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A Pinch of Incense
When the Roman Empire persecuted Christians, they provided an easy out. All the believer had to do was offer some incense to the gods and they would be set free.
One of their victims was Polycarp, the elderly bishop of Smyrna, a city known today as Izmir in Turkey. Polycarp was a disciple of John the Apostle and later discipled Irenaeus of Lyons, another early saint.
In 155 AD, he was swept up in a fierce persecution, yet offered no resistance. When soldiers burst into his home, the bishop welcomed them cheerfully, ordering that a meal be prepared for them. He asked leave to pray, and the now sheepish Roman guards allowed it before reluctantly taking him to the Proconsul.
Following four days of voting, negotiations, and drama, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has been elected Speaker of the House on the 15th ballot.
Five days before Christmas, I finally recovered. After coughing, wheezing, and hurling my way through a month of whatever plague spread across the country, it was finally time to decorate the house for the holidays.
I’m reading through the speeches of Demosthenes, an Athenian statesman from the 4th century BC. One of his orations, called the Third Olynthiac, punched me in the gut, bringing to mind the frustration many of us feel with our current mess.
You guys: On Monday, November 21, all counties in the state of Arizona finally finished counting the Election Day votes. And it only took them 13 days. In fact, two of the contests were so close that automatic recounts were triggered. Those won’t begin until after December 5 … another 14 days away.
Conservatives have long struggled to define the term “conservatism.” This makes sense since it’s always been less a political ideology than a life philosophy. Perhaps even an attitude.
Conservatives have asked one big question since Jan. 20, 2021: “So … who’s actually running the country?” Theories abound, including Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Domestic Policy Council Director Susan Rice, or Barack Obama wearing Susan Rice as a skinsuit. Due to the administration’s utter incompetence, I don’t see any single person running the show, but an infighting cabal propping up Biden’s husk to show internal dominance. Looking at the wreckage, I figured no one was in charge.