On January 6th there were a great number of tragic, despicable sights as domestic insurrectionists stormed the Capitol, the citadel and temple of American democracy. Each of us can call to our mind’s eye the now familiar, horrific sights of replayed video footage of the murderous and destructive assault on our Republic.
The pictures of Capitol police being beaten and crushed while the storied, national property central to our country and country’s story was being defaced are the worst scenes. But joining those scenes in the insurrectionist led race to the social bottom was the sight of a willfully ignorant, racist waving a white flag reading “JESUS SAVES.” The flag had nothing to do with calling for a truce. The flag had nothing to do with Jesus. It was just another “regimental” battle flag urging the misled and misguided troops to fulfill their intended purpose.
Lifted high and carried along with the hysterical, murderous, insurrectionist mob, the “JESUS SAVES” flag found its way into the Capitol building. Once inside, the “JESUS SAVES” flag seemed to become a standard around which there were spontaneous prayers raised by members of the mob beseeching their tribal deity to strengthen their resolve. They prayed for divine help to hang the Vice President, to take the Speaker of the House captive, to pillage, loot and self-righteously proclaim that they were just doing the work of Jesus. Really?
“JESUS SAVES” flags are nothing new. They have been waved by willfully ignorant, twisted-by-Satan spirits in every age. JESUS SAVES flags were waved by white, Christian Crusaders as they murdered, enslaved, and oppressed olive skinned and brown skinned men, women, and children; most always people who prayed differently, or not at all.
This “JESUS SAVES” flag waving has been going on for the better part of these past 2000 years; ever since the real Jesus showed up and said such things as “Love your neighbor.” There seems to be a disconnect.
“JESUS SAVES” flags have been waved over pogroms, inquisitions, purges, twisted-spirit-violence, and theological abominations of understandings ever since the real Jesus suffered public execution for having the temerity to teach that we are all children of God endowed with equal and eternal value.
The white supremacist “JESUS SAVES” flag wavers and spontaneous prayer givers at the Capitol insurrection were not inspired liberationists. They are just the same old, outward, human expression of religion gone amuck. Instead of renewing, cleansing, justice-enabling folks, they are just unhappy, white people (mostly men) wanting to retain or impose power by “baptizing” personal hatreds, prejudices, superstitions, willful ignorance, and greed.
Persons who carry and wave a flag reading “JESUS SAVES” while cheering on violence and sanctified hatred know nothing of the person, work, and mission of Jesus. And, if such willful stupidity wrapped in centuries old bigotries were not enough, the “JESUS SAVES” flag wavers know nothing of the meaning of salvation, either.
The Jesus they claim to know is a graven image of their own design. It is the reflection of the image that they see in the mirror or around the firelight of burning crosses. The salvation they advertise as a benefit of perpetuating this image is nothing more than conferring a sick sense of self-satisfaction upon themselves or on those who they think master the same nationalist, jihadist, social, and political catechism.
Studying, seeking to emulate, and share the spirit of Jesus does save things…and us. Studying, seeking to emulate and share the spirit of Moses, Sarah, Rebecca, Mary (just to name a biblical few) and loving, justice-filled people like them in every age does indeed save us. Through such people we are saved from cynicism, greed, power without principle, willful ignorance, superstition, and hatreds of all sorts. Without such salvation too many of us can become brain dead and soul sickened objects for Q’anon and other such absurdities.
“JESUS SAVES”, in this sense, is not a cheaply made flag waved to fan the fires of hate and division. It is the attitude and manner of Jesus which he learned and emulated from the ancient teachings of the Hebrew prophets that saves and uplifts the world. Indeed, loving one’s neighbor, being involved in seeking justice for all people and knowing that life is more than living for oneself saves a great many lives.
The “JESUS SAVES” flag is a Capitol offense.