Hymn 43

 Week Twenty-seven: Hymn 43

Our father high in heaven

Smile down upon your son

Who’s busy with his money games

Or his women and his gun

Oh, Jesus save me

If Jesus saves, well, he better save himself

From the gory glory seekers who use his name in death

Oh, Jesus save me

—Jethro Tull, Hymn 43, from Aqualung

(In light of the assassination attempt on the life of the former president, I am compelled to say that I am relieved that he was not killed. Regardless of my feelings regarding the former President, no one deserves to be shot by a bullet from a high powered rifle, not third graders, not anyone. My condolences to the families of the dead and wounded in that attack.)

Hymn 43 is a song that I don’t hear often enough, but it is a song I’ve heard literally hundreds of times (because I wore out my copy of Aqualung along with my parents’ tolerance for loud music). Although I first heard this song in 1971, the words and warning are as relevant today as they ever could have been. Recently as soon as I heard it, I thought of one person.

Stemming from his continued attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election including election interference in the state of Georgia, falsifying business records in the state of New York (for which he was found guilty on 34 felony charges), and mishandling classified records after he left the White House, a former President of the United States of America faces 88 criminal charges in four criminal cases. He incited an armed insurrection and directed a mob of people (that he characterizes as “patriots”) to attack the Capitol, which they did while he watched their progress on television. He’s charged with filing false documents, attempting to defraud the government of the United States, and attempting to disrupt an official proceeding. He was impeached twice in four years. He was found guilty of the rape of author E. Jean Carroll. He cheated on all three of his wives, impregnating two of his mistresses while married to someone else. He is accused of having sexual relationships with two different adult film actresses and paying hush money to one of them so that the general public would not learn of their tryst prior to the 2016 presidential election. He mishandled the national response to a world-wide pandemic that killed seven million people, a million of whom were Americans. His confusing comments regarding bleach as a disinfectant led to many people incorrectly believing he recommended ingesting it. His comments did lead companies (such as Lysol) to print warnings on bleach bottles warning people not to drink it.

When he lies, he leads his minions to believe things that simply aren't true. Need some examples? In one forum or another he has claimed that he created the greatest US economy in history (there are no metrics to support this claim), he passed the biggest tax cut in history (it ranks 8th), he defeated ISIS in four weeks (it took coalition forces more than two years after he took office), he was the first president to impose tariffs on China (China has faced tariffs since George Washington imposed them in 1789), and he increased government revenue even though he cut taxes (which is simply false). One more: he claims he did more for African Americans than any other president, and although he might truly believe this is true, there are no metrics to support such a claim. 

His lying is well-documented. The Washington Post found 30,573 false or misleading statements during his presidency. Simple math results in 7,643 lies per year or roughly 21 lies per day. Like I said, I just don’t get it.

Many of his outrageous claims are not technically lies. (He often calls President Biden the worst President in American history. He is certainly no student of American history or of such polls, which consistently gives that distinction to Andrew Johnson (1865-1869. President Biden ranks #19 while he himself was ranked at #43 by the Siena College Research Institute in 2022.) His repeated unfounded claims are more so the uncontrollable effects of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, a serious mental illness found more frequently in men. The causes of NPD are probably a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In other words, this guy didn’t have a fighting chance. The result is unrealistic heightened self-esteem, and manifests itself in some very familiar ways: lacking empathy, dominating conversation, unrealistic self-importance, false image projection, rule breaking, manipulation, desire for control, and blame (failure to accept responsibility). This guy wears his NPD like a crown.

He is on record as saying:

—Nobody knows more about campaign finance than I do because I’m the biggest contributor.

—There is nobody bigger or better at the military than I am.

—I know more about Isis than even the generals do; believe me.

—I know more about court than any human being on earth.

—I understand social media. I understand Twitter. Somebody said (that) I’m the Ernest Hemingway of 140 characters. I actually earned that title; do you believe it?!

—I understand the power of Twitter; I understand the power of Facebook maybe better than almost anybody.

And despite all this (and who knows what else he is hiding), there are people, many people, many, many people who seem to idolize him. I just don’t get it. But that’s not all. 

A former President of the United States of America sold golden-colored athletic shoes for $399. (All 1000 pairs sold!) He sells digital trading cards of himself depicted as characters such as a cowboy, an astronaut, a superhero, and as a svelte golfer (each at only $99). For buying 47 trading cards (do the math) one receives a “priceless” tiny piece of the suit of clothes he wore in a Georgia police station when his mugshot was taken. He sells cologne and perfume for $99. The faithful can also get a Red & Blue Koozie Set for $16, a MAGA Hat for $50, a 45 Hat for $38, a Boat Flag for $86, a Mini Speaker for $32, and a 45 Pickleball Paddle for $180.

As if this shameless commercialization of his experience in politics was not enough, he now sells Bibles. Yep, Bibles. For the low, low price of just $59.99 one gets a copy of the King James version of the Bible, a copy of the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a facsimile of handwritten lyrics to Lee Greenwood’s song God Bless the USA. 

Not long ago he used social media to write (in all caps) I LOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND MANY OTHER PLACES… He loves the ten commandments (or as he wrote “TTC”)? Really? Does he love them? The same guy who took his mistress (Marla Maples) to a ski resort where his wife and children were vacationing? That guy loves TTC? The same guy who once told his wife Ivana that he didn’t like having sex with a woman who has had a baby, to which she reportedly replied, “But they’re your children!” That guy? He seems to love number seven so much he has repeatedly tested the consequences of breaking it.

This is the same man who does not regularly attend church services. The same man who could not recite The Lord’s Prayer without a teleprompter. The same man who during an interview refused to identify one “favorite” Bible verse, claiming, “I wouldn’t want to because they’re all very special to me.” When asked if he prefers the old or new testament, he replied that they were “equal”. In that same interview he tried repeatedly to change the subject as his interviewers didn’t appear to realize the blasphemous deception right in front of them.

Hymn 43’s advice to the son of God was never more relevant than it is today. Hey JC, this gory, glory seeker would sell your sandals if he could get them off your feet.

Oh, Jesus, save me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZegqJtrtjc