Anniversaries

A mark of the powers of this world, the "elemental things" that Paul spoke of in Galatians 4, is their conformity to times and seasons. It goes beyond the inclination of people to observe these things slavishly. As Paul wrote, it's inherent in the spiritual powers of this world.

Consider the Sharpeville Massacre of March 21, 1960, in which South African security cops mowed down 69 unarmed people with machine gun fire as they demonstrated against the pass laws. 25 years later to the day, South African security cops killed over 20 people on their way to a funeral commemorating Sharpeville. August 6 in the Christian liturgical year is the Feast of the Transfiguration, which commemorates the day on the mountain that Jesus became too bright to look at. That was the day in 1945 chosen to incinerate the city of Hiroshima with a bomb too bright to look at. September 11, 1973, at the prompting of the United States, the Chilean military overthrew the democratically elected government and killed thousands of people, torturing and disappearing many more. September 11, 2001, 19 hijackers managed to kill about 3000 people in the United States, accelerating the demise of the American republic.

December 15, 1791 was the day that the Bill of Rights, Amendments 1-10 of the US Constitution. came into force. December 15, 2011, Congress passed legislation empowering the US military to hold anyone that the President decides without charges and for as long as he thinks good.