Losing

We lost!  I don’t mean Biden won or Trump won.  It doesn’t really matter because the real loss is far greater than who will be President for the next four years.  What we lost is bāṭaḥ.  You know the word (I hope).  It is translated “trust,” and in every circumstance except Proverbs 31:11, whenever it describes human connections, it is negative.  Loss of trust.  You see, no matter what happens now, it is my belief that Americans of all political persuasions no longer trust the process.  They don’t trust the politicians, the voting system, the media or each other.  The real consequence of this election is the book of Judges, a period when the tribes of Israel lost trust in each other.  The result was civil war (almost) AND (and this is important) a cry for a dictator (a king) who would stop all the chaos.  I wonder if we aren’t very close to that.

No society can survive a fundamental loss of trust.  Business cannot be done.  Relationships collapse.  When the Italian government offers a reward to report your neighbor if they don’t follow COVID regulations, the intra-societal dependence necessary for survival is destroyed.  Apparently Governor Cuomo is doing the same.  Without bāṭaḥ humanity is reduced to slavery, suspicion and spies.  Secret police follow.

I don’t know who will eventually win this election.  I’m afraid that it won’t matter in the long run.  Everyone is a loser this time.