I’ve made it through an entire election season without a peep. Not a Facebook share, not a Tweet, not a friggin’ blog post about anything political. Divisiveness destroys us, and after our choice of candidates plummeted to a decision between a would-be felon and a butt-grabbing egomaniac, I checked out. But even the strongest powers of denial have their limits, and after witnessing the irrational spewage of hate and crazy on social media this week, specifically from born again Christians, I fold.
Maybe it was the Christian mommy blogger vowing to disallow her children to play with other Trump-supporting Christians’ kids – “I don’t even know if we can worship in the same church,” lamented one writer. Or maybe it was a Christian public figure claiming she was barely able to crawl out of the bathroom post-Election day, because she was literally vomiting , weeping and keeping her children home from school, in the wake of this “disaster.” Yup, I think that one did it.
It’s not the ignorant claims or dramatic verbiage that astounds me. Complaining and spewing out half -truths sold from a biased media are par for the course on social media, and politics is the best fuel for ignorance. What absolutely amazes me, however, is the show of fear, outrage, and loss of faith shown by born again Christians at a time when our light should shine brightest.
Christians, where is our faith? Where is the strength, and the peace that surpasses all understanding we claim to possess because of the cross? Where is our ability to remain confident in God in a world living without the knowledge of Him? It sure isn’t on Facebook. Yes we’ve elected a borderline sociopath to the office of Presidency, but he’s not vowing to pull our children from their beds to murder them in the streets.
No, that’s happening in Mosul and other Middle Eastern countries. Right now...where the real problems are. Last year more than 7,100 Christians were killed for their faith, at a time when 27 million adults and 13 million children around the world are currently victims of human trafficking. Meanwhile here we sit in a warm, comfy, spoon fed cocoon we call home, where Christians are losing their supper and claiming to be afraid because the democratic election didn’t go their way.
The fact that Christians are losing their minds on Twitter, keeping their kids home from school, and urging parents to hide the citizenship papers for their legally adopted children in fire proof boxes is so much more upsetting to me than the number of rear-ends our President-elect has eyeballed.
He’s not a Christian, people. The man put dollar bills atop communion bread, thinking it was a tithing plate, for Pete’s sake. We’re not electing a moral leader, and yes, it would be nice if our future commander in chief didn’t make fun of fat people. I hear ya. But even if every policy so many people ignorantly believe will occur under Trump’s reign, we’d still be living in the greatest, safest, most abundant land on the planet. Middle Eastern women are being enslaved by the thousands, Christians are increasingly persecuted, nations are starving and yet here we are, spirit-filled, born again Christians attacking each other and our leadership, spewing angry, desperate rhetoric like the rest of the world. Time to wake up.
It’s easy to claim we trust in the Lord while living our normal, structured, familiar lives, until the carpet is ripped out from under us, or in this case, a pageant-loving border builder comes into power. From where does our strength and peace come now?
Seeing Christians crumble and cry over the election reminds me of my stint with poison ivy this spring. No one likes body welts and face rashes, but it rocked my world way more than it should have. It wasn’t so much the incessant itching and desire to kill my own cat for giving it to me (lookin’ at you, Logan) - it was how consumed and bothered I was with how ugly I looked. Not to mention the life-gripping panic I felt after gaining weight from the steroid-based medication I took to help. The amount of drama and self -pity I exuded was pathetic. I really think God was trying to show me how much I valued and depended on my outward appearance, and how vanity had become my source of strength and confidence.
I see Trump as a poison ivy outbreak on America, with God showing us Christians how quickly we crumble, complain, fear and lose faith in times of struggle. Surely, our God is bigger than this.
Anyone who’s vaguely acquainted themselves with Revelation knows it’s going to get way worse than Trump and his pin-up bride. Are we really so surprised at the state of our political system, and the moral decay of our country? 2 Timothy 3:2 says "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy.” It’s only going to get worse. Now is the time to be a light, and to shine. To show the world supernatural peace, because our hope doesn’t come from protected borders, low taxes and or job security. It comes from the Lord. Governments will rise and fall, and this world will fade away, but we’re called to stand firm on Jesus, and the knowledge we have of our true place eternity.
I’ve seen so many “how would Jesus vote?” posts. Who knows. But I’d bet He’d accept the results with grace and respect. He’d never lose hope, He’d pray for those in leadership and, just a hunch here-He’d even say to respect whom has been given authority. Romans 8:13 says “For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.” If we’re living according to God’s will and purposes, what are we afraid of? Why the terror? Is there any man, government or force of nature whom can’t overcome, or even change? When did we become so weak and make our God so small? Hasn’t God carried us through so far? Is anything impossible for God? I wonder if every Christian said just one prayer for Trump, instead of continually erupting with worry and disgust, if God might move, even now.
We weren’t only warned there would be strife, uncertainty and troubles in this life. We were guaranteed it. This is not heaven. 2 Corinthians 4:8 tells us “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” Does this aptly describe our behavior this election season?
Now is the time to show the world that our confidence comes from the truth that sets us free, and no election should come close to diminishing that gift. Trump is a man. Governments are fleeting. The kingdom of God lasts forever, and it’s time to act like citizens of heaven. I’m positive there will be no poison ivy, there.
