with Trump now? It realizes that after all the effort and expense it could go through, to bring charges and execute trials, in the end a new Republican president could simply pardon Trump. Far better for state officials to take the lead, where success would mean Trump could not escape the clutches of the law. 

Yes it's a strange world we're in. Some context though: my generation grew up when the U.S. government used its power to compel waves of young men to go to Southeast Asia where terrible things awaited them. Just as bad as getting "pierced in the side." 

I am skipping any more church services 'til after Easter. And also no chocolate bunny! 

Happy Easter? Happy beginning of spring! Ari Melber of MSNBC says he never learned much about Easter when he was growing up. Melber is Jewish. Martin Luther was one of the worst anti-Semites in world history. His words contributed to the holocaust. Mel Gibson is in the same mold, and he popularized the torture-like vivid scenes of Christ now adopted by so many churches, I guess including mine. 

Tell me when it's over?

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com