John’s dramatic re-enactment of the trial, including the tragic misdirection at the heart of the gospels; most blatant and disruptive here at the conversation with Pilate. Our trouble with religion allowing itself to be co-opted by the State is more than a year old….

At 100 days I am finally (!) developing some compassion for our beleaguered President. It has taken me a while. Trump has been caught off guard by the complexity of NAFTA, Healthcare, international relations… and now this week he has confessed the job is far more difficult than he thought it would be. I get it. That can happen to Presbyterian pastors too.

Millions of us knew he was not prepared to be President, and he has shown it in dozens of appalling and reckless ways. Our least equipped of Presidents is in way over his head. And it is seeing his flailing and failing in so many areas that has triggered in me, pretty late I suppose, some compassion in addition to my ongoing anger and judgment.

I don’t like Donald Trump at all. But something has begun to warm a little down deep inside. Continue reading →