FBI Now Stands for Full Blown Intimidators

When ungodliness becomes the rule of law and law enforcement becomes weaponized.

I don’t have any idea where all of you fall on the political spectrum. However, I will say this: whether you’re left or right, red or blue, or somewhere in between, this is not a good week for the United States of America.

One hundred FBI agents are raiding the home of former president Donald Trump as I’m writing this newsletter.

I have no idea, of course, what in the world they’re really looking for. What I do know is that Washington has become a virtual cesspool where this high-stakes game of gotcha has been ramped up to a dangerous level. 

Politics has always been a dirty game with dirty men and women playing. Lord Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I think he was right. From the hallowed halls of Washington to the sleepy little city halls across America, many have planted their carcasses in the seats of power. And do they ever love the rush it gives them.

I say that this game is high stakes, but a better word might be dangerous. If you’re wondering what the danger is, you need to remember something that Jesus said over 2,000 years ago. 

“For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.”

—Matthew 26:52

You might argue that the former president should be held accountable for some sort of crimes. OK, if he’s broken the law, he should pay for his crimes — is that what you’re saying? But if we’re going down that road, it’s only fair to demand that the principle of punishing crimes allegedly committed by politicians should be applied fairly. 

If you’re gleeful about Trump’s home being invaded by FBI agents, don’t start whining like a baby when the Republicans take back all three branches and come after your party. 

That’s how it works when ungodliness begins to be the rule of law. 

Remember, those who live by the sword will die by the sword.

If you’re telling me that you’re all about cleaning up government by punishing wrongdoers regardless of party, I’m all for it. But I am not convinced that anyone is interested in crime and punishment as much as they are scalding the hair off of the opposition.

FBI now stands for Full Blown Intimidators. If these political types wanted law and order, they would focus on law and order. All of the time! 

But that isn’t happening right now. You know what I’m talking about without me saying it. Think laptops and improper dealings with the Chinese government and Ukrainian oligarchs. 

I will issue a warning. Everyone should be concerned when law enforcement becomes a political weapon. I don’t need a graduate degree in political science to know what happens when the current party is out of power and the other side gets its hands on the power button. 

Unless something drastic happens to change the culture in Washington, I see no end in sight for these politically motivated prosecutions. In fact, it’s not a stretch of the imagination to see a day in the future when this is the norm rather than the exception. If you use the sword of justice to destroy your enemies, you should be very fearful about what they are going to do to you once they wrest the sword from your hands.

I know they aren’t listening, but I want to offer up a little spiritual advice. Scoff at it if you want, but our founders at least paid lip service to the idea that we should be guided by the Word of God.  Some of them actually lived out the life of discipleship, and the result was a pretty good experiment in how to establish and govern a republic.

To make it simple, I’ll just list the biblical admonitions on how we should treat one another. You can look up the texts in your Bible later.

• Love your neighbor.

• Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

• In everything, do to others what you would have done to you.

• Above all else, love one another deeply because love covers a multitude of sins.

• And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

• Love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is patient, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it keeps no record of wrongs.

I could go on, but you get the point. We don’t have a crime problem or a political problem in America — we have a love problem. If you doubt my analysis, let me ask you just one question: When was the last time you heard a politician tell you that they loved you? I’m guessing NEVER! 

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that we will continue to escalate in our harsh treatment of one another until something horrible happens to shock us into stopping in our tracks and taking stock of where we are as a country. I wish I could be more optimistic, but the evidence seems to support my dire prediction. I’m not a prophet, I’m just looking at the cold, hard facts, and it doesn’t look good for us, America.

But I can promise you one thing: I will do my best to forgo the temptation to burn my neighbor for political gain or for any other reason. I will break my neck trying to love my fellow man with all my heart — even my enemies. That way, regardless of what happens to our country, my conscience will be clear. I’ll have done my part.

Image credit: Gage Skidmore on Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0