As a pastor, I have something to say about Trump's call to "pack the churches" on Easter.
The Jesus I follow and proclaim explicitly cared for the most vulnerable and for those who forgotten, overlooked, or mistreated by the powers-that-be.
He himself died at the hands of the state at the order of one who had abdicated his actual leadership responsibilities, with the support of unthinking masses who had been whipped into a frenzy by religious leaders who were most concerned about their own institutional power.
His resurrection was a defiance of the empire. It was a reminder that the powers of this world - whether political or religious - are not God, however much they try to play at it.
The resurrection of Jesus is at the core of Christian faith. For any politician to try to use that core for political purposes is, at best, foolish, and, at worst, evil. The resurrection is a *subversion* of the powers-that-be, not a blessing of it.
Who is going to be sacrificed by the #EasterMassacre? The same people Jesus most explicitly cared for - the most vulnerable, the seemingly disposable. Oh, and people like Jesus himself - the healers, which today are our healthcare workers.
The state will crucify Jesus again and again, and this is how they do it: by sacrificing the most vulnerable for the sake of their own gain. The unholy marriage between the political establishment and certain religious powers will work to whip the masses into frenzied support.
Those of us who claim to follow Jesus have a choice. We can be a part of the bloodthirsty masses, we can wash our hands of responsibility, or we can live by the light of resurrection power and push back at the cruel and deadly machinations of the powers-that-be.
I'm trying to use my power to push back. We will NOT be packing our church on Easter Sunday, not physically, and not for the sake of the god of the economy. We will listen to the healers and the helpers and the true leaders who care about the common good. We will stay home.
And we will be reminded that the stock market is not our God. And the White House is not our God. And that our God is not a commodity or a prop. Our God always sides with the poor, the marginalized, the forgotten, the seemingly disposable. And we must, too.
