NO COMPRENDO

To admit I don’t understand certain facts or behaviors isn’t difficult for me to do, especially if the admission includes a willingness to listen, learn, or read in order to expand my knowledge base.

I’m not a scholar of organized religion, but until the evening of the Iowa Caucuses, I thought I had a handle on what it means to be an evangelical Christian. The Caucuses’ results showed me the handle has come loose. In fact, it’s fallen off completely.

Perhaps what I thought I knew wasn’t based upon facts. Maybe the little bit of knowledge about the evangelical movement I thought I possessed was really a set of impressions. If that is the case, I welcome learning more about the topic.

The old me would have thought Iowans who label themselves evangelical, would never lend their support to a political candidate who has shown himself to be a traitor, an insurrection leader, a liar, an abuser of women, an unfaithful husband, and a racist.

I thought mistakenly that an evangelical’s love for humanity would cause him/her to reject a POTUS who has stated a desire to shred the U.S. Constitution, has illegally taken and stored more than a few documents labeled TOP SECRET, has denied the existence of a worldwide pandemic, has filed false tax returns, has engineered and participated in schemes to falsify election results, and has demonstrated his admiration and imitation of the strategies used by Adolph Hitler and his supporters during the 1930’s and 1940’s.

I was wrong.

I do wonder about the thoughts that ran through the minds of evangelical voters when this candidate addressed a group of Iowans prior to the caucuses, instructing them to forget about the snow and frigid temperatures, to come and write his name on their caucus papers, “even if you feel sick as a dog and die. It’ll be worth it.”

I don’t understand any of this. Not at all. But I’m more than willing to listen to an explanation and learn.

©Renée Bess 2024

Renée Bess writes novels, short stories, poetry, and opinion pieces. She’s won a Goldie Award (GCLS,) and an Alice B. Readers Award. Her books can be purchased at amazon.com, bellabooks.com, and kobobooks.com. Her website, which really needs an update, is http://www.reneebess.com