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So, now that the Vice President and current presidential can date has been called the Antichrist, what does that term mean? The term was first used in two short epistles attributed to John the Evangelist, but likely written by a person known as John the Elder. The Antichrist was supposed to appear as savior just before the Second Coming.
The term was used by early Christian writers to describe dissidents to official church teaching. By the late Middle Ages, it was used against various persons claiming to be pope, not to mention political figures of the day. And the Protestant Reformers used the term not unsparingly against their theological opponents.
It’s been thrown around so much that it’s lost its original meaning but it still has power. In this election season of vitriol, it’s important to keep our heads, focus on the issues, for they are many, and make our decisions based on the reality before us, not on words and terms that do little but muddle the issues.
Prayer for the Day
Lead us, O God, from this time of increasing conflict,
And help us remember that we are supposed to be one people;
Turn us away, O Lord, from the hatefulness we see about us,
So we may be your servants creating a calm and peaceful world.
Create within us a search for truth and understanding,
So we may help to heal the fractures we are experiencing.
In the name of the One who helps us to heal,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.
Cormac McCarthy, American novelist (1933-2023)
In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, thre is the power to do it.
Marianne Williamson, writer
Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word.
Let my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise.
Psalm 119: 169-170