TO THOSE I’VE DISAPPOINTED. . .

and the rest of you too

It’s tight-rope-like work finding a balance between being prophetic and at the same time pastoral. Those of us who feel called to the dual role are often the least likely to do either let alone both. My prophetic role is executed primarily through this blog, and if numbers mean anything at all, then I don’t even achieve minor prophet status.

Recently I was listening to a podcast during which a psychologist was talking about her blog site, a site with over 40,000 followers. To put that in perspective, I have maybe 100, and that’s on a really good blog day.

This psychologist spoke of having “rejection anxiety.” I can relate. “Every time I post,” she said, “I literally sweat through my clothes I’m so anxious about the response.” The interviewer asked her why she did it if it was so stressful. “I don’t know for sure,” she replied, “but I can’t not do it.” 

Her words reminded me of Jeremiah: “Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot” (Jeremiah 20:8-9).

I’M NO JEREMIAH, BUT . . .

As expected, some readers have not appreciated my critique of the current U.S. president and his administration. But as best I can discern, God’s word to me concerns Donald Trump and the effect his presidency is having on Christianity in America. Like it or not, Donald Trump is the face of evangelical Christianity in the U.S.

This is the argument Kristin Kobes Du Mez, a historian at Calvin University, makes in her new book Jesus and John Wayne. In an interview with Vox magazine she says, “So evangelicals are not acting against their deeply held values when they elect Trump; they’re affirming them. Their actual views on immigration policy, on torture, on gun control, and on Black Lives Matter—they all line up pretty closely with Trump’s. These are their values, and Trump represents them.”

The problem with that Trump-evangelical connection is that our current President is a distraction from our common calling as followers of Jesus. God is asking us to lay down the sword and pick up the cross, thereby choosing to be last rather then first. God warns us against the belief that winning is the measure of righteousness. The Good Shepherd is begging us to be more like sheep and less like wolves. I hear Jesus pleading with us to listen for his voice and to recognize that the hireling will not lay down his life for us.

THE BEATITUDES AND THE PRESIDENT

At times Trump’s words are directly antithetical to those of Jesus.

Jesus: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Trump: “When people wrong you, go after those people, because it is a good feeling and because other people will see you doing it. I always get even.”

Jesus: Blessed are the merciful, for they will find mercy (Matthew 5:7). Trump: “We should go for waterboarding and we should go tougher than waterboarding.”

Here’s what I’m afraid of: Four more years of Donald Trump as President of the U.S. will further divide us as Christians. President Trump has no desire to unite us, no passion for unity around the mission mandated to us by Jesus. And this brokenness within the body of Christ is impeding our ability to be God’s redemptive agents in the world. This failure to partner with God in God’s longing to heal the world’s wounds is breaking God’s heart . . . and mine.

Perhaps the worse outcome of the Trump presidency and its close association with evangelicalism is the sour taste this has put in the mouths of those outside of the Christian faith tradition. Already wary, now these skeptics will never entertain a thought that Jesus has something transformational to offer. Add to that group those who already have one foot out the door and the cost rises to levels that will irreparably harm the Jesus movement in the U.S.

This is my prophetic word.

THIS IS YOUR RESPONSE

My writing has elicited a variety of responses. I’m grateful that anyone has read any of what I’ve written and humbled by those of you who have cared enough to reach out to me. I’ve allowed every posted comment to show up publicly and have sought to answer each email, message, and text as well.

The feedback I’ve received can be grouped into three categories: agreement, consideration, and disappointment.

THOSE AGREEING WITH ME

Several of you have affirmed my thoughts as being much like your own. I’m happy to have you along on the journey. But I challenge you to form thoughts of your own as well and to add them to mine. We must sharpen each other by striking ideas, visions, dreams, hopes, and fears against one another.

I also ask you to speak back at me when all I’m doing is nagging. Our cause cannot be focused only on defeating Donald Trump. We must offer vision and hope as well. I feel I’ve not done that very well. Help me!

THOSE THINKING WITH ME

A few of you have reminded me that this election is more complicated that just the character of Donald Trump. You have whole-heartedly agreed that his behavior and actions are not consistent with our Christian values. At the same time you’ve confronted me with issues around policies that affect small businesses and family farms—for example, Joe Biden’s plans to raise the capital gains tax rate. I thank you for those reminders. I only ask you to count the cost of keeping President Trump in office.

And we must name the elephant in the room: abortion. First of all, to those of you who messaged and emailed me on this, thank you for being careful with your language and for recognizing that I care as much about babies being born as you do. I appreciate the tone that most of you chose to use in addressing me. You were respectful. Thank you!

Unlike many politicians, I will answer the question directly. We will have a conservative Supreme Court. If the Court overturns Roe v Wade, then the decisions around legalized abortion will be left to the States. It is doubtful that most will make abortion illegal. But they will add restrictions that make getting an abortion more difficult.

So no matter who is elected president, the immediate fate of abortion law is in the hands of the Supreme Court, not the White House.

OTHER LIFE ISSUES

But here’s the thing: abortion is not the only life issue (www.catholicvoterguide.com. I recently signed a petition supporting the position of Pro-life Evangelicals for Biden. Richard Mouw, President emeritus of Fuller Seminary and a person I admire, is one of the founding members of this movement. Their statement acknowledges that “as pro-life evangelicals, we disagree with Vice President Biden and the Democratic platform on the issue of abortion.”  “But we believe,” the statement continues, “that a biblically shaped commitment to the sanctity of human life compels us to a consistent ethic of life that affirms the sanctity of human life from beginning to end.”

They list a number of issues that connect to that of abortion: poverty and disease, affordable health care, climate change, and racism. Using supporting evidence, they note that in each of these issues the Trump Administration has sought to dismantle programs that would diminish the number of abortions world-wide.

The statement concludes, “For these reasons, we believe that on balance, Joe Biden’s policies are more consistent with the biblically shaped ethic of life than those of Donald Trump. Therefore, even as we continue to urge different policies on abortion, we urge evangelicals to elect Joe Biden as president.”

THOSE DISAPPOINTED IN ME

Obviously, I’ve made some of you uncomfortable. Some of you feel as if I’ve betrayed you. Others have accused me of not being “pastoral” or “loving” or “kind.” I take your criticism to heart and constantly work within the tension of being prophetic and at the same time pastoral.

I often reflect on the Prophet Elijah and his role as “the troubler of Israel” (I King 18:17). And when I do, I think on John the Baptist and Jesus too. It seems to me that each of these faced the same tension between being prophetic and pastoral. It wasn’t easy for them either. I wonder if they didn’t struggle with “rejection anxiety” as well. I bet they did. But I am comforted knowing that they each followed the course they felt was laid out for them by God.

Now I am well aware that I’m no Jeremiah or Elijah or John the Baptist, and certainly no Jesus, but then who is? And if I’m not at least trying to be like them, then what’s the point?

HISTORY IS NOT FAR AWAY

Here’s my consolation. History will judge the Donald Trump presidency and the support he’s received from the Christian community. My grandchildren will listen to tapes, like Access Hollywood, and watch videos of Trump rallies. On their screens they will watch Donald Trump make fun of a disabled person, and they will hear the white Christian audience laugh along. They’ll come in contact with names such as Stormy Daniels and Steve Bannon and Roger Stone and Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen, and they’ll ask questions about these associations.

Three marriages, dozens of bragged-about affairs, and over 20,000 lies will be among the Trump statistics. But none with confound them more then the fact that 80% of self-identified White Evangelical Christians supported Donald Trump for President in 2016.

These generations will also note the conservative Supreme Court and the decisions made around abortion and same-sex marriage and health care and the environment. Our children and grandchildren will be taught about tax cuts, with 80% of benefits going to the top 20% of the population. Will they be outraged to learn that Trump took a $70,000 tax deduction for hair styling? Hopefully, history will be fair and balanced, but in all likelihood, history will prove brutal for Donald Trump.

As for me, I hope to still be alive ten years from now. And if so, by then I expect I’ll know whether I was a true or false prophet. Either way, the only two who will care are God and me, and probably just me, to be honest.

Most days, I’m good with that.