At least I’m trying to.
Don’t get me wrong, almost everything the guy says makes me cringe. So many of his ideas and statements come across as xenophobic, sexist, overly simplistic, illogical, nationalistic, and just plane unethical.
Take for example this video, which is put out by REPUBLICANS, that illustrates how offensive the guy can be.
Frick man. The guy comes across as a misogynistic megalomaniac. I can’t understand how so many folks are drinking the Trump punch and I sincerely hope for the sake of our nation and world that he is not given the keys to the nuclear codes or a platform to spew his reality TV rhetoric around the globe as our president.
Apparently I’m not alone.
Think about that. A Trump White House is considered by many to be a global threat.
So, yeah- I won’t be voting for the dude come Fall. As a Pastor, I usually don’t share who I’m voting for unless I’m discussing it with close friends or family, but this time around I just can’t help it. From my vantage point, the teachings of Jesus are antithetical to much of what Trump is proposing and saying. That said, if you are a Trump supporter, I am committed to respecting your opinion and right to vote as you choose and I’ll do my best to love you, even if I vehemently disagree with you.
Which leads me to my point.
I suck. Over the past few weeks and months I’ve found myself getting worked up about how awful I think Trump is. Maybe some of my emotions are justified, but at the same time I’ve chosen to align myself with a different kind of life.
Jesus tells us to love our enemies.
Not just tolerate them or respect them.
But love them.
I confess that I have fallen short in this area.
God, would you create in me a different kind of heart? One more like yours, that sacrificially loves even those who cause you pain and anguish?
I may not agree with Donald Trump, and I still don’t think he should be president, but what would it look like if I tried to love him?
What if those of us who are angered and offended by him started to pray for him, not out of judgment, but out of love?
As a Christ follower, my first loyalties are not to my country, but to the economy of God where all of us are brothers and sisters. And scripture teaches us that in this reality our enemies are not ever other people, but powers and principalities of evil. That means that even though I’ve made him an enemy so-to-speak, Donald Trump is not my enemy. He is my brother.
So today this is my internal tension. How do I love Donald Trump like Christ AND actively seek God’s shalom in our world? How do I stand against the forces of injustice that I believe are racist and misguided while still treating proponents of these ideas with love and grace?
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Chris Writes Here 