Patrick Comerford
As the lies, mistruths, half-truths and misrepresentations continue to flow like torrents from the members of the Trump administration, from the Oval Office and from the White House, it is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine the depths to which these people can descend in a destructive vortex.
This week alone has seen Trump compare himself to Christ, healing the sick and raising the dead. He has virulently attacked the Pope and wrongly accused him of wanting Iran to have nuclear weapons.
We have seen JD Vance audaciously presuming to teach theology to the Pope.
We have seen Pete Hegseth quote a verse from Ezekiel that is not in the Bible but is, instead, from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, as Jules murders an unarmed man in cold blood.
It all descended into absolute alcoholic farce when Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mistakenly referred to the Strait of Hormuz as the ‘Straits of Vermouth’.
The very survival of the planet hangs on the decision-making capacity of these people. Where are we to find comfort, consolation and hope?
After a day of walking through the Staffordshire countryside, by canals and in fields, and through Rugeley, Armitage and Lichfield yesterday, I ended the day at Evening Prayer in Lichfield Cathedral.
Some of the verses in Psalm 34, the psalm appointed for Evening Prayer, offered some of that much-sought comfort, consolation and hope in the face of these lies, misrepresentations, cruelty and bellicose war-mongering:
4 I sought the Lord and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears …
6 This poor soul cried, and the Lord heard me
and saved me from all my troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him
and delivers them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is gracious;
blessed is the one who trusts in him.
9 Fear the Lord, all you his holy ones,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 Lions may lack and suffer hunger,
but those who seek the Lord
lack nothing that is good.
11 Come, my children, and listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Who is there who delights in life
and longs for days to enjoy good things?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from lying words
. 14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous
and his ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry and the Lord hears them
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and will save those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the troubles of the righteous;
from them all will the Lord deliver them.
20 He keeps all their bones,
so that not one of them is broken.
21 But evil shall slay the wicked
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord ransoms the life of his servants
and will condemn none who seek refuge in him.
There was comfort and some consolation too last night in the Second Collect at Evening Prayer and the Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils:
O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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