Sacred.

As I’ve watched coverage and read things about the nonsense that happened at the US Capitol yesterday, I started to notice something surprising. The journalists, pundits and politicians seemed to reach for religious language to describe how they felt about what had happened.

“This building is sacred.”
“The electoral college vote tally is a sacrament”
“These domestic terrorists defiled the congress”
“etc.”

Why do people talk like that at moments like these?

There’s probably lots of reasons but I suspect it signals a memory-trace. Somehow, we understand there is something holy about the exercise of power for good. The story of Genesis 1-2 tells us that humanity was ordained, not first as priests, but as kings and queens.

Every time people find their way to making decisions that get the best out of creation, that honour and serve people and don’t obscure God’s providence – that is a holy thing worthy of our humanity.

Even as our houses of parliament or chambers of congress are filled up with people as kneecapped by sin as the rest of us still, by God’s common grace, so often decisions that promote the common good abound. It’s not that democracy itself is sacred. As CS Lewis put it democracy is medicine and not food. No, what is sacred is steady order that bends towards justice. So, it was perfectly appropriate for commentators to feel violated as their Capitol was breached and hope for a re-consecration.

We too hope for the same thing. Jesus was killed by a mob but raised with power. He is the fierce defender of the good and will return to cleanse the world. On that day and every day thereafter, every house and chamber and court will dispense perfect justice.

grace and peace,

Steve