Why I Am NOT A Politician

 Listening to Talarico’s “Jubilee Town Hall” (Jubilee? Are we forgiving all debts and return all land to the Native Americans?), I was impressed, and realized why I’m not a public official.

Long before I went to seminary, I knew a semi-retired pastor who’d done what many did in those days (do they still? Probably.), taken up the Ronin task of temporarily serving congregations that were between pastors. “Intentional interims” have distinct duties and distinct freedoms. This guy reveled in his ability to be politely (and diplomatically) honest. He told the story of a Severe Churchgoing Woman who upbraided his theology as Not The Right Kind and questioned whether he truly worshipped God. He happily told her, “Madam, I am quite sure I don’t worship the God you do.”

Interims can get away with that shit. Old men tend to speak their minds, too. Like yours truly. It’s not the best thing, but sometimes I don’t care.

Talarico was asked if he believed Jesus was the only savior. His answer was appropriately non-controversial. Even the Lovely Wife spoke up in disagreement with the questioner: “She’s just talking about Paul.”  True, filtered through John, who was fighting to distinguish his Jewish group from the other Jews around, all of whom were having a bad enough time after the second fall of Jerusalem. And Paul was really much more ecumenical than John comes across (although there is the woman at the well….).

Me, I’d have flatly said: “No.” Because I had to answer that question more diplomatically and carefully 25 (!) years ago. And now I don’t have to.

There was another person who I would have flatly argued with, but I can’t even remember the question now (I will tonight, just as I fall asleep. 😴 And then I’ll be awake for an hour….). The point being, whatever diplomacy I ever had, it was never enough to make it in politics.

Let me go at it this way;

Talarico: I think what I was saying is actually not controversial theologically—the idea that we can’t define God using human categories… not only did I say that, but the late Charlie Kirk said that https://t.co/zdr7eCXDed

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 15, 2026

The entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures say that. Here is just one example:

11And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 14And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

1 Kings 19:11-14

What’s described there is a theophany: the creation reacting to presence of the Creator. God is present in the creation, but God is not in the creation. There is the creation, and there is the Creator; but they are not coterminous, nor homoousias (or homoiousias). But where does that get us? On Sinai Moses stands in the glory of God, and the thunder on the mountaintop scares the shit out of the Israelites. They hide in their tents. Isaiah sees God  in the heavenly throne room, but only sees God’s glory. Ezekiel sees God leave Jerusalem in a chariot throne (mobility and royalty), but again, sees only God’s glory. So what does God even look like? One of the scandals of Xianity was (still is), that God was present in identifiably human form (Abraham saw God at the oaks of Mambre, but God came as three travelers, all of which were God and not God, at the same time. Holy mysteries are very old.). Xianity still struggles to explain the Incarnation.

God is not a human category. EOD. To say otherwise is blasphemy. Well, to believers. That’s not a universal statement applicable to all. Besides, how do we understand except in human categories? And yet, to believers, God is not reducible to a human category.

Now you see why I’m not a politician? And yet we make politicians give us simple answers, and then berate them for “pandering” when they do.*

*CNN had a discussion after the town hall. One member (I was listening, on the radio, not watching) agreed Paxton was crooked as a dog’s hind leg, but he was the Republican candidate Trump endorsed and, besides, Talarico had changed his position on something, and that was more unacceptable. If Paxton was the Democratic candidate, I’d vote for the Republican, or not vote. And Talarico modified his position to be more palatable to more people. I don’t have a problem with that. I’m just too much of an asshole and an old crank to do that. But it’s mostly the former; the latter is pretty recent.