Part 5 in a series of reflections on the Capitol insurrection and Christians’ participation
In the waning days of Mr. Trump’s presidency, I am waiting to see what kind of strings he is going to attach to the Republican Party and his supporters around the country. The author of The Art of the Deal is a transactionalist, very pragmatic in his relationships, expecting to get something from anyone who hopes to gain a favor from him. My curiosity extends to two areas, pardons and a possible 2024 candidacy. If he pardons family members or associates this week, I will be very interested to see what he expects of them in the future. If he aspires to re-run for office in 2024, it will depend on how tightly he can hold on to the purse strings of the funds he raised supposedly to “stop the steal” in late 2020.
The GOP is tightly enmeshed with this soon-to-be former president. Business deals, political favors, blessing are all part of Trump’s commerce. My sense is that, once one is snagged by his web, it is very hard to extricate oneself from his power.
And yet, this powerful person—sad and frustrated and petty as he is—appeals to millions of Americans who continue to bow down to his rhetoric and heed his cries for “taking back” what he thinks is rightfully his. Trump fans seem blind to his character flaws, deaf to his deceptions, and naïve about his policies. He looks good to them, and it seems right to follow him because he represents the Republican platform, and after all, won’t they personally benefit by a strong America?
Remember how Eve “processed” the snake’s temptation in Genesis 3, enticing her to eat fruit off the forbidden tree? She thought, “the tree was good for food, and it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was to be desired to make one wise, so she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.” Of course, what happened as a result was the ruin of humanity.
I feel the American people have been hoodwinked, just like Eve was by the snake. You can tell by the fruit of Mr. Trump’s efforts—division and dissension, violence, callousness toward children and their families, deception—that his leadership is not God-inspired. As the apostle Paul stated:
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things” (Galatians 5:19–23).
What I don’t understand—truly—is how so many Christians can fall for a president whose term was characterized by deception, obfuscation, avoidance, and invented “facts.”
And yet, it answers another question I’ve had for a long time, as I have studied the Scriptures: how will it happen that good-meaning people will fall for the deceptions that lead them to recognize someone other than Jesus Christ as the savior? or who deny that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, as the apostle John gives the warning in his first letter? In my young faith, fervent as it was, I couldn’t imagine how anyone could fall for a fake. The last four years have given me a glimpse of how it is possible to deceive so many people simply by repeating lies until they take on the cloak of truth.
So the message for us is this: do not be deceived. Learn how to discern what is true by recognizing the voice of Jesus in the Scriptures. Don’t follow far-out conspiracy theories that lift one person up as the only individual who can save this country from ruin. Draw a careful line between respect/honor, which is due our elected officials, and worship /adulation, which is idolatry. Our hopes do not rest on a mere human or even a party platform. Our eternal hope rests on the one Lord, Jesus Christ. If we follow him, his Spirit will produce in us the very fruit that can help us bring healing back to our communities and the nation.