And if Jesus had focused more on tax cuts for the wealthy and scapegoating immigrants and less on unpopular outcasts like lepers, prostitutes and the poor,
he could have been way more popular with the Romans! Amen!

Well, if it’s unpopular, it’s immoral. But if it can get a majority of votes, it’s a moral law written by God’s own hand.

We have folks here who argue that way.

No- majority votes get you the candidates the people want, or the particular issues put to a vote.

Nothing in the Constitution says that a majority vote cannot be wrong. It only says that a majority of the votes represents “the will of the people”. And being governed that way is safer that any of the alternatives…. Like being governed according to the whims of a king.

But “the people” can often be “wrong”. That’s also an underlying theme of the scriptures.

Ironic.

Yesterday was Good Friday, a day when we remember Pilate putting to a vote the release of a prisoner during passover. Who did the crowd want released?

Barabbas or Jesus?

Just something to remember…

Simply a warning about the extremes that can surface in the madness of crowds.

If we want a resurgence of democracy in this country, let’s not forget to rebuild the safeguards (perhaps updated from the old safeguards) that the framers attempted to build into the foundation.

We not only fear the tyranny of an unchecked despot.

We also fear the unchecked anger of a pissed off mob. (See Place de la Concorde, 1790’s.)

At least such are my ruminations as I sit here in the kitchen with my cup of coffee on Holy Saturday, 2026.

The framers managed to walk the tightrope.

So can we.