The Newsroom

Christ answered the Herodians according to their condition. “Show me the tribute-money,” said he; — and one took a penny out of his pocket; — If you use money which has the image of Caesar on it, and which he has made current and valuable, that is, if you are men of the State, and gladly enjoy the advantages of Caesar’s government, then pay him back some of his own when he demands it; “Render therefore to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God those things which are God’s” — leaving them no wiser than before as to which was which; for they did not wish to know.

Where, you may be asking, is this right not to be exploited and abused guaranteed? It’s not explicitly enumerated in the Constitution. Nor is it recognizably honored by custom. That will lead some people to argue that talk of such a “right” makes no sense. Perhaps they’re right about that. Maybe even this most fundamental right is meaningless unless it is explicitly enumerated in the law. And maybe Moses and the prophets were fools. Maybe there is no God or gods, or at least no God or gods that give a rat’s ass about the poor, the powerless, the orphans or widows. Maybe there’s no such thing as karma. Or ghosts. Maybe Dives isn’t in torment. Maybe all talk of justice is just a mask for envy or the will-to-power. But then again maybe not.

I think it was important, a little bit for the stability factor, that it wasn’t God who was going to perform a miracle, end the war and bring us home. It was men. It was Caesar. I think the majority of those guys felt the way I did but we just had some, just as people turn to faith healing and that kind of stuff, we had some of that. A lot of times I would pray for strength and I think sometimes I got it. Pray for patience to get through the next minute when things were bad. I just don’t think it’s fair to expect too much out of what is basically not the Lord’s business.