Ken Dobson's Queer Ruminations from Thailand
Search this site
  • Life in Thailand
  • Queer Issues in Thailand
  • Queer Christian Issues
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Stories

Trust the People

3/24/2013

0 Comments

 
Here in the land of sunshine and smiles this is the weekend before things happen.  It is the last weekend before the summer term starts at the university.  Or if you are working, this is the weekend before the long-awaited month of multiple holidays and vacations.  Or if you are Christian this is Palm Sunday.  There are other things about to happen in the coming month: US Supreme Court cases and decisions, spring or fall (depending on your hemisphere), the annual draft lottery here in Thailand, new things to become enraged, enthusiastic or passionate about on Facebook.

I have a feeling, but it is a pervasive and powerful feeling, that things are shifting and in transition.  There is no one thing you can put your finger on (well, I can’t anyway).  The US economy is losing its lifting power?  China is emerging as the next military-industrial giant?  Gay rights are changing the way societies around the world define themselves?  There’s a new Pope with a track record of ability to be expedient even on boundary issues, maybe?  Thailand is not moving toward civil disorder over its support of basic institutions?  The Church as I knew it and was committed to is withering before our eyes? All my childhood friends are gone, one way or another, out of my life or somewhere?  Nothing is what I was sure it was?

Now comes the undermining of another basic assumption: that “We the people” (as the preamble of the US Constitution begins) can be trusted.  

It comes as a democratic assumption that the masses can be trusted, unless they are tyrannized and subjugated.  Give “the people” freedom and they will guide themselves toward the best.  I grew up on that idea.

Palm Sunday is as good a day as any to scrutinize this assumption.  According to tradition, on the first day of Passover week (that being a Sunday) Jesus entered Jerusalem to an enthusiastic welcome.  His popularity with the people was at an all-time high.  5 days later he was dead, abandoned by even his most loyal followers and ridiculed by his detractors.  So much for trusting the people.

The chink in my basic assumption about the trustworthiness of the people was leaking even more last week as I noticed a posting about gun control on Facebook.  It was inflammatory.  Without thinking, I responded with a short comment before scrolling on to other issues.  Ten minutes later I checked back to see if there had been any response to my comment, and I could not find it.  Comments were flooding in to this posting at the rate of ten per second.  My comment was too far buried for me to locate it.  By the end of the day I noticed more than 23 thousand postings; most of them had deteriorated to name calling and threats of violence or suggestions about how appropriate it would be for someone to do something difficult or despicable to themselves.

This was not confidence inspiring in the trustworthiness of the people.  If that’s the level of discourse, and the fight of choice, where is the US headed?  Back here in Thailand we have our own concerns that, by the way they are handled, tend to undermine confidence in the trustworthiness of the people, as well.  Meanwhile, across the border there is a developing popular movement among Buddhists to attack and murder Muslims, leading to yet another outflow of refugees; this confounds the consensus that Buddhism is alone among the world religions to unfailingly advocate peace.

I am just a little pessimistic heading toward Easter.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rev. Dr. Kenneth Dobson posts his weekly reflections on this blog. 

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2023 Rev. Dr. Kenneth Dobson