Follow Me; Not the World’s Leaders

Summary

Up until this point I have refrained from speaking in specifics about the words or actions of Donald Trump, but this week I need to speak up as a Christian, and as a pastor, for Trump’s comments this past week went beyond even his normal lack of decency.  They moved beyond politics into the realm of injustice, and they were spoken by a man whom has claimed to be a Christian man. So, I can no longer stay quiet!

Oddly enough his racist comments this past week that denigrated hundreds of millions of people seem to have been inspired by his meeting with Prime Minister Erna Solberg.  After meeting with Erna, Donald decided to verbally assault an entire continent.

To me the racism, and how that affects his thinking is bad enough, but as a Christian, what is more troubling is his lack of any sort of empathy towards other people, and without empathy one cannot love another person.

I do not truly know where Donald Trump is in regards to a faith in Jesus Christ, but I do know that his words and actions are not reflective of Jesus’ teachings, or commands to love as Christ loved.  Jesus says, “You cannot serve both God and money.”

Trumps true colors, and true form of worship are being revealed again and again, both in his words, and his selfish actions. He reveals each week what he serves.  When your gods are money, and its twin brother power, you don’t care much about anyone who doesn’t serve your ends.

It’s bad enough when anyone speaks or acts the way this man does, but when he sits in the office of the U.S. president, words and actions matter.

So, when the U.S. president claims to be a Christian, but acts in the opposite manner, again and again, he needs to be called out.  Donald Trump cannot be seen, or heard as any sort of spokesperson for Christianity, or for Jesus Christ.

In fact, if Trump met Jesus today, I believe that he would speak to him with indecency, and treat him worse.  For when Trump would look at Jesus, he would only see the color of his skin, and judge him upon where he was born.  Trump would laugh at his financial situation, telling him to work harder.  And, upon learning that Jesus had spent his early years as a refugee, Donald would cast a few uncaring and caustic remarks at him.  In fact, Trump would treat Jesus just like he spoke of our brothers and sisters from Africa and Haiti this past week, and the way that he treats everyone whom is different than him, and of whom he seems to be fearful. He might echo Nathanael in saying, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

The Reverend Elizabeth Eaton, the presiding bishop of my home church body, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, wrote the following when hearing of Trump’s racist comments.

“Regardless of the context, references of that kind have no place in our civil discourse and, if true, reflect racist attitudes unbecoming any of us, but especially a president of the United States.

Instead, we should be fostering a world where each of us sees every person – regardless of race, origin, ethnicity, gender or economic status – in the image of God and, therefore, worthy of dignity and respect. Our church has relationships and partnerships with Christians and others on six continents. These are our sisters and brothers. We strive to accompany them and they us, across boundaries and cognizant of our diversity, yet all seeking the common good. In working for a healed, reconciled and just world, we all should faithfully strive to participate in God’s reconciling work, which prioritizes disenfranchised, vulnerable and displaced people in our communities and the world, bearing witness – each of us – to the love of God in Jesus Christ.”

Think of it, to whom did Jesus minister, and to whom did he teach his disciples to reach out to in love?

It was the, ‘disenfranchised, vulnerable and displaced people’ of the world, and the sick, and the poor, and the stranger, and the enemy to whom he called his disciples to minister and love.  And let us remember, we are Jesus’ disciples today, and Jesus commands us to reach out in love, to the very same types of people today.  He does not call us to put them down, to ridicule them, or to hurt them.

This is why I have to speak out this morning against the words and actions of Donald Trump.   During his campaign Trump took upon himself the mantle of Christian, and promised to be a Christian president.  Like I said, I don’t know where he stands in his faith in Jesus, but I can comment upon his words and actions as someone claiming to be a Christian.  Trump more than fails as a man who has publicly claimed his Christianity as a world leader, for by his words and actions he destroys the credibility of the church, and of Christianity itself in the eyes of so much of the world.

How many times have I been asked, some variation of the following questions, by people here in Norway, “So, Trump is what Christianity is all about?” or, “How are Trump’s actions Christian?” or, “Does the American church agree with Trump?”

I hate that I have to hear these questions, for it means that people are seriously wrestling with what Christianity is really all about because of Trump’s words and actions.  Yet, I love that people are willing to ask me, of course most of them know I am a pastor when they do, for by them asking, then I can give them my answers, and in the process, try to bear witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ, to quote Bishop Eaton.

I can tell them that Trump’s words and actions are not reflective of Jesus, my Savior.  I can say that Trump’s words and actions are not inspired by Christ, but rather bigoted and selfish words and actions that Jesus condemns.  And then sadly, I have to admit, that there are American Christians who agree with his words, and actions, but that does not mean Jesus does.

All we have to do is read the gospels, to listen to Jesus’ words and know that he does not agree with Trump’s words or actions in this regard.  Jesus told us, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.” And also, “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink?  When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?

Then the King will reply to the, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.”

In other words, our actions in regards to the poor, the hurting…the least of these, matter.

So, why am I mad?  Can you tell I am mad? Why am I speaking up today?  Because I am tired of Trump, and those like him, grabbing the title, “Christian” and then using it to hide behind, and do what suits and enriches them to the detriment of God’s children, and God’s creation.

This isn’t political for me, no, when Trump twists the theology of the Bible for his own gain, and believe me, you can spot it every time, because Christianity isn’t about one’s own gain, but rather sacrificing for others. So, when he calls out, “This is biblical” or even more, “This is Christian!”  he’s hurting the Kingdom of Heaven.  I won’t stand for it anymore, I am sick and tired of it.  Shame on Trump, and shame on his cronies.  They are not serving God, they are serving themselves, and their greed, they are worshiping money.

So, rather than letting Trump and his band carry the banner of, “Christian” before the world, let us do that, let us bear witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ our Savior.  Let’s not let Trump’s deliberate hypocrisy be the only thing that the world sees or hears of Jesus.  Rather, we are called to be Jesus’ hands, feet, and voice in the world.

Like those first disciples, Jesus also says to us, to you and me, “Follow me.”

Let us follow Jesus. Let us worry about God’s children…the least of these, that they might hear, and know, what the love of God in Jesus Christ is all about.  We can speak and act in Jesus name too, and we had better, ‘cause the world needs to know the love of Christ pretty badly these days.

Of course, we are not perfect, we’re going to make mistakes sometimes too, but when we confess our mistakes, and claim our sins and be honest and genuine, no fake news here, the world will see that we care, because Jesus cares.  Jesus cares enough to die, that his children might live.

Let us Christians speak and act, that the world may know what Jesus’ love actually feels like. Let’s not let anyone else speak for us, but rather, let the world know that we are Christians by our love.

Amen.

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