None of us want peril. We want peace. Yet the ghost of peril is all around us. I have witnessed people who prognosticated peril just around the corner. Upon examination, I discovered the danger was within them; thus, they believed Armageddon was in store for their colleagues’ careers for the church and our nation. It is common for many to look out for internal struggles to extrapolate the same for their surroundings. I recall an assistant director telling me that our entire department was ready for privatization which would have meant my job and hundreds of others. Time would reveal his own criminal activity and subsequent prison sentence.

The fear of peril is daily in our nation’s nuclear deterrence policy. We look for and expect the other guy to shoot first and ask questions later. Leaders lead for a variety of reasons. Some are altruistic and others are the star of their own Hero Movie. Assumptions and instinct rule their political decisions.

Stress affects humans in many ways. Some rise to the occasion and possess a renewed focus commensurate to the problem. Others live in their head. Their thoughts are their counselors. Narcissism is found in many arenas.

Peril is the primary accusation of both the Republicans and Democrats. Each political party has this troubling feeling for a different set of reasons. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said it would be nice if we could split the difference but some things cannot be negotiated. Justice Alito’s wife agreed with the person recording her that we need a return to holiness.

Who’s definition of holiness is she agreeing with. Mrs Alito went on to say in the recording that she had to look at a Pride Flag across her lake and that she wanted to erect a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag.

So many Christians attest that the United States is a Christian nation. What about the numerous religions of Americans who are not Christian? Do we respect their right of Faith or lack thereof as is enshrined in our Constitution?

My stepfather feard tornadoes and thus chose to drive around in the dark and study the black sky to determine which way to turn to dodge the storm.

We are at the tea party with Alice In Wonderland. Fantasy has become our creed and our friend. The Cheshire Cat is smiling. We read each word of the Bible and take the words that agree with our sense of peril. We ignore those words that we disagree with…

Hate rules our Christian Nationalism. It is not getting us very far. Countless millions have been killed in the name of religion. Yet the peril of contrasting faith communities continues.