Thursday, October 20, 2016

Dear fellow Christian who supports Donald Trump

Dear fellow Christian who supports Donald Trump,

You are destroying our witness for Christ.

And here's why: Jesus told us to preach the gospel. Gospel means "good news". The true gospel is good news to all people. But your Trumped up gospel is bad news. It's bad news for women. It's bad news for black people, Hispanic people, Mexican people, refugees, people with disabilities, LGBT people, and the list just goes on.

I think what you are forgetting is that Jesus cares about people. He spent his time on earth healing, restoring, blessing and serving people regardless of where they came from or what gender they were. He was (and is) a progressive thinker who spoke to women when it was taboo, ate with "sinners" when it was forbidden and healed people when it was against the law.  Jesus was all about people. 
All people.

What has happened? Did you loose sight of people when you feared so much that gay people might be able to get married? Or when transgender people might get to use the bathroom of their choice? Did you forget about people when you feared that Roe V. Wade might not be overturned after all? What else do you fear? The loss of your security? The loss of your rights? Can you look past your fear into the eyes of people? The people that Jesus loves?

Let me tell you what I fear. I fear that you care more about the unborn than the person in front of you who may never know Christ because of you. I fear you care more about marriage "sanctity" than about the person in a loving, committed relationship who wants to make their commitment legal. Because of your fight against them, they may never soften to hear how Jesus loves them and wants to take away their shame. I fear your words and your actions are so opposed to the redeeming words of Christ that the thousands of people who need to hear them never will.

Because of your fear they will never know Christ's love.

My fellow Christian, I have to apologize to my atheist friends because of you.  I have to explain to them that Jesus isn't like this...this Trump-ness.

So I'm wondering, do you want to be a witness for Christ on earth so the people in the world will know him? I do! So, let's simply do what Jesus taught us to do. Start loving our neighbor. Gay or straight. Legal American or illegal immigrant. Addict or sober. Christian or Muslim or any faith. Let's start standing up for the rights of people whose identity is mocked and whose rights are abused. Let's show all marginalized people love over shame.

Do you care about the unborn? Good! Me too! Advocate for teen mom counseling. Fight to make adoption the norm. Teach healthy sexual activity to young people. 

Jesus did not come in political power like the Jews of the day expected the Messiah to come. He came humbly and showed us how to love people in the midst of whatever was happening politically. He showed us how to love people radically. He showed us so that we would go and do likewise. How are we doing?

This is my command: Love each other. John 15:17

2 comments:

  1. We are not voting for who is or is not a Christian. Much of the fear you mention is way off base. Is it loving to lie over and over to the voters? None of us is clean, we are all flawed people, needing Jesus and His forgiveness. The presidency is not open only to those who love to this standard. God works through many different kinds of people.

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  2. Angie, I love your emphasis on remembering Jesus and how he showed us how to care about people. He was not judgemental like so many religious people were (and are today). Let's elect the person who can be respected by our kids and by the rest of the world.

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