13/10/2025
Do you remember that 1980 song by The Police called “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da”? Pretty catchy, isn’t it? Sting (née Gordon Sumner) wrote the lyrics for “De Do Do Do” as a commentary on how easy it is for politicians (or other writers, like himself) to manipulate people with their words. In the case of songwriters, one may be enticed to sing along to simple, catchy lyrics, which may lead to buying the song. In the case of politicians, one may be lured into supporting authoritarian figures by their populist rhetoric, which may lead to voting for someone who will actually work against the interests of the people they are sworn to serve. The outcomes are, of course, very different, but the mechanism is the same: manipulation.
I was reminded of this by Richard Rohr’s email for today, “Jesus the Prophet”. Rohr speaks of the importance of balancing blind faith with critical assessment. In many religions there are both priests and prophets, and both are needed to keep the belief system healthy. The priests keep the religion going by encouraging people to follow the traditions set forth, and the prophets keep everything balanced by encouraging introspection, critical thinking, and rejection of hypocrisy.
The prophet Jesus invited people to commune, not just with him but with each other. He encouraged compassion, provided healing, and stood up for the poor and oppressed. He was also quite critical of the hypocrisy of those who claimed to be the most upstanding of the community’s leaders.
My favorite quote from Rohr’s message comes near the end. “The only way evil can succeed is to disguise itself as good. And one of the best disguises for evil is religion.” You can read the entire email at: https://email.cac.org/t/d-e-gethlk-tlkrdjikn-e/
These thoughts also led me to revisit another chilling reminder of how deceit and hate can be manifested through religion if leaders only seek power and don’t abide by the actual loving, inclusive messages of the prophets. John Gielgud’s performance as The Grand Inquisitor from Dostoevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov” was intense, and Michael Feast’s performance as Prisoner said everything without using words. I recommend a viewing.
I personally try to remember that religion is a manmade construct to try to make sense of a world and a universe we may never fully understand. There are no humans who have all of the answers to the questions we seek. We are all in this together—unknowing, questioning, searching. Let’s lift each other up, instead of tearing each other down, so we can all reach our full potential as spiritual beings.
https://youtu.be/om6HcUUa8DI?si=Rhx1IRcOQtZ7H-eO
A rare version 1975 of The Grand Inquisitor from Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov produced by the Open University.Inquisitor: John Gielgud, Prisoner: Mich...
