08/14/2026
From Abp. Bennett Burke...
I have never been a Democrat or a Republican. My primary political identity is as a student and follower of the itinerant Middle Eastern Jewish laborer, healer, sage, and revolutionary called Jesus of Nazareth. He did two primary things in the three years of his public life: 1) mocked and challenged and condemned Empire, and 2) called for distributive justice and equality for all, regardless of class, ethnicity, religion, culture, age – a world where every single human would have enough. Enough healthy and nutritious food. Safe and affordable housing and health care and education, and clean air and water, and everything else. A world where everyone would at least have “enough.”
His world would also be a world of peace Not “peace through victory,” but “peace through justice for all.” A world without patriarchy or kings or emperors, where “morality” meant how closely we hew to the highest standards of behavior toward each other, in taking care of each other, in sharing the bounty of the Earth, which even the falsely so-called “Christians” who support Trump agree belongs first to God, to the Creator, or as some would say, the Universe. How then can we not demand systems for sharing that which was never ours to begin with, so that no one has too much, and everyone has enough?
In his world, healing is free. There are no cultural taboos about sharing of food at table, no one is ritually “unclean,” and no one is too good or not good enough not to sit together and share a meal.
In his world, women would no longer be treated as the property of their fathers, then their husbands, but as also having absolutely equal rights and opportunities.
In his world, no one would ever hold out hope for a thing called Heaven. They’d all ready be living in it, because they had finally stopped waiting for it to happen and collaborated in making it happen, in creating Paradise right here on Earth. Just like Jesus told us we should.
And look, there’s clearly enough for everyone. The good news is that our nation, and the world, possesses every bit of wealth necessary to fund the building of Paradise. The bad news is that most of it’s in the wrong pockets.
These are the things for which Jesus died, for which he was crucified, which torture (not just death, but an erasing of identity as well) was exclusively reserved by the Romans for revolutionaries.
He was charged with and executed for “stirring up the people” against Empire.
His spirt and teachings and example, like that of many holy and/or martyred others, call for us to get “stirred up” right now, and to keep stirring up others until everyone’s in the pot with us.
These are my tests, too, for political candidates. My personal voting guide. It’s pretty straightforward. In considering candidates for public office, I ask myself which candidate in each contest would, net-net, leave office one day with the world closer to that than when they were elected. Once I get to know the candidates, the choices come quickly and clearly.
And I don’t give a damn (yes, I said “damn,” because pretending to be holy by not saying certain words is ridiculous false piety)…anyway, I don’t give a damn if a candidate identifies as Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, atheist, pantheist, or any other “religious” test. All that matters is the fruits of their work toward achieving a greater common good. By their fruits they will be known.
Amen! (Common English translations of the word amen include "verily", "truly", "it is true", and "let it be so". It is also used colloquially to express strong agreement. You could even say, “Right on!”, or “Totally!”)
