I’ve written this blog for eight years now. Its subtitle is Original Thoughts on Running and Riding.” So I’ve tried to do that. I’m not a one-trick pony.

Covered many topics along the way. Always trying to relate what’s going on in this world to running, riding and belatedly, swimming. It took me a long time to get around to swim. It ultimately helped to marry a triathlete.

Despite all these topics and time that I’ve spent producing this blog, over the last eight months, I haven’t really said much about the Coronavirus epidemic. But it’s not that simple a topic to write about.

You know my politics clearly enough. The word that describes me is liberal. Yet I have almost radically conservative views when it comes to honest takes on theology rather than spouting orthodoxy and its pursuant ideology. The Bible is a liberal book. Scripture has liberal foundations. Jesus was a bleeding heart, do-gooder and the original liberal.

It is conservatives and authoritarians that have always used scripture against society to gain control. Yet when they do so, it leads to corruption 100% of the time. The religious authorities that conspired against Jesus were so convinced that they owned the narrative they were blinded to the truth. They conspired politically to frame Jesus as a threat to society.

In the wake of the crucifixion, the Christian religion that emerged from the death of Jesus spread its wings against the winds of power blowing across the Middle East. But ultimately that authority was consolidated through approval and unity with the Roman Empire. That powerful convergence led to centuries of persecution against all those who opposed its authority, leading to holy wars, inquisitions, torture, suppression of science, and even genocide. The principal victims of that ire were the Jews, because they served as a convenient scapegoat for Christians to blame for the death of Jesus even as the Roman Catholic Church exploded with the same brand of authoritarian intolerance as the religious leaders who conspired against Jesus.

The same thing is taking place again right now. The evangelical world at work today is a patent reproduction of the same type of religious authorities that conspired against Jesus and the Christians who gaslighted the world while fueling anti-Semitism, racism and biblically literal prejudice against gay people and anyone else that attracted their fear and ire.

This new cabal has worked for decades to position and install an authoritarian to do their bidding. They found their man in Donald Trump, a cryptic deceiver who is more than willing to exploit their religious authority to his political advantage.

When put to the test of truth, this authoritarian lied and lied again. The most recent expose shows that Donald Trump lied about the threat of the Coronavirus. These deceptions are completely documented in recorded conversations with journalist Bob Woodward. We now know that Donald Trump prized authority and power over the safety and well-being of the people he is entrusted to protect, the citizens of the United States, and the world.

We’ve all tried to adapt and adjust to the measures prescribed by medical experts during the Coronavirus pandemic. We worked through economic shutdowns and engaged in social distancing. We’re wearing masks in public and avoiding major gatherings whenever possible. But think about all this for a moment. While the public tried to do its best to protect itself against this disease, the President of the United States has purposely lied and confused the public on all these issues. That means his selfishness is directly responsible for nearly 200,000 deaths and millions more people infected and possibly permanently affected by this disease.

Also: If he can claim responsibility for the economy, he must also accept responsibility for its destruction under his watch.

It all blew up because this lying bastard Donald Trump is so selfish he cannot bring himself to think about anything else but his own benefit. His fixer Michael Cohen notably remarks that Trump only ran for President as a branding ploy. He didn’t give a damn about actually winning, (this article raised that question in 2011) but the power of his deceptive tactics and aid from corrupt Russian interests were so effective, he won anyway.

The really sick fact of all this is found in Trump’s continuing denial of responsibility for any of it. Those of us fortunate enough to have escaped infection thus far still face a long winter of enclosure with even greater risk of catching the disease. Many more people will die, yet his stupid supporters will refuse to wear masks. His troops will show up to threaten people at the polls, and black people will continue to be slaughtered in the streets while Trump grins and smiles and blames everyone but himself for this mess he’s created.

That’s what I think about the Coronvirus epidemic. It is as biblical a moment in history as anyone can imagine. Yet like the king in scripture who dreamed about a statue with feet fired from clay, he may yet topple into the dust. But even then, conspiracies are afoot to exonerate and pardon him for all the ills he’s brought upon this world.

The most biblical thing that could happen right now is for the terminally narcissistic Donald Trump to contract Covid and have it race through his system so fast that it sucks the life right out of his lungs and runs his ‘life battery’ into the ground. He deserves that to happen for all his lies. His supporters may brand him a martyr for the cause, but in truth, he is the cause of many martyrs giving their safety and their lives in protest of his selfish rule.

This is history, folks. This is the real deal. We’ll see what fate or God or dumb luck has in store for all of us.

And then perhaps we can turn around to consider the threat of climate change, which is all our responsibility.