The Tale of Two Tokens

Little Bighorn National Battlefield was not on the itinerary. It wasn’t a conscious choice. I made a mistake planning the trip. Some friends we are planning to see live in a different town (and state) than I planned for. I still have no idea how I did that, but it is how we get to this story. Leaving Billings, Montana, I noticed the brown and white sign saying that the battlefield was coming up. After quickly looking to see if it took us too far out of the way (it didn’t), we decided to stop.

    Like with all National Parks, the first thing we typically do is go to the visitor center. We have a small list of tasks to do there. Stacey gets the passport stamped, and we get the sticker for the park/monument/battlefield; we get whatever information we need, and we buy the simple collectibles we are picking up to remember our trip. For us, that means a certain type of postcard that we hope to frame and make part of a future home. We are also collecting tokens from each park for our two grandkids, like the good grandparents we are. This is where the story gets interesting.

    In my limited experience so far, parks typically have a single token. The coins, about the size of a nickel, are minted with the park name and a defining feature or animal on one side, and often the date of establishment or another fact on the reverse. Until today, they have all been round. However, it was immediately clear that the Little Bighorn medallions were different. One was rectangular, with the park name, its establishment date, and the image of a soldier on horseback (who I assume is General George Armstrong Custer) on the front, and the monument's obelisk, in silhouette, on the back. The other was a more traditional round design and featured the park name on the front, with a picture of Chief Sitting Bull and his name, while the reverse bore the words, “I am here by the will of the Great Spirit, and by his will I am Chief.” The two tokens rightly reflect the two sides of the story of the Battle of Little Bighorn. In fact, they perfectly portray the tension we felt from the second we drove onto the memorial. The gift shop reflected this tension with American Indian history books and Native items, but also bookmarks bearing the image of Gen. Custer. There was candy made to look like rifle cartridges from the era (a paper tube with powder and a ball, in this case pixie dust sugar and a gumball), and also sage sticks for ceremonial cleansing.

    The dichotomy continued when you walked out of the visitor center. In front of you was a National Cemetery holding the remains and headstones of US service personnel from the late 1800s through the Vietnam era. A flagpole with flags at half-mast stood in the middle of the rows of memorials. A monument, originally placed in another location, commemorated those who fought in the Indian Wars against the “hostile Indians” In another spot, people had laid coins, respecting the valor of a particular US soldier. In the cemetery, the tension between the two stories was strong, with respect paid to those who have served, fought, and died protecting the country, laid to rest in a place where the US Army dramatically lost a battle in the midst of a genocidal war against the original inhabitants of North America.

    The walk up the hill to the monument marking where Custer and his soldiers took their last stand only added to the tension. While the monument traces its date of establishment to the year of the battle, 1876, it was a number of years later that a memorial marker was placed on the hill (1881) and nearly a decade (1890) until the Army placed headstones around the battlefield, marking, as best they could, the locations where soldiers fell. Looking out across the rolling hills, it is easy to see these locations of demise. What one does not see is markings for where any of the Indian Warriors fell.[1] The granite monument to the fallen soldiers on the top of the hill is staggering. The 263 US 7th Cavalry soldiers who died, each with their name inscribed on the stone marker boldly jutting out into the big sky of Montana, is impressive. The obelisk does its job, marking the spot of the fallen soldiers, their mass grave, and setting them apart as heroes to be admired and remembered.

    In contrast, the Indian Monument across the street (or is that on the “other side of the tracks”) could not be more different. Rather than calling attention to itself by standing erect on the top of a hill, the native monument blends into the landscape. Carved from a hill, the monument to the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho is nearly unseen until one walks closer and is invited into the space through the small channels cut into the hill. Once inside, the story of the battle is told from the Indian perspective. It too has lists of the men who fought and died, but those names are situated in the context of their communities and the larger American Indian experience. The monument’s information is carved into stone on the outside walls of the round shrine reserved for remembrance. Even the part of the circle that opens to the vista portrays men on horseback without names, allowing them to represent all who joined together on that battlefield. By situating this memorial as a circle, the visitor is invited into the story being told as a participant. You are welcomed to become part of the community represented by standing in their midst, in contrast to being asked to look up and gaze upon the names of the fallen in admiration, and even worship, as visitors are asked to do across the street.

    It was in the circle that the real contrast between the two tokens, and the two men portrayed on them, was minted in my mind. On one part of the wall, a quote from Custer read “I will never harm the Cheyennes again. I will never point my gun at a Cheyene again. I will never kill another Cheyene.” Custer said these words in March of 1869 after another battle (Wasita), or massacre, depending on your perspective, while smoking a peace pipe. Seven years later, Custer died shooting at the Cheyenne. In the years in between, Custer actively participated in the Indian Wars.

    The other man from the tokens did not participate in the ofBattle at the Little Bighorn. Sitting Bull (Tatanke Iyotake) heeded his mother's advice and stepped aside for younger warriors. However, according to the memorial, “After the battle, he went to the ridge, filled his Cannupa (pipe), and prayed for the fallen warriors. He also prayed for Custer and his men.” Along with that story, the words on the wall contained these quotes:

    “In order to heal our grandmother earth we must unify through peace.”

    “generosity, compassion, and sacrifice”

    “truth, justice, and wisdom.”

It seems that Sitting Bull was interested in a lasting peace based on words Christians would know from their scriptures.

    Two Bible passages came to me as I read the story of the Battle of the Little Bighorn and sat in the tension of the two stories portrayed in that place – one each for the men on the tokens. The first comes from the Old Testament. Two prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, speak of those who say “Peace, Peace” when there is no peace (Jer. 6:10 & 8:11 / Ezk. 13:16). Gen. Custer’s words seven years before he famously died reek of this statement. Promising to never again level his weapon at an Indian sounds like “Peace, Peace” when there was no peace, and no intention of peace. In fact, if you look at the Jeremiah texts, they seem prophetic in the case of Custer.

    From the least to the greatest,
        all are greedy for gain;
        prophets and priests alike,
        all practice deceit.
    They dress the wound of my people
        as though it were not serious.
        ‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
        when there is no peace.
    Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
    No, they have no shame at all;
        they do not even know how to blush.
    So they will fall among the fallen;
        they will be brought down when I punish them,”
        says the Lord. (Jeremiah 6:13-15 - NIV)

    The other passage that came to mind was Jesus’ instruction to his followers to

    "[T]reat your enemies with love and respect, and send up good prayers for the ones who             make trouble for you and bring you pain. This will show that you are mature children of your         Father from above, who sends his blessing of rain on the ones who do right and the ones             who do wrong.” (Mathew 5:44 & 45 – First Nations Version)

    You might know this passage another way – “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (NIV). This passage fits well with Sitting Bull's actions and aspirations. While it is often said that the United States is a “Christian Nation” in the story of the Battle of Little Bighorn, it is the American Indians who were striving for and living out the values of the Kingdom of God. I could not have known the full experience ahead of me when I bought the tokens for my grandkids. As we walked back to the van, I told my wife, Stacey, “I feel like I just went to church.” The stark contrast between the worship of militarism in the cemetery coupled with the honoring of those perpetrating a Colonial genocide in the name of a “Christian Nation” at the monument to “Custer’s last stand,” and the invitation to peace in the Indian Memorial felt like a three-dimensional illustration of Jesus words,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

that you may be children of your Father in heaven. (Matt. 5: 43-45 – NIV)

Joel K




Afterword:

The United States government and the US Army erected memorials to the fallen soldiers of the Battle of the Little Bighorn almost immediately after the battle ended in 1876. However, the Indian Memorial was not created till 1991, one hundred and fifteen years after the last shot was fired. Just this year, President Trump ordered signs telling the story of the American Indians at Little Bighorn removed in an effort to restore “Truth and Sanity to American History.” Historians often point out, and rightly so, that history is told by the victors. The historical version of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, portrayed at the Monument until 1991 and desired by the current administration, tells the story from the losing perspective, albeit through a lens that benefits the ongoing Colonial viewpoint.



[1] There are a few markers of the places where Indian warriors feel in other places in the park, but not visible from this spot.

One Sunny Sunday morning at Jimmy Claxton's Grave

When James E. Claxton was laid to rest in 1970, Oakwood Hill Cemetery had already been around for nearly 100 years. Baseball had been around for, well, who knows how long, but the professional game had been in existence since 1869. At least that is the official story; players we undoubtedly paid before the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the "official" first professional team, played 101 years before Mr. Claxton was laid to rest. Yet that year, 1970, was only a mere eight years after the Negro American League disbanded, the last vestige of Negro League Baseball. Following that, one remaining Negro League Independent team soldiered on until 1989, when the Indianapolis Clowns ceased operation. For the last number of years, the team was no longer playing competitive baseball, but rather traveled as a side-show attraction, much like the Harlem Globetrotters. I spent Memorial Day weekend in Tacoma, Washington, and that trip brought all of this history into sharp focus for me.
On Saturday night, May 23, 2026, I attended a Banana Ball Championship League game in Tacoma's Cheney Stadium (home of the AAA Tacoma Rainiers) with my wife Stacey, my daughter Emma, and her family (wife Kelsy, Son Luka, and Daughter Lyla). The game was between the Party Animals and the Indianapolis Clowns. The Clowns' name has been revived by the Banana Ball phenomenon (see: https://bananaball.com) in partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum because, as head Banana Jesse Cole has stated, “They were the first baseball team to put entertainment first and would go to great lengths to bring their style of baseball to fans all over the country.” As a student of the game, and in particular the Negro Leagues, it was wonderful to see the Indianapolis Clowns back on the field, and that history remembered. 

Standing at the grave of James "Jimmy" Claxton, the next morning in one of Tacoma's oldest burial grounds, I recalled Claxton's life and paid my respects. Claxton is not a name known by many. Baseball

card collectors might know the story of how Claxton, by accident, became the first black baseball player to appear on a baseball card. (1) Others might look at baseball-reference.com and see a very short professional career listed. On that website, he is listed as playing three games for two teams (Pollock's Cuban Stars & the Washington Pilots) in 1932 in the Negro East-West League. It doesn't get much better if you click on his minor league stats. He is listed as playing in two minor league games in 1916 in the Pacific Coast League (viewed by some, like me, as the third Major League at that time), and his history tells us (see footnote 1) that both appearances for the Oakland Oaks were on the same day. On that single day, he appeared in two games, pitching in both sides of a doubleheader. He was the starter in game one and the closer in game two. Yet, that one-day minor league stop (though it yielded the famous baseball card), and the "cup-of-coffee" in the official Negro Leagues, belies the greatness of his career.

Claxton was born in Wellington, BC in 1892, but was largely raised in the coal mining towns of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state. He began playing semi-pro, industrial league baseball as a catcher as a teen, eventually playing for his hometown Roslyn Yippers an integrated team that played at a high level in semi-pro ball in Washington State for decades, including a stint in the Seattle City League. Claxton goes on to play for another 24 years on semi-pro, barnstorming, and industrial league teams. Teams like the Seattle Royal Giants (which he helped found), Shasta Limited, and the barnstorming Cuban House of David.  He integrates many of the teams he plays for. It is estimated he played for some 100 teams in a 40-year baseball career. According to his Negro League Legends baseball card, “Claxton preferred playing in integrated semi-pro leagues close to his West Coast home rather than the Negro Leagues.”

Claxton biographer Ty Pheland wrote, “To Claxton church, work, and baseball were twists of rope. On their own with little strength, but when intertwined, capable of lifting heavy loads.” I would argue that Claxton was practicing Public Theology by integrating baseball in many of the places he went. 

Due to being well-traveled and the poor record-keeping of games in this era, Claxton's stats are incomplete. From the stats we have, we know he was an excellent hitter and pitcher. He holds a lifetime Batting average of .350 and a pitching record of 138- 77 as a pitcher.  One former major league scout declared him “the greatest ball player to ever play the game.”

He pitched in his last game in 1956 at the age of 63 – an old-timers game between Tacoma City League and Valley League old-timers.  That same year, he retired from his work as a longshoreman, a job he used to help support his baseball career throughout his life.

On Sunday morning, the day before Memorial Day, I stood at the gravesite of James E. Claxton. Since reading his story in Ty Pheland's book, he has become one of my favorite players ever to play the game, despite never having seen him on the field. Claxton's story of early baseball integration, rooted in his faith, resonates as important and valuable to me. His excellence in obscurity is a trait, an experience, a history, I value. 

As the sunlight streamed through the trees of the cemetery, the silence was broken by the calling of a Northwest crow. It seemed fitting that a bird from the region Claxton loved and preferred to play in was providing a soundtrack for my visit to his grave. However, given the area's indigenous history, it is interesting to note that a crow symbolizes wisdom, intelligence, and adaptability. Those traits were present in Claxton. He had intelligence for the game of baseball, but also knew that barriers could be broken down. He was wise enough to know that his faith could be lived out, demonstrated in the world, not just in church spaces or the segregated spaces of the negro Leagues, but wherever he took his talents. And by playing for many teams, in many places, for many years, Jimmy Claxton made adaptation a way of life. The crow cawing away was speaking to the legacy of a man who was great before the world was ready for him, but who blazed the trail for the players that came after him. Claxton is also an example for all of us seeking to live out our faith in the world against overwhelming odds. His courage is enlivening, and his "do what you can where you are" approach is inspiring.

Until next time,
Joel Kiekintveld

NOTE:

I owe much in the post to the book Darkhorse: The Jimmy Claxton Story by Ty Phelan

(1) 

Claxton is on the roster for the Oakland Oaks of the PCL for no more than a couple of weeks in 1919. He was passing himself off as a Native American from Minnesota (since Indians were allowed to play in the PCL and Blacks were barred). During his stint with the Oaks, the photographer for the ZeeNut Candy Company took pictures of the team for that season's PCL baseball cards. Claxton was photographed and a card was issued with his likeness. This card becomes the first baseball card made in the United States to feature a black player. As noted above, Claxton plays in two games on the same day. He pitches in both games of a doubleheader and ends the day with a stat line of 2.1 innings pitched, 4 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned runs, and four walks. It was discovered that Claxton was black (he was also "French and Indian on his father’s side, and Irish and English on his mother’s." - https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jimmy-claxton/) and released.

Deep In My Heart, I’m A Terrible Man: Thoughts On My Dark Heart, Racism & The 2024 Election

Deep In My Heart, I’m A Terrible Man: Thoughts On My Dark Heart, Racism & The 2024 Election

Deep in my heart
Deep in my heart
Deep in my heart
I'm a terrible man
Deep in my heart
Deep down in my heart
I know what I am

-       Deep Down, The Devil Makes Three

 

 

A number of years ago I was at a Benedictine retreat center for a training. During one of the sessions the speaker, one of the leaders of the retreat, began saying things that were stereotypes of the black community. I remember being unnerved by the words I was hearing and even labeled them as racist in my mind, but I didn’t say a word. I silently sat in the classroom and listen to the lecture. I never addressed it. I just let it happen. Later in the retreat the comments were addressed and an apology made but it was not because I had gone to the speaker or another leader and prompted a discussion. I did nothing.

 

Over the years I have reflected back on that moment with immense shame. That moment haunts me. I am embarrassed that I said nothing. It is something I carry. I vowed to never stand idly by and let a racist action or words go unchallenged. I thought I was doing pretty good with this vow until today.

 

Last week I was in a meeting where I could have spoken up about a racist reality and I didn’t. In that meeting a long discussion was had about a white male client departing. In contrast clients of color have departed many times without a discussion. The imbalance was clear and implicated the organization. The importance placed on a white man, when compared to BIPOC persons, exposed a white-dominate / racist way of being in the world. In this space I said nothing. I attended and departed without making a single comment.

 

In a follow-up meeting a colleague called me (and the rest of those in attendance) out for our behavior. As the reprimand was shared a feeling and a phrase welled up in me. I was frustrated that I had not said anything (again) and thought “Damn it, it happened again.”[1]

 

The band The Devil Makes Three has a song titled “Deep Down” where the lyrics say, “Deep in my heart, I'm a terrible man. Deep in my heart. Deep down in my heart, I know what I am.” Those that know me are aware that I often tie life to song s and song lyrics. As I sat with the reality that I had once again not stood against racism, and even failed to see it, the confession found in this lyric was resonating in me. My lack of action forced me to realize that deep down in my heart I am something I desire not to be - a racist.

 

Parker Palmer notes, “One of the things this society is most deficient in is safe spaces for truth-telling about the condition of our souls.”[2] He’s not wrong. We want to keep our deep dark thoughts to ourselves and out of the light. We desire to live in denial that deep in our hearts we are terrible people. Palmer’s observation is a statement on confession. We need more spaces to say the truth about what is happening deep in our hearts. In the case of race in America we need confessional spaces now more than ever.

 

If you were to ask me on any given day if I’m a racist I would answer no. Internally I might even answer in true Roy Kent mode “Fuck No!” On the outside I appear to be anti-racist or an ally. However, my inaction in the face of racist words or a white dominate system gets to the truth underneath. Raised in an America that gives preference to white, male, heterosexual, cis gender, Christian men I have a winning hand everywhere I go. The culture teaches me, and everyone, that I am the alpha and gives me privilege at every turn. I have so internalized this message that despite my best efforts, and heart felt desire to be otherwise, I still think and act in racist ways. I am ashamed of this, but “Deep down in my heart, I know what I am.”

 

As I write this we sit on the eve of the 2024 Presidential Election. This election cycle has exposed, yet again, the racist patterns in America. One candidate has gone out of the way to demonize and blame persons of color for every problem in the country. That same candidate has spread racist lies and perpetuated decades old white supremacist tropes. The other candidate has had to defend themselves repeatedly because their mere existence on a Presidential as a Black/Asian Woman irritates many in the dominate culture. Like it or not, race is a huge issue in this election and it will be in the weeks and months after the election.

 

No matter who wins the election there will be more moments for me to raise my voice in opposition to racism. There is fear that if Kamala Harris wins there will be backlash against black women and BIPOC people. There is the very real threat of racially based mass deportations if Trump is elected. I’m sure there are more racial reactions to the election than just those, but my point is that in the coming weeks I know I will be faced with another opportunity (or many) to voice my opposition to racism. Will I stand by and say nothing as I have before, or will I speak? I want to believe that I will speak out. It is my prayer that I will find the courage to resist the evil of the racism in front of me. What about you?

 

Joel K

"When you see the folly in something you've done. And you wish you had it to do over. But you know you can't because it's too late. So you pick that thing up and you carry it with you."

- Phil Cooper (Played by Danny DiVito) in the film The Big Kahuna

---

[1] I used the word Damn here not because of my normal potty-mouthed existence, but because if anything deserves to be sent to hell it is racism and my lack of action in the face of it.

[2] https://onbeing.org/programs/parker-palmer-courtney-martin-the-inner-life-of-rebellion/

Image by Krzysztof Dzwonek from Pixabay

A King Was Never The Goal: Responding To The Speech At The Believers Summit

Yesterday a host of news outlets reported the words of Former President Donald Trump at the Believers Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida where he spoke Friday night. During that speech he stated:

"Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians... I love you Christians. I'm a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don't have to vote again, we'll have it fixed so good you're not going to have to vote." (1)

If I understand Trump correctly (something I often find difficult), he is proposing a monarchy or dictatorship, as well as offering a version of political salvation. His statements, and my concerns, lead me to assert that there are three reasons Christians should reject these thoughts. The first reason comes from the Old Testament. The second, is rooted in the New Testament. And the final reason can be found in the founding of American Democracy. Let's take a look at each.


The Old Testament

One way to read the Old Testament is to look at it as a series of stories about the people of God making the wrong decision. While there are many poor choices made in the first 39 books of the Bible, the choice to be ruled by a king ranks right up at the top. I Samuel 8 records the account of Israel demanding a king to rule them and fight their battles for them. In the end, God tells Samuel to go against God’s desire and give them a king. Samuel anoints Saul and Israel's history with monarchy begins. It is not long before the king experiment goes exactly as Samuel predicts as the rulers usher in militarism, oppression, affluence and alliances with other kings. Walter Brueggemann calls this "Royal Consciousness." The royal consciousness stands in opposition to the vision for God's people given to the prophets (the Prophetic/Mosaic vision epitomized by Moses). Brueggemann posits that royal consciousness is marked by three things: affluence, oppressive social policy and static religion. Affluence keeps people happy and satisfied so they are unlikely to revolt. Oppressive social policy keeps those needed for labor, and those outside of the privialged ruling class, oppressed and kept in their place. Finally, a static religion is a stale and lifeless practice of religion that supports the king and his policies. This static religion is often dripping in language about God blessing the nation (as in Christian Nationalism) or is seen as a justification for the government and its actions. Brueggemann gives the example of Solomon as the height of royal consciousness. (2) Of Solomon Brueggemann writes,

"The entire program of Solomon now appears to have been a self-serving achievement with its sole purpose the self-securing of the king and dynasty. It consists of...a program of state- sponsored syncretism, which of course means the steady abandonment of the radicalness of the Mosaic vision." (3)

Rob Bell, makes a connection to our current moment, also citing Solomon,

"What's true of empire then is true of empires now. What we see in the Bible is that empires naturally accumulate wealth and resources. Solomon built terraces and stockpiled gold...At the height of Israel's power, while Solomon is reigning at the peak of his glory, we find the most incisive and honest critique of the empire itself. We're told the weight of his gold was 666 - which, remember, is a Jewish way of saying that somebody has so profoundly lost their way that they are now in opposition to God." (4)

It was always God that was supposed to fight Israel's battles. Starting at the Red Sea when Moses hears from God and tells the people, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14) the arrangement was set - God was the one who was fighting for the people of Israel not a King. The Battle of Jericho is another example of God fighting a battle for the people (Joshua 6). God fighting was the plan. It was never supposed to be a king.

Fast forward to our current moment and Trump is offering (and being encouraged by his supporters) to fight the people's battles and be a king. He is saying, I (in god-like fashion) will solve all of the problems and you will never need to vote again. When does someone never need to vote again? In the case of a King (or dictator)! This recent speech by Trump places voters - and in particular Christians - in the United States in the same place as the people of Israel in I Samuel. The rhetoric coming from the former President offers a choice, do we desire a king to fight for us, or God? Be careful what you choose, there is book you might be familiar with that tells the tale of what happens if you pick a king.


The New Testament

There is a tension in the gospels that runs like an undercurrent below the story of Jesus' ministry. Once you see it you can't un-see it. The undercurrent is that the people, and even the disciples, are expecting Jesus to be a political savior and deliver them from Rome. In short the people expect Jesus to be a king.

There are moments when Jesus easily could have taken the turn toward being a king but did not. In fact when those opportunities presented themselves he side stepped them all. A good example is found in John 6 in the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. After the crowd is fed John tells us,

"After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, 'Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.' Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself." (John 6:14-15)

In that story, Jesus, rather than seek political power, avoids becoming king by leaving the crowd behind. Another place we can see Jesus avoid being a King is when he is question by Pilate in John 18. In that passage he answers the question “Are you the king of the Jews?” by saying, “Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?” (John 18:33-34). He also adds in that conversation, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place." (John 18:36).

Being a king, in the earthly sense marked by royal consciousness, was never on Jesus' radar. Jesus was not interested bringing an earthly kingdom this is why he kept telling parables about what the kingdom of God is like. Those parables are a stark contrast to affluence, oppressive social policy and static religion. In Jesus' kingdom everyone is welcome at the banquet table; weeds and wheat grow up together; and it grows like a weed called a mustard seed.

Jesus doesn't ever want to be king and doesn't see a king as a solution to the political problems presented by Rome. A king is not the answer for Jesus and it shouldn't be for us either. If to be a Christian is to be Christ-like (which is what the word means), we cannot want a king because Jesus never desired one. To desire an earthly king is anti-Christ in its orientation.


American Democracy

It should go without saying that the United States is a democracy (to be specific it is a representative republic). The founding fathers of our nation set the country up as a democracy because they did not want a king. This is a really simple argument. The United Sates was founded on the idea of not having a king and giving the power to the people. The core of any democracy is the right to vote. Asking someone to vote so that they "won't have to vote anymore" is asking someone to do something fundamentally un-American and anti-democratic.

For the above three reasons Trump's statements to those gathered at Believers Summit should be viewed as both anti-Christian and anti-democratic.

A king was never the goal.


Joel K




(1) https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-tells-christians-they-wont-have-vote-after-this-election-2024-07-27/#:~:text=Trump%20said%3A%20%22Christians%2C%20get,%3A%20%22I%20love%20you%20Christians


(2) I'm borrowing here liberally from Walter Brueggemann's excellent book The Prophetic Imagination. This book is a must read.


(3) Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination, page 23.


(4) Rob Bell & Don Golden, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, pages 122 & 129-30. The reference here by Bell and Golden is to I Kings 10:14 and Revelation 13:18.

Retire Leyand's Number and put him on the wall...but add the other Stars (and Wolverines) too.

This past weekend Jim Leyland was inducted into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Leyland managed the Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-96), the Florida Marlins (1997-98), Colorado Rockies (1999), and Detroit Tigers (2006-2023). He is one of only eleven managers in MLB history to lead three different teams to the postseason (Pirates, Marlins & Tigers). He won the World Series in 1997 with the Marlins.

With his induction into the Hall of Fame the Tigers will retire Leyland's number (#10) and add his name to the wall in center field at Comerica Park. Leyalnd will join:

Charlie Gehringer, 2B: No. 2
Alan Trammell, SS: No. 3
Hank Greenberg, 1B: No. 5
Al Kaline, OF: No. 6
Sparky Anderson, MGR: No. 11
Hal Newhouser, P: No. 16
Willie Horton, OF: No. 23
Jack Morris, P: No. 47
along with No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson. which every team has retired.

Also on the wall are Tiger greats and Hall of Famers Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, Mickey Cochrane, Harry Heilmann, Hughie Jennings and Heinie Manush - who all played in an era where players didn't wear numbers - as well as George Kell, who wore three different numbers while a Tiger, and longtime broadcaster Ernie Harwell. It will be exciting and well deserved to add Leyland's name and number to the wall, but the wall, in my opinion remains incomplete.

Back in the late 1800's the first Major League team to play in Detroit was the National League Detroit Wolverines (1881-1888). The team won the 1887 National League pennant and the World Series. On that team were four Hall of Famers: Deacon White (3B, C, RF), Ned Hanlon (CF - who, as a manager some say is the architect of modern baseball), Sam Thompson (RF - who ended his career with the Tigers in 1906) & Dan Brouthers (1B).

There is another professional team that also played in Detroit. That team is the Negro League Detroit Stars (1919 independent; 1920-31 & 1933 Negro National League; 1937 & 1954-61 Negro American League) . Four Stars greats are enshrined in the Hall of Fame: Andy Cooper (P), Pete Hill (OF, 1B), Cristóbal Torriente (OF, P) and the legendary Turkey Stearnes (CF).

In light of the long history of baseball in Detroit and with the legacy of Major League baseball in that city resting on the Tiger's and being housed in Comerica Park. I would like to see the outfield wall reflect the greats of both the Wolverines and the Stars. Come on Tigers add these great players from Detroit's past to the list of Tigers greats and let's celebrate all of Detroit's baseball history in one place.

Joel K

An Assassination Confession

                                                                                                       [Gene J Puskar/AP Photo] (1)

I've never been a fan of Donald Trump. I find him objectionable on many levels. My disdain for the man has gotten me into trouble rather often. In particular, I've drawn the ire of people in my life who see Christianity and conservative politics as two sides of the same coin, or who hold similar beliefs. I say all this to set the stage for what I'm going to say next.

When I heard the details of the assassination attempt on former President Trump on Saturday, my first thought was an echo of the old TV show Get Smart, "Missed it by that much." In other words, my first thought was that the assassin had failed, and I wished he hadn't. In my mirky sin filled heart there was a moment of disappointment that Trump lived. 

I'm not proud of that moment in any way. The taking of any human life by murder is never acceptable and something I do not support or endorse. However, I still had the thought. I still wished that Trump had met his earthly end.

Confession is not something we practice much in church anymore. If—and when—we do make space in a worship service for confession, it is done in silence so we don't embarrass ourselves. It seems that our desire to save face is much stronger than our desire to be honest.  The honest truth is we don’t really practice confession even though we are commanded to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16). Confession makes us feel uncomfortable, so we choose to ignore our dark impulses and shadowy thoughts—the worst of who we are—or at least we don't speak those thoughts out loud.

I'm here to speak one of my deep, dark sinful thoughts out loud. I wished that Donald Trump had died. This was my first reaction—the first impulse of my sin sick soul.

The Quaker thinker Parker Palmer has noted, "One of the things this society is most deficient in is safe spaces for truth-telling about the condition of our souls." (2) I think Palmer is right. We really have precious few spaces (if any) in the United States to tell the truth about what is happening in our souls. We don't often divulge to anyone (including ourselves) the truth of our inner life. Instead we choose to posture and virtue signal in public.

I was a bit shocked to see how dark my soul had become in this contemporary moment. I've allowed the partisan schism and self-righteous vitriol of our dysfunctional public discourse to worm its way into the core of my being. I've soaked up the poison of our putrid politics, and it has made me sick. I am infected and affected enough to wish death on another human being. King David, a man familiar with wishing death on his enemies (ex. Ps. 55:15), writes in Psalm 139:23-24,   

                    Search me, God, and know my heart;

                            test me and know my anxious thoughts.

                    See if there is any offensive way in me,

                            and lead me in the way everlasting. 

It seems to me that we are in a moment in the United States when this set of verses is needed. I know I need them. I know I need God to search me and show the truth to me about what is hiding in my soul. I've seen in there, and it's not a pretty sight.

 

What about you? 

What is hiding in your soul? 

What was your first thought when you heard about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump? 

If it had been President Biden that was nearly killed, where would your mind have gone?

How much have you allowed the rancorous rhetoric we are inundated with seep into your core?

 

“Open confession is good for the soul."

Scottish proverb

 

Joel K

(1) - https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2024/7/14/donald-trump-escapes-assassination-bid-at-us-campaign-rally

(2) - https://onbeing.org/programs/parker-palmer-courtney-martin-the-inner-life-of-rebellion/

Resonance On The Way To Warm Springs

Once upon a time I posted sermons here a lot. However, since I rarely preach anymore I haven't done that in a while.

Back in April I was asked to bring the message at the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance meeting in Anchorage. I chose to give a talk titled "Resonance On The Way To Warm Springs."

That talk was based on the research I have been doing this year. I have a grant from The Calvin Institute For Christian Worship to develop a case study of how one congregation (Crosspoint/Reclaim - my faith community) reimagined its worship from an attractional model of church to a member led approach. As part of that research I have been reading some literature regarding the church in a secular age. In particular I have been reading a lot of Andrew Roots work and he has in turn led me to the work of Charles Taylor and Hartmut Rosa.

For my talk back in April I drew on the work of German Sociologist Hartmut Rosa and his resonance theory (1) and Luke 24:13-35.

If you are interested in a little glimpse of what I am working on here is the talk. It is rough audio record on my cell phone.

https://www.facebook.com/1631971968/videos/1011194870559762/ 


Thanks for listening.

Joel K

(1) = Rosa, Hartmut. The Uncontrollability of the World. Polity Press, 2020.