A Virtual Church

The right side of history

Today

Speaker Mike Johnson, on Saturday, April 20, led the US House of Representatives in a monumental decision to continue funding for the Ukraine war. In the press conference following the historic bipartisan vote, he said, “I want to be on the right side of history.” And for this vote, he will be.
 
Honestly, I have not had a lot of confidence in Mike Johnson. He supposedly was one of the architects of the fake elector scheme, with intention of overthrowing the legitimate election of Joe Biden. That certainly would not have put him on the right side of history. So how does one define what is the right side of history? 
 
It is said that history is written from the perspective of the winners. That appears true when we discover the stories of hidden figures and others lost to history, because they had little voice and influence at the time. The Bible is a prime example. Stories told from the perspective of a patriarchal hegemony omit many stories of women who whisper their lives through the Old and New Testaments. That women from Esther to Mary made it into the text is some kind of miracle. 
 
The right side of history is the side where people flourish, people thrive, and their voices are heard. History is forward moving. The people who have vision of a future with hope are on the right side of history. 
 
For 248 years America has stood, not as a perfect union, but one always on the growing edge of finding it. American discovery, creativity, ingenuity, artistry, charity and engineering propelled us to be “the shining city on the hill” talked about by Ronald Reagan. Even with some of the problems we have now, good things are happening everywhere among us, and history is recording it.
 
Marjorie Taylor Greene is on the wrong side of history. She spent Saturday outside the Capital angry as a snake, trying to convince us the sky was falling. Anger never moves anything forward. Somebody needs to inform her Maga alt right that their 24 hours of fame are over. We have real problems in the world, we need real leaders to solve them. 
 
Mike Johnson may lose his speakership for brokering this bi-partisan bill. If so, he will be the sacrificial lamb who accomplished something good in his tenure. All the NC Representatives, with the exception of Dan Bishop, voted to support Ukraine. Good on you!
 
Russia is on the wrong side of history in their barbarous bombardment, killing and destruction in an unprovoked war in Ukraine. Being on the right side of history involves respect of sovereign nations and their citizens. War, and the threat of nuclear war, should stop all of us in our tracks. 
 
The rebuilding of Europe after WWII should have marked the end of puffed-up dictators and their notions of winning through might. The destruction we see in Ukraine and Gaza reminds us of the human cost and the pure stupidity of war. Rebuilding either of these places will likely not happen anytime soon. We see evidence of Putin’s big stick and Netanyahu’s big ego, and it’s just sad. The big stick and intimidation are not on the right side of anything. 
 
Donald Trump is on the wrong side of history. Character and shared values have always been important to the American people. He lacks both. His misogyny, cruelty, bombast, and dishonesty render him a lost soul in the scheme of things. He does not represent who we are.
 
The Arizona GOP legislature is on the wrong side of history. Enforcing a regressive law that was drafted in 1863 punishes women for seeking health care. Your thoughtless government is being written into Arizona history right now. Names, and dates. Folks, you will not tear down Arizona or America and remain anonymous. 
 
Today in our church we did an event, Rise Against Hunger. In a little over an hour, we packed and boxed up 19 thousand pouches of food that will be shipped to a place where hunger is a huge problem. Who knows, someday these packets may go to Gaza to help those people who have been bombed into starvation. This seems like doing something on the right side of history. We will sleep well tonight. 
 
Lib Campbell is a retired Methodist pastor, retreat leader, columnist and host of the blogsite www.avirtualchurch.com. She can be contacted at libcam05@gmail.com