What Worries Me
My two biggest worries, in order of concern:
Another Trump presidencyIf he loses, the violence that may very well ensue from his unhinged supporters (Not all who vote for him are “unhinged.” But the number who are, carry weapons, and wouldn’t require more than the slightest nudge to use them against their political rivals.)In early 2020 a friend of mine and I were talking about the upcoming presidential election. He said something prescient, which frames my worry today. He said, “My fear is not only about the outcome of the election. But whichever way it goes, it seems inevitable that a violent reaction will ensue between those who celebrate and those who mourn the outcome.” I don’t have to remind you of what did indeed happen several months later on January 6, 2021. If history repeats itself, we’re in for a very scary moment after this November.
I can hear my Christian brothers and sisters say, “Don’t be afraid, brother. God’s got it all under control. Have faith.” Thanks for the advice. I’ll try. But I had faith before the last election, yet… I trust God, it’s people with their free will I don’t trust. Unfortunately, that includes those who may or may not have genuine faith in Jesus.
I can’t unsee the “Trump is my President and Jesus is my Savior” banners displayed during the capitol insurrection. I can’t unhear the hyper-nationalistic “prayers” recited inside the building or the testimonies before Congress by the Capitol police who were brutalized as they tried to no avail to keep the angry mob from entering.
What causes me more than pause today is the violent rhetoric that has taken on spiritual language and how, instead of Jesus, many American church-goers, instead of after Jesus, model themselves after the likes of John Wick.
I attended a Bible Study group in San Francisco a few years ago that consisted of some young gang wannabies. Before the study started, they bantered back and forth about the beat downs they’d given their rivals––with fists, knives, and even guns. When I could stand it no longer, since the leader of the study made no comment, I jumped in and said, “Well, you know Jesus told us to forgive one another, love our enemies, and turn the other cheek.” They all turned in unison and stared at me as though I had just called their mother a bad name!
It’s not just kids like them, but it’s the millions of long-time adult church-members who attend services most Sundays, give their tithes, and say their prayers at dinner, who buy into the vengeful rhetoric of people like Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Steve Bannon that worry me. Not to mention radio, TV, and podcast shock jocks, plus the poisonous influence of false Bible teachers and so-called “prophets” who stir the pot with their violent rhetoric!
I understand protecting our loved ones in extreme circumstances. It’s the swagger of many Christians today, who under the guise of spirituality use the language snipped from Old Testament passages to justify their ill-gotten vengeful ideology.
NT Wright said, “The cross proves that true power is found in weakness, greatness is attained in service, revenge only begets greater evil, and all victims will be vindicated at God’s judgement seat.” How far many American Christians have drifted from our Master’s example and teaching. The Sermon on the Mount was the primary text for the early Christians. Now it seems we’ve redacted much of it from our Bibles and replaced it with Facebook memes and cribbed quotes from Fox News and Truth Social.
Russell Moore wrote, “The step before replacing Jesus with Thor is to turn Jesus into Thor.” If you think that’s classic overreach, check out what GOP Representative Lauren Boebert said in a Christian conference: “A lot of the little Twitter trolls like to say, ‘Oh, Jesus didn’t need an AR-15, how many AR-15s do you think Jesus would’ve had?’ Well, he didn’t have enough to keep his government from killing him!”
Before the 2020 election, Pastor Robert Jeffress told his congregation that he wanted “the meanest, toughest SOB [he could] find to protect this nation.” As demonstrated by many of our mass shootings, church splits over politics, and most infamously, January 6th, that sentiment has spread throughout our country like a contagion.
After his guilty verdict of 34 felony crimes, Donald Trump said, “We’ll get revenge…We’re going to vanquish the evil forces that are destroying our country!” You might interpret this sort of rhetoric as a figure of speech. But there are millions who are inclined to interpret his words as commands to set fire to the country (my own use of metaphor).
Otherwise, why did thousands show up to the Capitol building with enough rope and lumber to build a hangman’s platform? Why did they use their flag poles to beat the police and break through windows? Why did Trump sit for hours watching the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol unfold on live TV, ignoring pleas by his own children and other close advisers to urge his supporters to stop the violence?
A recent poll showed that 30 to 40% of American adults agree with this statement: “There are times when violence might be necessary to achieve my political aim.” Under some definitions that describes terrorism! That’s 80 to 100 million who are open to the idea that violence (terrorism) is the best path to getting what they want!
If you don’t think the concern about political violence is legitimate, take January 6, 2021 off your calendar and pretend it never happened.
There are those whose allegiance to their party and ideology requires holding onto power. If they can’t do it through legitimate political means, then threats and killings will do just fine. The ends (survival of their political convictions) justify the means (political violence).
After all, we’re on God’s team. Protecting our “way of life” is a way of defending the faith!
Is Jesus a savior with a gun or the Savior with a cross? Remember, he chose to die rather than to kill, and invites us to follow him by carrying our own cross (not our AR-15s) and die. Though he could have, he chose not to defend himself (Matt 26:53) and calls us to do the same (1 Peter 2:19). We cannot love our enemies, and at the same time prepare to do them harm. We can’t hold the cross in one hand and point a gun at those with whom we disagree with the other! “Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.” Psalm 120:6-7
