This is not about Mr. Trump or politics. This is about true, delusional heresy. This is about taking God’s name in vain. This is about the destruction of the faith I love so much. The title of this thought is the title of a real book that was published this past May, and it is not the only publication of its kind. Part of the delusional behavior of some Trump supporters is to paint him as the Savior of America and the world. From a psychological sense, this is the only way some people can explain their support of him. Again, you can vote for whoever you want to; just don’t blame God! A lot of otherwise devout people have to justify why they vote for a man who, like too many before him, is clearly without much in the way of morals. No person can be expected to be perfect, but every person should be expected to try their best to be good. We all fall short.
No – this is about people who believe that God chooses our leaders, something we read about in church this past Sunday. The story of Saul and David is a story about the people of Israel ignoring God and choosing to be led by kings. Saul, we are told, is not living up to God’s standards, so God sends the prophet Samuel on a covert mission to find a new king among Jesse’s sons in Bethlehem. David started out well, but he became a broken, immoral leader over time. What he did to Bathsheba and Uriah alone was enough to show just how vile he became. Power corrupts, we are told – absolute power corrupts absolutely (thanks Lord Acton). Believing that a leader is God’s choice leads to all kinds of corruption and violence; after all, if people oppose God’s choice, you have to defend God, right?
No preacher should ever say that God favors one person or group over all others. No person should believe that God wants one person and despises others. And no candidate should allow this kind of evil talk to continue. Mr. Trump should be shouting this from every dais he speaks from and in every interview he gives. He should be telling his voters that God has nothing to do with his, or anyone else’s, candidacy. Our role as people of faith is to seek what is best for all people, and that, I believe, should be motivated by our love of God and neighbor. When our rhetoric begins to center on divisiveness and hatred, however, we have left God behind.
This doesn’t mean that we can’t believe that running for a political office isn’t a way to serve God and people. In fact, everything we do can be seen as a calling – an invitation – to do our best for our Creator. I believe that is what I am doing with my life, and I hope you believe it about yourself. When our calling turns into a mandate from the Almighty, however, it leads us down a path that can only end in pain and suffering. Mr. Trump – speak up, if you truly believe in God. Tell the world that you are not God’s choice. Do the right thing.
Prayer – Holy God, forgive us when we think we can speak for You. Teach us to be servants, not masters. Amen.