Look Who's Back

I just finished watching the new German film “Er ist wieder da“ (translated “He is back“) on Netflix.  While the film is in German, Netflix does provide English subtitles for the linguistically-German challenged.  The film can be found on Netflix by searching for “Look Who’s Back.” 

Like all good satire, the movie utilizes humor to great effect in the pursuit of exposing key weaknesses in contemporary society.  The film is a fictional account of the mysterious return of Adolf Hitler to 2014 Berlin.  With his last recollection being that of his Berlin bunker in May 1945, Hitler begins exploring contemporary society.  While his interpretation of 21^st Century society is amusing, the most interesting parts by far were the interactions the actor had with real bystanders.  You see, the film was made on the streets of Germany and many of the people “Hitler” interacts with are not actors themselves.

I am not going to give any more details about the movie because I would really rather you see it for yourself.  However, I will say that the end does a great job bringing everything around and leaving the viewer with some good “food for thought.”  While some (many?) will find the thought of a Hitler satire to be distasteful (not unwarranted) I took the moral of the story to be that the horrors that occurred from 1933-1945 under Hitler’s reign were nothing special to him or that place or time; rather they could all happen anywhere, anytime.  Why?  Because humans are sinful.  Hitler (the real one), while I believe an agent of Satan, merely tapped into the inherent sin of mankind.  We have plenty of examples of such sin around us today, which is what precisely makes this movie a “must see” right now; it shines a much needed light on the very weaknesses that make our society ripe for a leader to abuse.  In the US, we see leaders, and those that seek such positions, abuse power, shirk culpability, and flaunt their immunity to the repercussions of their illegal activity.  Others speak in ways that foster hate.  Or do they just tap into it?  The moral of the movie “Look Who’s Back” is that the characteristics of a leader reflect more about those that follow them than it does about the leader themselves.  In the movie, the character Hitler reminds another character that he was elected by the people.

While the real Adolf Hitler is more than deserving of the distain and contempt for generations to come, let us never forget a nation’s leader is really a reflection of the people.  Nothing could be more applicable to our nation today as we head into a presidential election.  

The Clinton Case

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”  This quote from the book Animal Farm by George Orwell is well known and yet few are actually familiar with the context.  This quote appears toward the end of the book and sums up the hypocrisy of the new animal government now run by the elite pigs.  In the story the pigs proudly proclaim the equality of all animals and yet routinely demonstrate that the true power and privilege is reserved for themselves, the political elite.  This privileged Pig Class in the story engages in illegal activity with impunity.

While Animal Farm is mere allegory, it nevertheless highlights the gross defects in our own government and the “Pig Class” that controls it.  The most recent, high profile example of this is the FBI’s decision to not prosecute Hillary Clinton for her grossly negligent handling of classified information.  The typical punishment for such an act would be a fine and/or imprisonment of up to ten years.  Hillary Clinton is not a typical “animal,” however; she is a well-connected member of the Pig Class, those that currently run the government.  As such, she enjoys certain exemptions from prosecution from illegal activity. 

Our Founding Fathers sought to establish a nation built upon and held together through laws, laws that applied to all citizens, not just the Pig Class.  Laws that apply equally to all citizens are essential as they are “the strongest bonds by which human policy can connect the rulers and the people together.  It creates between them that communion of interests and sympathy of sentiments, of which few governments have furnished examples; but without which every government degenerates into tyranny.” (James Madison, Federalist 57) 

This is not a party issue, though it will be made into one.  Democrats will come to the defense of Clinton and Republicans will attack her like wolves.  Should Clinton have been a Republican, the opposite would be the case.  In either case, the combined Pig Class of Republicrats would prevail and lawlessness would win the day.  “The Clinton Case” is just one more brick laid in the ever growing Tower of Tyranny and such bricks will continue to be laid as long as us common animals permit it.

My Report on the 83rd GA of the OPC

The Rev. Matthew Kingsbury and I attended the 83th GA of the OPC as commissioners on behalf of our regional church, the Presbytery of the Dakotas, at Sandy Cove Conference Center in North East, MD from June 8-13, 2016.  The meeting of the GA also coincided with the 80^th anniversary of the OPC as a denomination.  The GA is the governing body of the OPC and the highest court of appeal in judicial matters.  

The Assembly was addressed by delegates from denominations with which the OPC enjoys fraternal relations. The delegates represented denominations from Austria, Switzerland, Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, and several others here in the United States.  The Committee on Diaconal Ministries highlighted the opportunity for our deacons to attend Diaconal Conferences.  The Committee on Home Missions and Church Extensions now provides updates on Facebook in an attempt to provide churches with timely prayer request information about mission works.  There is also a monthly bulletin, Home Missions Today, which is posted on the committee’s website.  The Statistician reported that while total membership of the OPC reached 31, 191 members this last year, a new record high, this is only a 0.22 percent increase from the year before.  While this stagnation is concerning, we can give praise that God continues to gather in His own!

The Assembly asked the Committee on Christian Education to return to next year’s GA with recommendations on the preparation of a “Modern English Study Version” of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which would modernize the language of the catechism without changing its meaning.  The Assembly agreed to move forward in publishing the new Psalter Hymnal, a collaboration between the OPC and the URCNA.  The Committee for the Historian reported that there is a book project in progress titled Choosing the Good Portion: Women of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.  This anthology, scheduled to be published fall 2016, will feature 52 essays highlighting the lives of dozens of women in the OPC.  We give thanks to our Lord for the faithful service of these women over the last 80 years!

The Assembly received a study report on the topic of Republication, which will be distributed to presbyteries and made available to interested parties for study.  In light of the report, the Assembly recommended that presbyteries examine a candidate’s understanding of the covenant of works, the Mosaic Covenant, and the specific topics enumerated in the report.  May this report be an aid in crafting more biblical shepherds charged with the preaching of His Word to the flock!

The OPC Pension Plan will now change from a trustee-directed plan to a participant-directed plan, allowing members the flexibility to choose an investment allocation that best fits his unique circumstance.  A new Committee on Ministerial Care will now be created, which will take over the duties of the Committee on Pensions, oversight of the OPC Obadiah Fund, and provide advice or resources regarding financial risk management and planning to OPC ministers.  May these coming changes meet the temporal needs of our ministers, who have so fervently labored after our eternal needs!

Praise God for His eternal faithfulness to His own as we see the Gospel of Jesus Christ lived out through the many efforts of the OPC and her fraternal denominations, all to the glory of our God and our enjoyment of Him forever!