Lew, that’s a garish painting, Jesus descending upon Capitol Hill with the U.S. Constitution in hand. Divinely inspired? What on earth could be divinely inspired about any plan for government? Is the U.S. government, or the United States of America itself, God’s word on earth, God incarnate, the body of Christ made flesh in the moment between the ascension and the eschaton? Is it the church, and we just don’t know it?

The artist, on his web site, notes: “Some of the chatter going around  on these liberal blog sites I feel is unfounded. One of the things I said to myself from the beginning was the knee jerk reaction some people would have to the painting would be very revealing as to which side they personally stood in the picture. If you don’t believe the Constitution was inspired of God, fine. We will agree to disagree.”

I’ve always found it interesting why so many Christian conservatives (McNaughton is a Latter-day Saint) feel a need to make the United States government, and the United States of America when governed properly (by a Republican), a sacred or even divine entity. We certainly disagree on the nature of the inspiration behind the U.S. Constitution (it is no more inspired than any other human action, and less inspired than some, say a beautiful poem, the Qur’an or a Bach concerto, simply because it creates a government, which by nature is force and fraud — Samuel tells Israel just that in 1 Samuel 8), but the difference between his view and mine is that his has significant negative consequences mine doesn’t. Murderous consequences. A divinely inspired government (assuming it is properly governed) can do no wrong, no matter who it kills or compels and how many it kills and compels. Especially in matters of war. If God supports the nation, its government and its wars, then who am I, mere mortal, to dissent?

The artist also notes that he knew Thomas Jefferson and Tom Payne were Deists when he painted this picture, adding: “That was irrelevant to me. I believe God brings about His purposes through different people. Even those who aren’t baptized or following the accepted Christian religion.” So why not also paint a grand, giant picture of Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky, Kamenev, Zinoviev and the other architects of the Russian Revolution receiving their marching orders from Jesus? Or why not add Marx, Engels, Rosa Luxembourg, Mao, Castro, Ho Chi Minh, Kim Il Sung and a whole mass of workers, peasants, and soldiers of different races for a great big mural of the heroes of communism, receiving the manifesto and Kapital and What Is to Be Done? from Jesus? After all, didn’t God work God’s purposes through them, and their work, as well?

The Best of Charles H. Featherstone