The Scourge of Ungodly Character

COVID, Lebensraum, and the Pattern of the Strong Exploiting the Weak

Renaissance Ministries | April 4, 2026

A Fellowship Discussion Essay

“The strong take what they will, the weak endure what they must, and Justice is spoken of only between equals.”
— Thucydides

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
— 1 Timothy 6:10

“But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”
— Matthew 19:30

Introduction: A Case Study in Power

Dr. Rick Kirschner, a naturopathic physician and respected colleague, recently posted his analysis of the COVID-19 intervention. His documentation — which we will not reproduce in full but will engage substantively — represents a devastating case study in what happens when the strong exercise power over the weak without restraint.

The numbers are staggering:

Massive wealth transfer from the middle class to the already wealthy
Small businesses destroyed while corporations flourished
Experimental interventions mandated on populations who could not refuse
Dissenting voices silenced, careers destroyed, families divided
Children’s development disrupted, mental health crises created
Deaths and injuries from the interventions themselves, often unacknowledged

Whether every claim in Dr. Kirschner’s analysis proves accurate in the historical record is not our primary concern here. What is undeniable is that a pattern emerged — a pattern we have seen before:

The strong took what they would. The weak endured what they must. And justice was spoken of only between equals.

This essay connects the COVID experience to our previous exploration of Thucydidean justice, to the deeper question of national character, and to the historical pattern of lebensraum — the ideology that justified the strong taking from the weak in the name of “necessity.”

Part I: The Pattern Revealed

What Actually Happened

Strip away the debates about virology and epidemiology. Strip away the partisan framing. Look at the structural pattern:

1. The strong became stronger

Billionaires added trillions to their wealth
Large corporations expanded while competitors were forcibly closed
Pharmaceutical companies received liability immunity while mandating their products
Government authority expanded dramatically
Tech platforms became arbiters of permissible speech

2. The weak became weaker

Small businesses closed permanently — over 200,000 in the US alone
Workers lost jobs for refusing medical interventions
Children lost years of education and socialization
Mental health crises exploded, especially among the young
The elderly died alone, isolated from family
Those injured by interventions were dismissed, denied, gaslit

3. Justice was not spoken of

Dissenting scientists were silenced, not debated
Injured parties had no recourse (liability shields)
Those who questioned were labeled “misinformation”
No accountability for policies that failed
No apologies for harms caused

This is the Thucydidean framework in action. The strong did what they could. The weak endured what they must. And justice? It was spoken of only between equals — between the powerful institutions that negotiated among themselves.

The Melian Dialogue, 2020 Edition

The Athenians told the Melians: Submit or be destroyed. Appeals to justice are irrelevant when power is asymmetric.

The 2020 version:

“Take the intervention or lose your job.” “Comply or your children cannot attend school.” “Accept the narrative or be silenced on every platform.” “Submit to the mandate or be excluded from society.”

The Melians appealed to justice, to the gods, to common decency. The Athenians replied that such appeals only matter between equals.

Sound familiar?

Those who questioned the narrative appealed to science, to informed consent, to bodily autonomy, to constitutional rights. The response: “We have the power to mandate, to silence, to exclude. Your appeals are irrelevant.”

The strong took what they would.

Part II: The Root Cause — Loss of Godly Character

Beyond Policy Failure

The COVID response was not merely a policy failure. Policies can be corrected. Mistakes can be acknowledged. Lessons can be learned.

What we witnessed was something deeper: the revelation of national character.

When a crisis arrives, it does not create character. It reveals character. The pressure of emergency stripped away pretense and showed what was actually present in the hearts of those with power.

And what was revealed?

The love of money — Pharmaceutical profits protected at all costs; wealth transfer accelerated
The love of power — Emergency authority seized and held long past necessity
The love of control — Dissent silenced, conformity demanded, deviation punished
The absence of mercy — The vulnerable sacrificed, the injured dismissed, the questioning destroyed

This is not a partisan observation. Both political tribes participated, each according to their own form of the disease.

The Common Man’s Heart

But the failure was not only among elites. The common man participated:

Neighbors reported neighbors for gathering
Families divided over compliance
Workers demanded the firing of non-compliant colleagues
Citizens cheered the exclusion of the “unvaccinated” from society

Where was the embedded care for fellow man? Where was the Golden Rule?

When the opportunity arose to exercise power over the weak — even the small power of social pressure — many chose to exercise it. The strong (those who complied with the approved narrative) took what they would. The weak (those who dissented) endured what they must.

This reveals something disturbing about national character: The principle of justice toward the weak has not been embedded in the hearts of the people.

Given the opportunity to exploit power differential, many did. Given the opportunity to exercise mercy, many chose judgment. Given the opportunity to protect the vulnerable from overreach, many joined the overreach.

The Scourge

This is a Godly scourge. We are suffering for our lack of character.

The economic damage, the health damage, the social damage, the loss of trust in institutions — these are not merely consequences of bad policy. They are the fruit of hearts that did not know how to love neighbor as self.

And the scourge will continue until character changes. Because without transformation of heart, it is only a matter of time and circumstance before the same pattern emerges again — potentially with much greater suppression of the weak.

Part III: The Lebensraum Pattern

Expansion at the Expense of the Weak

Lebensraum — “living space” — was the Nazi ideology that justified taking land from “inferior” peoples to benefit the German nation.

The logic was Thucydidean:

Germany needs space to thrive (the strong have needs)
The Slavic peoples of the East are inferior (the weak have no standing)
Therefore, Germany may take what it needs (justice is spoken of only between equals)

Hitler did not invent this logic. He applied it with industrial efficiency. But the underlying pattern is ancient:

The strong define their needs as necessities. The weak are redefined as obstacles. Justice becomes irrelevant because the parties are not equals.

The COVID Parallel

Consider the structural parallels:

Lebensraum	COVID Response
“Germany needs living space”	“We need to stop the spread”
“The Slavic peoples can be displaced”	“The non-compliant can be excluded”
“This is a biological necessity”	“This is a public health emergency”
“The strong race must secure its future”	“The compliant must be protected from the non-compliant”
“Inferior peoples have no standing”	“Anti-vaxxers are killing grandma”
“Justice doesn’t apply to unequals”	“Your bodily autonomy is selfish”

The scale is different. The methods are different. But the logic is identical:

The strong define a “necessity” that requires action
The weak are redefined as obstacles to that necessity
Normal principles of justice are suspended because the situation is “exceptional”
The weak must endure whatever the strong impose

Why This Comparison Matters

I am not claiming that COVID measures were equivalent to Nazi genocide. That would be historically illiterate and morally obtuse.

I am claiming that the underlying logic is the same — and that this logic, once accepted, has no natural stopping point.

If:

The strong may define what constitutes “necessity”
The weak may be redefined as obstacles to be overcome
Normal principles of justice may be suspended in “emergencies”
The weak must endure whatever the strong impose

Then the only limit is what the strong choose to impose. Today it is mandates and exclusion. Tomorrow?

The Nazis did not start with gas chambers. They started with defining a necessity, identifying an obstacle, suspending normal principles, and imposing on those who could not resist.

The COVID response did not start with camps. But it started with the same logic. And that logic, unchecked, leads where it has always led.

Part IV: The Transformation Required

A Change of Heart

The solution is not merely better policy. It is not merely different leaders. It is not merely reformed institutions.

The solution is transformation of character — at the individual level and the national level.

What must change?

1. The love of money must be dethroned

“For the love of money is the root of all evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

The COVID response was shaped at every level by financial incentives:

Hospitals paid more for COVID diagnoses
Pharmaceutical companies earned billions
Tech platforms grew as physical commerce was suppressed
Wealth concentrated while the masses impoverished

Until the love of money is dethroned — replaced by love of God and neighbor — the strong will continue to structure emergencies for profit.

2. The love of power must be dethroned

Power was seized during COVID that has not been relinquished. Emergency authorities normalized. Surveillance expanded. Speech controlled.

Those who tasted power rarely give it back voluntarily. The love of power must be dethroned — replaced by the understanding that power is a test, not a license.

3. The fear of man must be replaced by fear of God

Many participated in COVID overreach because they feared social consequences more than divine judgment. They feared being labeled “anti-science” more than being unjust to their neighbors.

“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)

The fear of man drove conformity. The fear of God would have driven justice.

4. The Golden Rule must be embedded in hearts

Not merely known. Not merely approved. Embedded — so deeply rooted that it operates automatically, even under pressure.

“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” (Matthew 7:12)

Would you want to be fired for your medical choices? Then don’t fire others. Would you want your voice silenced for asking questions? Then don’t silence others. Would you want to be excluded from society for non-compliance? Then don’t exclude others.

This principle must become reflex, not calculation.

National Repentance

What would national repentance look like?

Acknowledgment — Admitting what was done, without excuse or minimization
Accountability — Holding responsible those who abused power, even if they are powerful
Restitution — Restoring what was taken: livelihoods, reputations, relationships
Reform — Changing structures so the same abuses cannot recur
Recommitment — Embedding the principles of justice toward the weak in education, culture, and law

Without such repentance, we remain under the scourge. The same character that produced COVID overreach will produce the next crisis’s overreach — potentially worse.

Part V: The Divine Perspective

God Experiences Both Sides

As we explored in “Justice Between Unequals”:

God is present in both the strong and the weak. He experiences both sides of every interaction.

During COVID:

God was present in the executive who mandated compliance and in the worker who lost his job for refusing
God was present in the pharmaceutical company and in the injured patient denied acknowledgment
God was present in the tech platform and in the silenced voice
God was present in the compliant neighbor and in the reported dissenter

Every act of exploitation was felt by the One who sustains both parties. Every injustice registered in the consciousness that experiences all perspectives.

The Strong Man’s Judgment

The strong man who used COVID to:

Accumulate wealth while others impoverished
Seize power while others lost freedom
Silence dissent while claiming to speak for science
Exclude the non-compliant while claiming compassion

This man revealed his character. He acted on animal impulses — the desire for money, power, control — unconstrained by consideration for those who could not resist.

And what has he gained?

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

He has gained temporary advantage in a temporary world. He has lost the opportunity to develop the character that qualifies for Kingdom responsibility.

The first shall be last.

The Weak Man’s Vindication

And the weak? Those who:

Lost jobs for conscience
Were silenced for truth-telling
Were excluded for non-compliance
Were dismissed when injured

They endured what they must. But their endurance was not without witness. Their suffering was experienced by the One who sustains them.

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)

The last shall be first.

Part VI: The Warning

It Will Happen Again

Without transformation of character, it will happen again.

The next crisis — whether pandemic, climate, economic, or conflict — will provide the same opportunity:

The strong will define necessity
The weak will be redefined as obstacles
Normal principles will be suspended
The weak will endure what the strong impose

And many will participate. Because the character that participated last time has not been transformed.

The Stakes Are Higher

Each iteration of this pattern escalates:

The infrastructure of control is more developed
The precedents for overreach are established
The technology of surveillance and enforcement is more capable
The social conditioning to compliance is more thorough

The COVID response was a trial run. The next iteration will have more data, more capability, more precedent.

Unless character changes.

The Only Defense

The only defense against the next iteration is transformed character — at scale.

Not just policy reform. Not just different leaders. Not just better institutions.

People who will not comply with injustice, regardless of cost. People who will speak truth, regardless of consequences. People who will extend justice to the weak, regardless of power differential. People who fear God more than man.

This is the Christos vision: forming people of such character, connected in networks of mutual support, embedded throughout society.

The strong can only take what they will if the populace complies. Mass non-compliance — rooted in Godly character — is the only restraint on Thucydidean power.

Part VII: Practical Implications

For Individual Christians

Examine your COVID response — Did you participate in the exclusion of the weak? Did you report your neighbors? Did you demand compliance from those who could not resist? Repent where necessary.
Embed the Golden Rule — Not as calculation but as reflex. Would you want this done to you? Then do not do it to others.
Prepare for the next crisis — It will come. Your character will be tested. Are you developing the virtue to resist when resistance is costly?
Fear God more than man — The pressure to conform will be intense. Social costs will be real. But the judgment of God is more real.

For the Fellowship

Create accountability structures — Help each other maintain character under pressure
Develop discernment — Learn to recognize the Thucydidean pattern when it emerges in new forms
Build resilience — Economic, social, spiritual resilience to withstand exclusion and pressure
Extend justice — Actively protect the weak within your sphere of influence

For Society

Demand accountability — Those who abused power during COVID should face consequences
Reform structures — Emergency powers must have limits; liability shields must end; dissent must be protected
Educate the next generation — The pattern must be recognized; the principles must be taught
Advocate for the vulnerable — Those injured, excluded, or destroyed deserve acknowledgment and restitution

Part VIII: Discussion Questions for the Fellowship

On the COVID Response

Looking back, where do you see the Thucydidean pattern — the strong taking what they will, the weak enduring what they must — in the COVID response?
Did you participate in pressure on the non-compliant? How do you evaluate that now?
What does repentance look like for those who supported policies that harmed others?

On National Character

The essay argues that COVID revealed rather than created character failures. Do you agree? What was revealed about national character?
What would national repentance for COVID overreach look like? Is it possible?
How do we transform national character? What levers exist for such transformation?

On the Lebensraum Parallel

Is it legitimate to compare COVID response logic to lebensraum logic? Where does the comparison illuminate, and where does it mislead?
The essay argues that the same logic, unchecked, has no natural stopping point. Do you agree? What would check it?
Are we at risk of a more severe iteration of the same pattern? What conditions would enable it?

On the Divine Perspective

If God experiences both sides of every interaction, what did He experience during COVID?
How does the “first shall be last” principle apply to those who gained during COVID at others’ expense?
How does the “last shall be first” principle provide hope to those who suffered?

On Preparation

What character development do you need to resist the next crisis’s overreach?
How can the fellowship prepare collectively?
What practical steps can you take now to be ready?

Key Principles Worth Preserving

On the pattern:

“The strong took what they would. The weak endured what they must. And justice? It was spoken of only between equals — between the powerful institutions that negotiated among themselves.”

On character revealed:

“When a crisis arrives, it does not create character. It reveals character. The pressure of emergency stripped away pretense and showed what was actually present in the hearts of those with power.”

On the common man:

“The principle of justice toward the weak has not been embedded in the hearts of the people. Given the opportunity to exploit power differential, many did.”

On the scourge:

“This is a Godly scourge. We are suffering for our lack of character. And the scourge will continue until character changes.”

On lebensraum logic:

“The scale is different. The methods are different. But the logic is identical… This logic, once accepted, has no natural stopping point.”

On the solution:

“The only defense against the next iteration is transformed character — at scale. People who will not comply with injustice, regardless of cost.”

On urgency:

“The COVID response was a trial run. The next iteration will have more data, more capability, more precedent. Unless character changes.”

A Closing Prayer

Lord God, we have sinned. As a nation, we have allowed the strong to exploit the weak. As individuals, many of us participated — in fear, in conformity, in the desire to be on the side of power.

Forgive us. We reported our neighbors. We demanded compliance. We excluded the dissenting. We dismissed the injured. We chose comfort over courage, approval over integrity, power over mercy.

Transform our character. Embed the Golden Rule so deeply that it becomes reflex, not calculation. Make us people who fear You more than man, who extend justice to the weak regardless of cost, who will not comply with evil even when compliance is rewarded.

Heal our nation. Where trust has been shattered, rebuild it on truth. Where relationships have been broken, reconcile them in humility. Where bodies and minds have been harmed, bring healing and acknowledgment.

And prepare us for what is coming. The pattern will recur. The test will return. Make us ready — not with confidence in ourselves, but with character formed by You.

We deserve the scourge we are suffering. But we appeal to Your mercy. Not because we merit it, but because You are good.

In Jesus’ name, who was weak that the weak might be strong, who was last that the last might be first. Amen.

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
— Micah 6:8

“Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”
— Isaiah 1:17

Source Material: Dr. Rick Kirschner, COVID intervention analysis (Facebook, April 2026); Thomas Abshier reflection on Thucydidean justice; Copilot analysis of lebensraum; Scripture; Renaissance Ministries fellowship discussions.

Related Christos Content: “Justice Between Unequals” (Thucydides and the Golden Rule); “The Kings You Cannot See” (manufactured movements); “The Duty to Judge the Law” (citizen responsibility); “The Regulated Enemy” (demonic influence on power structures).

The Price of National Arrogance