As I have written before, I have agreed and disagreed with every president during my lifetime. That means when my brain was registering that kind of thing so since Pres. Ford. My morals have been more in line with some, but I have still had a problem with them. For example, Pres. Obama said we could keep our insurance companies – but we couldn’t. He also said he would close Guantanamo – but he didn’t. I think Pres. Trump was right about China and our need to address economic inequities between our countries (although it could have been said more eloquently). I have never believed that anyone should fall lockstep into one point of view – that, by definition, is a cult.
The recent attempt on Mr. Trump’s life was almost tragic, and I, for one, am glad he wasn’t badly injured, or worse. The idiotic rhetoric around how he survived, however, is wrong. Images of an angel pushing the bullet away – sermons about how Trump is God’s chosen one to bring America back to greatness – all total nonsense. And very dangerous. Using the Apostle Paul’s flawed perspective that God chooses our leaders (Romans 13) is so easily refuted, that I am surprised anyone uses it. I have been told that God does this so many times (about Republican presidents), but when I ask about Mr. Obama, they balk. When I ask about Hitler, they squirm. All means all. God does not get anyone elected; we, the people, do.
To believe that God would save Mr. Trump while “allowing” a bullet to kill beloved retired firefighter Corey Comperatore isn’t just bad theology, it is severely cruel. I have heard this kind of nonsense my whole life – God saved me for a greater purpose; but the other 100 people who died, what about them? God has a plan for my life – that’s why that car missed me and killed that family of four. Why do so many people buy into this blatant misuse of God’s name? It is self-serving and immature to believe that my life is of more value than another person’s life. Mr. Comperatore was only 50 years old; he should have had many more decades to serve God and his community. And please, don’t even start talking about “it was his time”; that is mythological nonsense.
It isn’t that I don’t believe in angels, and I wish with all my heart that they were flying around, saving lives. At the very core of my theology, however, is that God shows no favoritism (Romans 2 and James 2) to anyone based on race or creed or gender or – yes – religion. I have met too many noble, ethical, moral non-Christians to believe that God will punish them forever in the fires of hell just because they haven’t said a few words of faith. I have also met too many people who have said those words but don’t live them; why would I want to be in heaven with them and a God that is that shallow? God is good, but God does not choose some lives over others. God’s grace is overwhelming, but God also expects good works. God doesn’t do magic tricks. Stop blaming God.
Prayer – Holy God, we don’t know Your mind. Comfort us in the midst of our lack of knowledge and help us to be faithful. Amen.
Today’s art is “Containing Chaos” by Michael Lang.