Palm Sunday to Easter

Two events in Christendom leading to one of our most sacred observances. It is a time to pause and reflect on the great life we have been privileged to live in our world today. Lessons to note, personal lessons, lessons affecting family and lessons important to our country today.

At the moment in the world of Republican politics Donald Trump appears to be the front-runner in the race to nomination. I'm not about to endorse Trump at the moment, for a number of reasons, but it isn't about how I feel. Each of you out there that vote will have your own decision about whom to cast your vote. It is that amorphous body of politic, referred to as "The Establishment" that we need to look to.

It happened before some 2000+ years ago. Jesus out doing ministry had caught the attention of the establishment of his day. They called themselves Pharisees and Sadducees and sat in their seat of government the Sanhedrin. They made and interpreted the Jewish Law of the time. Important people and no doubt they had lobbyists to bend their thoughts to the advantage of whatever outfit sent the lobbyists.

Donald Trump was largely ignored by The Establishment. Ignored because he didn't dip into the knowledge accrued by The Establishment on how to win elections. Donald Trump financed his own campaign and had no need to shade his thoughts to favor big money interests who might donate money to his campaign. Worst of all he pointed out how special interests, those favored by The Establishment had corrupted our government. The problem with the Donald so far as The Establishment was concerned was that he had the ear of the people, the common people like you and me, and they were voting for Trump instead of the candidates favored by The Establishment. It looks like Trump doesn't need The Establishment and if he gets elected way too many important people will be out of a job. No job, no influence intolerable.

Jesus was having a problem of popularity. When he rode his donkey through the streets of Jerusalem on the way to the Temple he was cheered by thousands. Hosanna, hosanna, hail to the king. Oops not chosen by the important people of the Sanhedrin The Establishment of their day. Something had to be done and so The Establishment foot-worked the legal system so that the Romans, the hated foreign occupiers, would put Jesus to death. The old boys played rough in those days.

Well we all know how it worked out. The Romans crucified Jesus of Nazareth and three days later he arose from the dead and took his honored seat on the right hand of God. At Easter celebrate Jesus' resurrection and the meaning of freedom from past sins for you and me. Trump is no Jesus!

What happened then of The Establishment of that day, the important Pharisees and Sadducees that dictated the Jewish way of conduct--how things should be done? Some 70 years later the Romans having had enough of the dealings of The Establishment destroyed the Temple their seat of power and sent all those important people to the four winds. Gone. Gone forever.

Almost two thousand years later when our founding fathers set up a new form of government, the democratic republic that became the United States of America, they were careful to not invest all power in one lawmaking body. The history of mankind has shown that an all-powerful ruling body becomes corrupted and is led astray. That is why our founders created a system of checks and balances so that neither Congress, nor the President nor the Supreme Court could become all powerful and overrule the others. By having regular elections all power remains invested in "we the people" who vote. Only we the people, not a ruling elite, can hopefully discern God's will. And it has worked for what three hundred years now to create the best country the world has ever seen.

That doesn't mean that men and women ever seeking more power don't try to make their positions indispensable. They would even change the system, ignore our Constitution, so they could attain ever more power. That is why "The Establishment" fears Trump and will do what they can to defeat him or bend him to their way. Only we the people can prevent that. Vote wisely and in my opinion Ted Cruz is an even better choice than Donald Trump.

That is how I saw it. Have a Happy Easter.

Dick Trail