Jesus says: Don't Wear Tin Foil Hats

Fr. Tony’s Midweek Message

Jesus says: Don’t Wear Tin Foil Hats

September 24, 2020

In the readings for Morning Prayer earlier in the week, we came across a passage that made me think of all the conspiracy theorists we have in our country, tearing it asunder by us-and-them blame gaming: 

^“11For the Lord spoke thus to me while his hand was strong upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying:¹²Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what it fears, or be in dread.¹³But the Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.¹⁴He will become a sanctuary, a stone one strikes against; for both houses of Israel he will become a rock one stumbles over a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.¹⁵And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken” (Isaiah 8:11-20). 

The greatest problem with conspiracy theories is that at root they are so illogical and unreasonable: the absence of evidence is taken as evidence of just how deep the conspiracy runs. Jesus tells us, of course, to be smart as snakes and harmless as doves, but conspiracy theories are not smart in the least: they are dumb, despite all evidence.

In this era of wanting to be a united nation once more, a good first step is stop spinning and repeating conspiracy theories.  I believe it is what our baptismal covenant tells us to do when we affirm that we will seek out Christ in all our fellow human beings. 

Grace and Peace. 

Fr. Tony+