May slanderers not be established in the land; may disaster hunt down the violent. – Psalm 140:11

Today’s Scripture Reading (June 18, 2019): Psalm 140 & 141

Jim Carrey released a political cartoon on May 18, 2019, depicting a late-term abortion. The baby in Carrey’s cartoon had the face of the Governor of Alabama. The words accompanying the cartoon were “I think If you’re going to terminate a pregnancy, it should be done sometime before the fetus becomes Governor of Alabama.” The cartoon received the love of some, but also the ire of many. The cartoon and the words reflect a political violence that, to be honest, has become common in our current political environment. And this violence is not just present in the political dialogue in the United States. For those who argue that what happens in the United States is only the business of those who live in the United States, we are seeing an alternate reality. What happens in the United States becomes the seed for what happens in the rest of the world. This is the reality of living in a world with a Superpower. It is a reality to which we need to become more comfortable.

Ted Cruz, in particular, reacted negatively to Carrey’s cartoon. Now, this was not the first time that Carrey’s cartoons and political stand had ignited Ted Cruz's anger. But in this instance, Cruz’s response was interesting. Cruz wrote, “This is not OK. Today’s Left: vicious, angry & consumed by hate. Instead of insults & dehumanizing rage, we should return to civility. I disagree w/ Carrey’s politics, but believe we should respect his humanity nonetheless. I wish he could reciprocate. #LoveIsStrongerThanHate.” The struggle that I have with Cruz’s words is that civility is absent in the totality of the political dialogue, not just on one side. The problem is that we often miss the violence and slander that is present on our side of the political debate. When we agree with the political stance, it is easy to overlook or find humorous the violence inherent in the statements of support. But when it is on the other side, it strikes us as more offensive. Cruz has an excellent point, but it needs to be applied to his colleagues as well as to Carrey.

The Psalmist prays that slanderers and name callers would not be established in the land. He calls for disaster to “hunt down the violent.” They are words that we need to hear today. It is time that we stopped trying to do violence with our presence and with our words. We need to take a stand against slander and name-calling, even of those with whom we have serious disagreements. The Bible calls us to something higher and better, but it will not become a reality until we make it important, and until we will not stand for anything that is less.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 143