“King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword and… proceeded to arrest Peter also.” “He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.”
Kings, Prime Ministers, Presidents, all rulers, are often believed to act as representatives of God. In truth, they act as God. Our most common image of God is a ruler. We have the ruler image of God because rulers projected themselves into the heavens. Rule, as exercised across the world, is more than dictatorship. It is deism. Rulers are God. Rulers super-humanize themselves while they dehumanize all the rest of us. We are their subordinates over whom they set policy, execute laws, target us as enemies, and command troops against us – claiming everything they do is holy. Of course, King Herod can lay hands on James, Peter, and early disciples. Rulers have done so across history. Of course, Trump can lay hands on Kilmar Abrego, Rümeysa Öztürk, Mahmoud Khalil, the people of Los Angeles, and any other city the ruler chooses. Nothing has changed in the last 2,000 years because we have not changed our image of God as a ruler to whom we are subordinate in the last 2,000 years. Political rule across the world grooms us to dehumanize human beings. We are thus led to believe falsehoods about human rights. We are led to believe some people have rights over other people. For example, ruling presidents over subordinate citizens, ruling wardens over subordinate prisoners, ruling police over subordinate residents. But that is no model for human rights. That is the model for might makes right. Such a model targets conscience for erosion. We are also led to believe the State possesses rights and grants them to citizens. For example, the State, through documents such as the Constitution, grants the right to speech, assembly, press, and so forth. But it is the State that is most guilty of denying rights and thus censors truth, jails peacemakers, outlaws whistleblowers. No ruler class, no State it devises, nor any of its systems or institutions can be the source of human rights. We human beings are the source of our human rights. Each and every human being has rights by virtue of their humanity. We are the source of our right to health care, to housing, to natural resources like water, fresh air, nutrient rich soil, and so much more. We are the source of our right to life
“This life is mine for life is my right and not a privilege My home the global village So I have the right to be free To go anywhere Whether here or there I have no place than the earth The earth is my home.” (The Earth is My Home – Matt Starking)
Prayer: Beautiful Spirit, guide me to live in communion.
Question: How do I give evidence that conscience is my moral foundation, my moral core?
June 29, 2025 Gospel Mathew 16:13-19 Feast of Saints Peter and Paul