Defeating Cosmic Sea Monsters

Defeating Cosmic Sea Monsters

I watched the 2012 Republican Convention this week, staying up late way past my normal bedtime at the instance of my Aunt, Joan McCulley, who is an avid conservative. I had previously told her I was sick of politics and was not going to vote, and that I had heard all these promises before, none of which had come to pass.

I must say the speeches were quite good, heavily scripted, excepting Clint Eastwood’s one, and addressed the issues needed by the Republicans, mainly issues of trust, of women’s confidence, of trust in Mr. Romney’s religious beliefs, of trust in relationship to the Hispanic community, etc.

At one point in my life I would have jumped right on the band wagon, cheered, and held out high hopes for the future of the United States and our future generations… Not this time…. As interesting and plausible as the logic seemed to be, although I appreciated the skill and preparation of the speakers, I sat in wonderment…. What exactly is going on here? I thought to myself…. Haven’t we heard this before? Where?

My thoughts went back to what is believed to be the oldest book of the Bible, the book of Job….. Amidst the self-admitted talk of American Exceptionalism,[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalismI was reminded of the “Myth” of cosmic sea monsters spoken of in the book of Job. Or, are they really a Myth, after all? Is American Exceptionalism actually a myth? [1] http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/10/11/the_myth_of_american_exceptionalism?page=full

Speaking of Myths, what about the Myth of Redemptive Violence,[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_redemptive_violence that I have previously written of? If you wish to look into these things, the footnotes I have attached will be helpful. Most people in the world, including, obviously Americans, have little interest in exploring these ideas. Certainly those in political office or running for political office do not seem to wish to do so.

It seems the world’s politicians, including our own, believe they can defeat all these Evils all by themselves. Oh, especially the United States, the most “powerful” military force in the world, is so obviously capable of defeating these Evils all by ourselves…. “Make my Day”, it is said. We have heard this before, and Evil still reigns, and has not been defeated. Although it is attacked as the Sea Monster, Behemoth,[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behemoth with spears and arrows, and in the United States’ case, even nuclear weapons, the Sea Monster and the Evil it represents always returns, again and again.
Even Popeye cannot defeat it. Nor, do I believe our politicians will defeat it with warfare and rhetoric.

Job 41
I Run This Universe
1-11″Or can you pull in the sea beast, Leviathan, with a fly rod and stuff him in your creel?
Can you lasso him with a rope,
or snag him with an anchor?
Will he beg you over and over for mercy,
or flatter you with flowery speech?
Will he apply for a job with you
to run errands and serve you the rest of your life?
Will you play with him as if he were a pet goldfish?
Will you make him the mascot of the neighborhood children?
Will you put him on display in the market
and have shoppers haggle over the price?
Could you shoot him full of arrows like a pin cushion,
or drive harpoons into his huge head?
If you so much as lay a hand on him,
you won’t live to tell the story.
What hope would you have with such a creature?
Why, one look at him would do you in!
If you can’t hold your own against his glowering visage,
how, then, do you expect to stand up to me?
Who could confront me and get by with it?
I’m in charge of all this—I run this universe!

It seems that it is God who runs the Universe, and who is the one to defeat evil, not us, not the United States either. Why, even in the Lord’s Prayer, we give lip service in the words, “Deliver us form Evil”. Not so, American Exceptionalism, the United States is God’s gift to the world, a shining light on a hill, to defeat all Evil, ourselves, that is. Why, it has been mentioned in the Republican Convention, that apparently the military budget is sacrosanct… Don’t mess with that one… I recommend reading at least the 38th thru 42nd chapters of the book of Job.[1] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2038&version=MSG

Now, Job was quite a successful guy… Some even believe he was Cheops or Khufu, who built the Great Pyramid… Just build it…., it is said. He was quite successful, very rich, a worshiper of the one true God, a religious type of fellow too… Perhaps he was just a little arrogant though… Perhaps he needed some correction; perhaps we do also… He was also quite the speaker…..

Job 42
Job Worships God

I Babbled On About Things Far Beyond Me
1-6 Job answered GOD: “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything.
Nothing and no one can upset your plans.
You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water,
ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’
I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me,
made small talk about wonders way over my head.
You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking.
Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’
I admit I once lived by rumors of you;
now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears!
I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise!
I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”

Therefore, I too, will shut my mouth. It is time in this nation to listen, not to speak, to repent and ask for forgiveness for all we have done in our view of our own Exceptionalism, not to make it our campaign platform…

Just some of my thoughts on the Republican National Convention…

John Cooper
https://jcooperforpeace.org/