11/7/2004, KJS, DC.

Feeling as if this is a crucial point in our planets history I’ve devoted entirely too time this past year trying to understand how we got to thinking George W. Bush carried the support of Jesus Christ in the 2004 election. Besides Bushs’ own support of Jesus, I really don’t understand how strange and surreal this world must be to confuse these two figures as similar. If you think for a second how Christ might lead America at that time like this…I imagined this:

• After 9/11 Jesus could very well have stunned the world by having no response right away – quietly moving military and intelligence around, perhaps; and definitely leading the country through an official mourning period filled with symbolism. During which time Jesus probably would not have endorsed shopping as a patriotic act and likely have had secret bilateral conversations with nations and groups and civil society to gauge a response. He would definitely see terrorism as an evil, but in handling it, would try soft power before talking to his war machine. The Joint Chiefs reporting to Jesus as President would have a hard time making decisions, no doubt.

• Jesus would not back away from a fight but every intent would be to affect the peace, not start a war. Yes there was justice to serve, but peace is another way to force change. Although CNN may not turn out a new logo for broadcasts with that attitude.
  

• Publicly Jesus might even try and bring in enemies to talk, effectively calling a truce. State Department would resign although that’s what they are built to do. In talking, Jesus might find that terrorists are really distraught with globalization – the spilling over of western values into their sanctified spaces. He would likely hear that Muslim cultures see America as the City of Sodom itself. Jesus perhaps might not disagree.
• In diplomacy, Jesus would lead with humility. A Presidential Jesus would be gentle yet forthright and fearless with Allies and enemies alike. He would never swagger over rich red carpets with chest bowed for newspapers. He would likely conclude that trying to address the entire Middle Eastern situation head-on would be more effective than interventions.
• Being mindful, Jesus would turn to American media, business, advertising, and communications and tell them to stop basing so much of our culture on stupidity, sex and sin. Brands and networks would be confused and conflicted by Jesus as President who might well abhor pop culture and find the television mind withering but want the values of America spread across lands, and aspired to.

Insofar as every day policy, not war time policy, would Bush be like Jesus?

• Jesus lived for social justice and would probably tear up just knowing a Brita faucet and a Brita container exist in the same kitchen while a 5-hour plane ride away there are water and sanitation problems reminiscent of hell.
• Jesus would be amazed that 5/6 of the world’s wealth was held by 1/6 of the world’s population. Jesus might do the unthinkable: call for a slow down of the economy to equalize wealth. Jesus would push tax breaks not just the top 1%, but for everyone.
• Jesus would be disgusted at the state of our environment, the garden of our Lord’s grace. President Jesus would oppose our reliance on oil for a variety of obvious reasons and institute very tight controls on pollution which corrupt the public good. As President, Jesus would remind us that Americans share space and time equally with every other person on this good Earth. Jesus would study smart growth, endorse carpooling and telecommuting and lower speed limits like Jimmy Carter tried.
• Jesus would probably decry plastic surgery, condemn pencil thin models, Spring Break and pornography, McDonald’s, want to rid the world of stress, multi-tasking, apathy, and MTV.
• President Jesus’ miracles might include releasing inequitable tariffs on developing world farmers. not loosening FCC regulations and getting business out of politics.
• No company or donor could buy Jesus. Jesus as President would not do favors for his vice President’s former company. Jesus would punish unethical corporations and gut the IRS.
• Jesus would find alternative models for large-scale farming to save the earth’s soil and would start over altogether on the Farm Bill.
• Finally, President Jesus would accept multi-sexuality as he did prostitutes and eventually tax collectors. As for gay marriage, in an attempt to preserve family sanctity Christ would oppose divorce as much if not more. There would be a full scale war on poverty. Schools, Medicare and Social Security would all be reformed.

If you think about it, Jesus wouldn’t have even been a Republican (or a Democrat). He would never condone the death penalty, try not to fight and his views on welfare are beyond socialist. But what’s done is done.