The Old Testament reading describes the establishment of holy rule, “All the elders of Israel” stood “before the Lord” to “anoint David King.” The king’s rule consists of taking command of the army and its soldiers, torturing enemies, and killing people. It is what king Pilate does in the Gospel, specifically targeting Jesus. Thus, as Jesus is hanging from the cross to which they nailed him, “the rulers sneered at Jesus” and “the soldiers jeered at him.” Both taunt him with the false title of “King.” They know Jesus lived free of the ruler system; he lived in communion and he died in communion, “then the other criminal said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus replied, ‘Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’”
Kings dominate, torture, and kill people in the public eye for public acclaim. Some kings terrorize people in the name of the “Lord God” of their scriptures. It is the truth across history, whatever the names given; Chief over tribe, Lord over serf, King over subject, President over citizen. A new titling is Tech Bro over “decels.” A decel, or decelerationist, is anyone who inhibits the Lord Gods of rapid tech progress. Tech Bro Lord Gods are men enamored of their robotic talent, like J.D. Vance’s friend Peter Thiel, Lord God of Palantir military targeting Gazans, Venezuelans in boats, and dark-skinned people in U.S. cities invaded by ICE. Thiel and Vance assert they are ‘Christian.’ Both assert they deserve to dominate. From Thiel, “The initial founding vision was that we were going to use technology to change the whole world… We could never win an election… having to constantly convince people and beg people and plead with people… and this is where I think technology is this incredible alternative to politics.” When asked about the people he will rule, specifically when asked, “You would prefer the human race to endure. Right?,” Thiel responded, “Uh… well… I… um… I don’t know… I would um… I would um… There’s so many questions and pushes.” Curtis Yarvin, another Tech Bro friend of J.D. Vance asserts no dominating Lord God because he claims the title for himself. Yarvin, aka Mencius Moldbug, self-titles as the “Divine-right monarchy for the modern secular intellectual.” Yarvin asks us, “Cannot we marvel at what the Third Reich achieved?” Yarvin further asks us to marvel at what he wants to achieve – take people who are “not productive,” “convert them into biodiesel, and fuel buses, “Our goal, in short, is a humane alternative to genocide.” “If Americans want to change their government, they’re going to have to get over their dictator phobia.” President Trump and Vice-President Vance have gotten over their dictator phobia. Each man embraces being a dictator over businesses, cities, colleges, courts, finances, media, surveillance,…. They are advancing the Tech Bros being dictators, because they “like their ideas.” Their ideas enable their dictator class to command soldiers, to torture people, and to kill them in the public eye for public acclaim.
“Driven by the contradictory demands of his situation, and… under the necessity of keeping the public gaze on himself… by springing constant surprises – that is to say, under the necessity of arranging a coup d‘état in miniature every day… (the dictator) violates everything that seemed inviolable… and produces anarchy in the name of order. (Karl Marx)
Prayer: Beautiful Spirit, may we yearn for communion and make it real.
Question: What boycotts of the dictator system am I planning over Advent?
November 23, 2025 Gospel Luke 23:35-43 Feast of Christ the King