The Real Deal
Rev. Erik Swanson
April 6, 2025
I am a huge fan of Yellowstone park and so I wanted to check out the TV series 1923 about the Yellowstone Ranch and that part of the world, starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren and their cattle raising family. While the show features beautiful landscapes and compelling story lines, I am deeply disturbed by the violence, especially from religious figures who justify horrific acts like rape and murder against Indigenous people in the name of God. This disturbing portrayal, though dramatized, reflects historical realities, prompting us to reflect on the misuse of religious power both past and present.
The True Message of Jesus
There is a sharp contrast between such abuses and the true message of Jesus, emphasizing that Christianity should be about love, humility, and service—not domination. I’m particularly moved by the biblical account of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with perfume, as described in John 12, verses 1-8. This story describes a vulnerable and intimate act that models self-giving love. This act is the essence of following God—an expression of power through service, not control.
Application to Present Day Injustices
These spiritual insights relate directly to present-day injustices. For example, there was a recent incident in San Jose where ICE detained a man in front of his children, threatening to take the kids into custody. This mirrors the same abuse of power seen in the 1923 series—an exercise of control over the vulnerable, often justified by distorted religious or nationalistic ideologies.
The Church Must Embody Justice and Love
Reflecting on a recent meeting I had with other Presbyterian clergy, our discussion emphasized the church’s calling to embody justice and love. Rather than asserting power over those in need, the church should walk alongside them in mutual care and support. The challenge, however, lies in overcoming the fear that serving others makes one weak or susceptible to harm. Paradoxically, offering oneself to others is how one truly discovers their own identity and strength.
Achieving True Transformation
We must criticize the ongoing tendency of Christian institutions to misrepresent God’s nature by promoting coercion and control. The clergy in the 1923 series fail to embody any sense of love or service, raising the critical question: Why would anyone want to convert to a religion associated with such violence and hypocrisy? True transformation comes through forming sacred communities rooted in compassion and mutual support. Through such love and service, healing can happen—both for individuals and the broader world.
Recommit to the Central Message of Jesus
As Holy Week approaches, we must recommit to the central message of Jesus: to love, to serve, and to give of oneself even in the face of suffering. Jesus, who washed his disciples’ feet and submitted to the cruelty of others without retaliating, demonstrated the kind of divine strength that transforms the world. People of faith must embrace this deeper understanding of God—not a God of dominance, but one of self-offering love. I hope that this time, we might truly learn to embody that call and, through it, contribute to the healing of the world.