The Fighting 49th

“Help us Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re our only hope.” – Princess Leia, Star Wars

Maybe it’s because I watched Star Wars’ Episode 1 last night – “The Phantom Menace.” Maybe listening to Matchbox 20’s “How Far We’ve Come,” or hearing my freshman Congressman speak last weekend, or maybe it was meeting with the Bread of Life Charity and talking about their mission. I’m not sure exactly what, but somethings got me all fired up again.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” – Ephesians 6:12

My district (California’s 49th) changed from Red to Blue last election. Mike Levin won a seat in the House after Darrell Issa retired and, as for me, little changed. I still believe that both of them want to do good while they are on this planet, nearly all of our elected officials are trying to be good men, and that’s the God’s honest truth – just not sure where that leaves me. Independent? Reform Party? Just Human?

“Promise me you will train the boy.. He is the chosen one… He will bring balance… Train him. Train him.” – Qui-Gon’s final words to Obi-Wan

Do the Red and Blue battle forever in hopes that one day, after we’ve kicked Evil’s ass all the way to Kingdom come, we will be left with what is best for us? I don’t know, but as I look around, it still feels to me like Darth Maul killed our Master and now we need to carry on. That’s the cross America must bear, We the People are Sovereign.

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” – John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, 1798

Hearing my Congressman talk on Saturday about how he felt when taking the oath, knowing that indeed it imprints upon a man – well, it got me thinking again – renewing in me a strong sense of hope, assurance, and confidence that good men will indeed triumph. To all of you flying to DC and back every week, spending Saturday at your 198th House party, conversing with your constituents, meeting with Generals, putting out fires, working for the people around you – I say Thank You Sir.

“Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do.” – Thomas Aquinas

Stressing how America could use a balanced media diet, Congressman Levin relayed a welcome calm to the television’s tension. After a few questions, the tide turned to Trump impeachment, and I didn’t ask anything. On the way out, however, I did get the Congressman’s ear for a moment and relayed my question: “Do people in the House talk about balancing the budget? Or have we all agreed we’re not doing that anymore?”

“The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;” – Article 1, Section 8, Constitution of the United States of America

Although Congress is certainly granted the power to borrow money, I wonder whether our founders ever figured that we’d decide one day to assume as much debt as they’ll give us, talk about the good we’re doing with all the money we borrowed, and live as slaves. Weird way for us to die I think, but maybe it is indeed Fate.

“Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.” – Mayer Amschel Rothschild

I still believe the right answer is to reveal what being good looks like, show them why it looks this way, and then charter our leaders to go that direction. We need to pull the heading knob, steer the ship, take control, and be the good People we were created to become. We don’t need to borrow to live – why do we keep believing this lie?

“There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.” – Acts 4:34-35

I now see why Communism is so attractive to some, but as for me, I still hear it loud and clear… and uh, he sounds pretty sure of himself when he says it. We were never meant to call government the disciples, give our earnings to them, and create government programs to take care of the least of us. This was never His desire for Us and, because of this, why our current course will never work.

“Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.” – Micah 6:2

We can borrow to make it look like it’s working (and we have done plenty of that, even set the interest rates at an artificial low for over a decade so that we could “afford” the exorbitant interest payments we’ve accumulated). In the end though, in our soul, we know that our nation will never thrive by borrowing. We can only change, or die this way.

“If it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time or die by suicide.” – Abraham Lincoln

That’s how I see the Sith Lord now, the Phantom Menace, and why he is so difficult to destroy. He uses your good nature to get you to engage in wars across the globe, borrow more, puff your chest out, beat “them” – all the while happy to lend you more money than your children can ever pay. The Phantom Menace gets you to destroy yourself.

“I believe the world is burning to the ground. Oh well, I guess, we’re gonna find out.”

“In order to be a good person,” he starts softly, “to show a love for your neighbor, to demonstrate that you too want to live in a pleasant world where we value one another, striving to be good and free, kind to all – you agree we are supposed to be good, right?” Forgetting now that he wields a dual bladed light saber, you nod assuredly. Yes, I do think we’re supposed to be good and free.

“Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, ‘Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” – Mark 12:13-14

“And so you agree my good Sir,” the Sith continues, “that our government should do more to help people, good citizens should support programs to aid our struggling neighbors, and what would benefit our community most is to borrow money to build more low income housing, fund the State board of Equalization, you want to be a part of a Great Society, don’t you? Whoever has money gives so we can do this great work, we will borrow as needed to assure all people are cared for, promote government assistance for all as needed. You agree this is best, right?”

“At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge.” – Darth Maul to Darth Sidious

Forgetting now that a free market, a free people, and a desire to be good is what is best for society, not understanding that the Sith will use your tithes to build a war machine, support his followers, entrenching his position, you find yourself nodding still, even as he sets out to make your children slaves. After all, you figure incorrectly, if government doesn’t build low income housing, no one will. Forgetting now that Oprah funds orphanages, business CEO’s fly goods to Puerto Rico, and the churches really do care for people, you begin to believe his lie, his fiction, his made up reality that a free market, a free people, and one nation under God doesn’t work, is cruel and heartless even, and we must task our government to do better.

Still one thing more, fellow citizens. A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is what is necessary to close the circle of our felicities.” – Thomas Jefferson

And this is where I go for Jefferson’s light saber, eliminate the Sith’s Apprentice, and agree to train the boy. Question is, train him to become what?

“The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'” – Luke 10:35

To give directly to the Bread of Life Charity, visit www.bolrescue.org

“I believe it all is coming to an end. Oh well, I guess we’re going to pretend.”

Yours in Faith.

#WakemeupatBalancedBudgetConstitutionalAmendment