Of far more significance, and the true and tragic lesson of
the epic descent into The Terror, is the summons to vigilance against ourselves
— that we should not assume that we are righteous, and our enemies evil; that
we can see clearly, and to others are blinded by malice or folly; that we can
abrogate the fragile rights of others in the name of our own certainty and all
will be well regardless.
David Andress, The Terror: The
Merciless War for Freedom in Revolutionary France
____________________________________
Our word for today is “exceptionalism”
Exceptionalism is the perception or belief that something
is exceptional,
superior in some way.
The idea that something is exceptional is not inherently
bad
Some things are exceptional
I have had exceptional meals
And even exceptional cups of coffee
I have heard singers who were exceptional
And met people who, frankly, were exceptional
(although if they truly were exceptional they did not
consciously think of themselves that way)
But Exceptionalism
To me that is a different matter
Exceptionalism equals arrogance
Exceptionalism means exalting ones self (AKA narcissism)
or one’ country to a place that is
unassailable
We’re number one!
We are the best
Pride is one thing!
I like pride
Exceptionalism is something else
Something twisted
Because exceptionalism blinds
It takes us to a place where we can’t see others
And worse,
It takes us to a place where we cannot see ourselves
With exceptionalism we cannot see the other person’s pain
We cannot see their desires, their hopes, their
expectations
We can only see ourselves
We can only see how that person can benefit us
Or hurt us
We can only see them as pawns or enemies
And we hold ourselves apart, above
Alone
What is even more devastating is the fact that with
exceptionalism
We cannot see ourselves honestly
The very idea of exceptionalism makes it impossible
for us to truly evaluation our attitudes and actions
America, my country right or wong?
No!
Its “Amercia, my country, and we are always right
And if something goes wrong?
It’s not our fault
With exceptionalism we are always the hero
Or always the victim
We are never the perpetrator, never the villain
And this inability to be ethically, spiritually, and
morally honest?
That leads to brutality
To behaviors never examined, always excused
Children in cages
Walls
The deportation of good people
Who have contributed to our society
Brutal military moves that discount other people, other
countries
Wars that about power and money, not freedom and morality
We want power
We want wealth
We want to feel comfortable and safe
So anything goes, if we do it
Because we are exceptional
And finally we get down that really ugly part
Being exceptional we put ourselves above consequences
We don’t believe there should be consequences
(because we are NEVER wrong)
We don’t’ believe there every will be consequences
We fall into a false sense of invulnerability
We don’t believe anything can ever come back to haunt us
No matter what we do, we will win
Come out on top
And we believe no one would EVER hold us accountable
9/11 should have destroyed that myth
It didn’t
Our recent assassination is proof positive
There are those voices
I am hearing them from all sides
Suggesting those countries we have invaded occupied and
attacked
Should not even think about responding
Because we will target them
Their people
Their culture
Their heritage
Their sacred sights
Exceptionalism
Exceptionalism, in this case let’s call it what it is
Nationalism (not patriotism)
Makes for an abuser
Nations can be malignant narcissists too
In the end exceptionalism harms everyone
Those who hold it
Those who are abused by it
Which is why Jesus challenged us to go a different way
Remember all that stuff he said
About humility?
About repentance?
About putting others first? (No America First, sorry)
About kindness
The list goes on!!!!
When John the Baptism saw exceptionalism, he challenged
it
“You brood of vipers”
When Jesus saw exceptionalism, he challenged it
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside
but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to
be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”
I love my country
But it is my fear that America Exceptionalism
(which is downright false, we are pretty low, and sinking on most
indicators
46th in health for example.)
Will lead us into an “epic descent into terror”
It will make us even more abusive
Less empathic and kind
Less Generous
More aggressive
It is my fear that we will become
If we are not already (under the current administration)
The world’s tormenter.
The country that blindly acts in greedy, abusive,
destructive way
There is a generous side to our nation
There are kind and beautiful people in it
But exceptionalism is a cancer that may be killing what
is good
We must be vigilant, and honest, regarding our own
behavior
we must not assume that we are righteous, and our enemies
evil;
We cannot believe that our behavior is always honorable
While others are driven by malice or jealousy
We must learn where true greatness lies
This is greatness (Philippians 2)
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort
from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full
accord and of one mind. Do nothing from
selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than
yourselves. Let each of you look not
only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is
yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count
equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the
form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. And being found in
human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even
death on a cross
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