The Dangers of Draining the Swamp

 Recently I visited my son in Tumwater/Olympia, Washington. Lake Olympia used to be a tidal estuary, but was dammed to make it a lake. Last year, they drained the lake because it seemed unhealthy, and the stench was horrible! Without the tidal flows coming in and out, it had turned into a cesspool. They quickly filled it back up.

It made me think of all the politicians I hear promising to "Drain the Swamp" of our government. But a strange thing has happened as they began that process. The stink and debris they found was appalling. Everyone on any "side" was disgusted, angered, and dismayed. Panic set in and the natural human nature came into play, as everyone pointed to everyone else, saying, "It's your fault!" Humans can never accept responsibility for their own mistakes, especially the rich and powerful. Instead they seek scapegoats to pin the blame on, shifting it from themselves. We all do it, but it's especially common the more power a person has, especially despots. Any study of history will reveal it over and over again. Protestants scapegoated Catholics. Christians scapegoated Jews. Rich scapegoated poor. Individual groups on the outside of "polite society" were further ostracized. Minorities were especially susceptible. Anyone who we could label as "different."

But look at what the bottom of that swamp revealed: genocide and holocausts, slavery, prejudice and bigotry. Downright persecution, to the point of killing and maiming people for no reason, except they were "different" from those in power.

The swamp-drainers quickly found ways to cover up all those awful remains. Pretending it didn't happen if we could hide it again. Perhaps go back a century or two and live "the good old way"--which was what started filling that swamp in the first place. But if it was hidden again, well...was it really there? Denial is a strong human trait:

--There weren't any burning upside down crosses in there, were there? Men hiding their identities in their long white robes and peaked white hoods. Lynched men dangling from ropes on trees. Native children beaten for speaking their native language. Women beaten because, after all, the man was the master of his house, not to mention those who were raped and then blamed for it. Women treated as property and second class citizens, if they were citizens at all--with no right to vote.

--Let's fly the stars and stripes higher and higher, with Confederate flags or skull-and-crossbones next to it. What are we saying when we do that? "I'm right and everyone else is wrong."??? Let's blind ourselves and pretend none of it ever happened. If we keep the blinders on long enough, maybe we can pretend greatness existed in the past. But God saw it all, and He won't forget. One way or another, His judgment will eventually come. "Judgment is mine," He reminds the world, "Not yours."  Far too many of us try to take judgment into our own hands. The ultimate disobedience.