"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily, I say unto you. They have their reward."
--Matthew 6:5
By the time he got around to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was a grown man. The man who spoke in red letters in The Book was a lot of things, but naive he wasn't. They have their reward.
The hypocrites desired, and received, real rewards when they prayed loudly in public for all to see. Call it fame perhaps. Celebrity. Maybe popularity in some circles. A little pub never did hurt. Ask certain candidates for president of the United States these days if fame and celebrity are real rewards with real value and real significance. One candidate claims his vast wealth goes up according to how he perceives his brand every day. For a lot of people, celebrity is better than gold.
Take, for yet one more example, ol' Judge Roy Moore. He's back in the news again, and you knew he would be. Chasing the cameras until they catch him. Some people can't help themselves. For some types, notoriety can be a fulfilling reward.
You might remember way back in 2003 when Judge Roy Moore first served as chief justice for the great state of Alabama. Something called the Court of the Judiciary had to remove him from office after he refused to remove a boulder-sized Ten Commandments monument that he installed in the rotunda of the state judicial building. He made all the papers. And rode a wave of popularity all the way to re-election in 2012. Whereas most judges refuse to discuss hot political topics even on the campaign trail for fear of appearing less than judicial, or to avoid having to disqualify themselves to hear cases later, Judge Moore was going in the opposite direction, clamoring against everything from same-sex marriage to, well, more same-sex marriages.
Now he's been suspended from the chief justice job again. And might be removed again. This time for his administrative order that he sent to probate judges telling them Bama's law banning same-sex marriages was in effect, no matter what the federal courts have said. His (dis)Honor Roy Moore's order to the probate judges came even though a federal judge had specifically told those judges not to enforce the state's same-sex marriage ban. Last year, Judge Moore demanded the governor of Alabama stand up to the feds and "judicial tyranny" over these marriage rulings.
Oh, Lord, are we back to arguing about nullification again? Didn't we fight a war--called The War in these latitudes--once upon a time over this sort of thing? If memory serves, the nullification faction didn't win. The Union prevailed, glory hallelujah. And the courts--the federal courts--have spoken on homosexual marriage. The state courts must follow.
If Judge Moore's delicate sensibilities cannot handle the requirements of his job, then he has many examples to follow. Including one right here in Arkansas, specifically Cleburne County. The former county clerk there quietly resigned her post because she didn't agree with the idea of issuing same-sex marriages. She did so without fanfare. With a noiseless dignity. And told the reporter who called her she had no hard feelings against anybody. Which is what should happen when a government employee's conscience interferes with her duties. Call it a Christian witness.
Something tells us Judge Roy Moore wouldn't understand. He wants his earthly rewards, and he's sure to get them. Just as sure as he's to win the next election if he's removed from office yet again.
Editorial on 05/12/2016