Good Morning Friends across Locals & Substack! Happy Thursday, Friends & Refugees, Early Birds & Later Dayers, Phamily, Dawn Patrol, and Political Homeless. Hey there to all of you Supporters, Members, and Lurkers across these wonderful communities—and last but not least, the ADD Irregulars, WSN Curators, and Curmudgeons!

Today’s O Antiphon speaks of the Lord of Sinai who gives the law to govern the children of Israel.  Lord — Unless you run in religious circles, play medieval fantasy games, or are active in the SCA, you probably don’t use “Lord” as much more than a low-grade profanity or expletive. For the record, I was never active in the SCA—even if I am a D&D geek—but I was often fascinated by their activities on campus when they did their “historical” reenactments. Too often, they were considered the lowest rung of dorkery or geekdom on the college campus.  “Squire, bring me my stick!”

Lord — a rather heavy word and concept, since it carries authority in its meaning. It’s hard to think positively of any authority these days, since we have seen far more misuse and abuse of authority than humble or selfless use of it. There are almost no George Washingtons left among political leadership, corporate leadership, or people within institutions of influence. I would add religious institutions, since they still carry influence in the lives of many. Power doesn’t always corrupt, but few can resist its pull. Unaccountable power inevitably tilts toward abuse, and the illusion that you are unaccountable—or above accountability—leads to its more rapid abuse. A good lord (an occasional expletive among the gentler crowd) is hard to find. Washington was not perfect, but that he walked away from power is remarkable.

Anything you cannot walk away from without authoritarian abuse is an unhealthy community or relationship. By abuse, I mean your life or livelihood being threatened with injury or termination. I guess many are tempted to say that makes almost all governments—and the societies built around them—unhealthy. Enemedia, Big Tech, Academia, Wokertainment, Uni-party Careerists, and now Big Pharma Addicts have all created cultures of punishment for the outliers, heretics, or scapegoats they designate. They often don’t have to do anything themselves; they have flash cancel mobs and legions of bots ready to mobilize online and occasionally show up for mostly peaceful protests. There is not an abundance of Good Lords or Ladies, as it were.

I am not so black-pilled or jaded as to think there are no good people in positions of authority in life, but they are infrequent and rarely celebrated in the current culture. They probably like it that way, to be honest—celebrity is one of the quickest ways to wreck your life. Fame almost always comes with an unmooring from reality, as your perception of self-importance surpasses your actual contribution to humanity. I hope you have had the good fortune of encountering people in good leadership positions at work or elsewhere in life. Authority paired with accountability can open the door to leadership that excels for the good of all, but as soon as the sense of accountability—or actual accountability—disappears, abuse seems to be inevitable. Human beings are deeply broken by sin.

If you ever find yourself in a position of Lord- or Ladyship, I hope you can handle the authority entrusted to you with responsibility and humility. Good Lord, I am thankful I believe in One, and I am thankful that my path through life has been filled with a number of humble servant leaders and only a few authoritarian douchebags. I’m not talking about the world beyond daily interaction—as mentioned previously, there are too many who abuse or misuse authority on the larger stage. The bigger the stage, the larger the fraud. Not always, but often.

Daily interactions with real people in life—and even online—keep the cynicism and resignation at bay. Ever a skeptic, never a cynic. I strive for that, but it is not easy. The two are so similar, yet skepticism opens the door to questions, to hope, to change; cynicism does the opposite. They look the same at the beginning emotional and intellectual onset, but they yield very different results.

Blessed Thursday, my friends across the internet. You are remembered daily in my prayers, and so many of you are thought of fondly and with gratitude for being among the people who brighten my life.