"The Frowardness of Politics"

“The Frowardness of Politics”

If you are an Alabamian, unless you are living under a rock, you are well aware that we just went through a nasty political election.  TV ads… Presidential Tweets…  Politics these days nauseates me…makes me sick to my ever-lovin’ stomach! I was trying to think of a good word to describe what is going on in today’s politics and I think I stumbled upon one in my grandmother’s old King James Version Bible.  It’s “froward” (not to be confused with “forward” which would indicate moving in a positive direction).

Here is the passage of Scripture that I read that read and thought it nails the current state of politics not only in Alabama, but nationally…

A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. (Prov. 6: 12)

I don’t have to explain what “naughty” or “wicked” mean.  “Walketh,” when used in this way means that this is a way of life.  It is the “walk” you “walk” as opposed to just being the “talk” you “talk.” What does “froward” mean in this verse? The Hebrew word used in Prov. 6: 12 means crooked and deceitful.  Froward…opposite of toward…  In Webster’s Dictionary, “toward” means (1) In the direction of (2) facing (3) along a likely course to.  So froward would be turning your face away from…moving in a course in the other direction of…in this case the truth. Turning your face from the truth as a manner of living…froward.

As if to illustrate this, we read this in the next verse…

He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers. (Prov. 6: 13)

Remember we are talking about the person whose manner of living is crooked and deceitful…  “Winketh with his eyes…speaketh with his feet… what the heck?” OK – picture a back room with 4 people sitting at a felt-covered table, smoking cigars and playing cards. Two of the players are crooked and deceitful.  They are going to cheat up a storm.  So one will wink at the other across the table…or kick the other one under the table…or scratch his cheek…  as a way to signal something in the cheating process.  Thinking of politics yet?  Feeling queasy?

When I think of the “frowardness” of politics these days, I picture two groups in a tug of war.  They are so dead set against each other, that they will not even face each other.  They are pulling against each other, with the rope over their shoulder so they can face away – not even wanting to look at the human beings on the other side of the line.  Winning for their “side” is everything.  It is their “religion.” When winning becomes your “religion,” then cheating and lying become your “sacraments.”

This is zero-sum-game stuff here.  It’s “my side can’t win unless your side loses.  If you are not 100% for me, you are against me. Whatever I have to sacrifice to get a win…even if it is my personal integrity…is worth it, because winning is everything…my religion…my god.”  Therefore, to move “toward” my opponent, is “apostasy.”  To work with someone on the other side is “blasphemy.”  I will swallow anything if it moves my side closer to a win.  I will believe anything negative that is said about my opponent, regardless of whether or not it is factual.  (Remember, in the religion of winning, lying is a sacrament). 

Frowardness…politics…  I’m just sick to death of it.  That’s one of the reasons I voted for Doug Jones yesterday.  I didn’t vote for him because I’m a Democrat.  I’m not.  I’m an Independent.  I voted for him because he ran on a platform of wanting to work with both sides…reach across the aisles…move “toward” common ground…  I voted for him and he won, but honestly I don’t feel like going around high-fiving everyone.  Because I also voted for Jones because I believe Roy Moore to be one of the most froward politicians I have ever seen.  His whole platform is defiance.  He doesn’t seem to want to move “toward” anyone…even his fellow Republicans.

In addition to that, I believe the accusations of Moore’s sexual misconduct are credible.  I’m not naïve enough to think that “politics” isn’t coming into play with the timing of these allegations.  But I’m also not naïve enough to think that just because someone “claims” to be a fundamentalist Christian, it means that they are walking in integrity…that they are who they say they are.  Several things make me believe these accusations are credible.  (1) The story was reported by a reputable national newspaper as a result of investigation. You may not like the Washington Post, and you make think it is a “liberal rag,” but I can remember back to Watergate…folks said the same thing about the Post back then – but the truth is the truth, and when there is this much smoke, there it is likely that there is fire.  (2) I have heard the stories of many, many women who have experienced sexual harassment (and worse) from men who are in positions of power.  I have no qualms believing women when they say that men behaved inappropriately toward them.  (3) I have a report from someone I know and trust who lived and worked in Moore’s hometown, and has first-hand knowledge of the whole Gadsden Mall thing.  He said, “You should believe the women.”  He has no political axe to grind.  He just said, “Moore is not who he claims to be.”

But even if I believed that all the women accusing Moore were lying, and even if I was a Republican, I still could not have voted for the man.  Why? He was a “judge” who was removed from office twice for not following the rule of law.  In my opinion, he is not fit for public office.  As I said before…defiance is his platform.  If I were a Republican, I would want anybody but Roy Moore in Washington representing my party.

Ugggghh! I feel like I need to take another shower even writing about politics.  I long for…pray for…more “towardness” in Washington, so that maybe we can move “forward” instead of “froward.” I long for…pray for…a poverty of spirit that is willing to say to someone else, “You might have a point,” or “I could be mistaken.”  I long for…pray for… the day when young people could pursue politics with a desire to serve their country for the common good…and then be able to actually do just that.  I long for…pray for…a day when civil servants are both “civil” and “servants.”

So I’m waiting…hoping…  This is the Season of Advent, so waiting and hoping are what I’m supposed to be doing anyway!