On Pendulums and Rocking Horses History Is Made

While racing on the rocking horse of youth Going nowhere closer to the sun or faster there When swinging pendulums from Democrat to Republican Age picks up the pace, in speed it keeps us in our place Remains the same with nothing more than impressions on a carpet Really, there's no distance covered on the new republic as no one cares And when the rocker and pendulum stop in mid air Dust settles at the bottom as ash on ash to gather us Into one party to call “all in with my candidate” with all your soul Dropped with a ballot but will that ever be enough How far did we expect to go on wooden horses Saddled up with straw men about to burn in vanity if not in hell Authors note: This piece was inspired by Brad Minor, a writer in “A Catholic Thing” writing on our modern politics. Qoheleth, (son of Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes) his perspective on life, which anticipates by half a millennium many of Christ’s words. In Chapter 3 – the one that begins “For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven” – he writes, “I saw under the sun in the place of judgment wickedness, and in the place of justice iniquity.” Do we really think anything has changed? But is Qoheleth’s pessimism a sound guide to politics? Yes. Mine wouldn’t be, but his is. It is because the vanity he laments (and which we see today in abundance) is proof of his theme throughout: 12:6 Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken, And the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the pulley is broken at the well, 7 And the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath returns to God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity! Amen.