Opus 2016-47: Headlines: An Initial Reaction to a Death

Anton Scalia has gone on to his eternal reward.

My first reaction was political; my second, theological.  Both are emotional.

Politically this is like taking the battery out of an ambulance.  We are in crisis and now we have lost one of the rocks protecting the Constitution.  The Supreme Court is not 4-4 as some have commented.  It is now 4-3-1 with Kennedy the swing vote.  That does not bode well for the future.

Theologically I find myself questioning God’s timing.  What is He thinking?  Of course, when I say that He gets that look on His face, tilts his head and raises His eyebrows.  He kind of reminds me that the man was 79 years old and had a host of physical issues.  Actually, dying in your sleep after a good dinner with friends at almost 80 is a good way to exit.

Putting them together I keep thinking of the statement, “You get the government you deserve.”  I have always hoped not.  There are times like this when I wonder if God has given up on the United States and is getting ready to let the Babylonians or Egyptians have their way with us.

Another scary thought is that revival comes in times of crisis.  Is this another notch toward a time of genuine turmoil and misery.  We have not known such a time since the Civil War.  My selfish hope is for revival before the curtain comes down.  More maturely I hope for revival that will benefit the most people even if it comes after the four horsemen sweep across what was once the United States.

I don’t expect anything over night, but long term the rope is getting more and more frayed. 

That is just an initial, emotional response.

homo unius libri