The aftermath
Reflections on an unprecedented week in American politics, and how to respond 'Christianly'
It has been an extraordinary week in American politics, and my prediction that 2024 would be a challenging year for our nation has come to pass, and we’re barely halfway through it. I watched last week’s events from an unusual vantage point; I was with my wife in the Dominican Republic, celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. The balmy but breezy tropical setting and the break from the routine left me more relaxed than ever but also gave me time to think and reflect on current events and what I should be doing as a Christian in response to them.
I have a couple of articles in my draft queue that I’ve been working on and planning to release for some time now, but in light of this past week and the time I spent in reflection, I’m not sure I’ll publish them. When I created Ron’s Reflections years ago as a blog, I intended to present my perspective on the world through the lens of my Christian beliefs. I invoked 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” and expressed a determination to “think Christianly,” a popular concept described best by Christian writer and thinker Os Guinness in his article, Let My People Think: Restoring the Christian Mind:
Expressed positively, thinking Christianly is thinking by Christians about anything and everything in a consistently Christian way— in a manner that is shaped, directed, and restrained by the truth of God’s Word and God’s Spirit...The only question that finally counts is, What does Jesus think? Aside from that standard, all our thinking is “an exercise in fuzziness, in wobbly human effort, in subjectivist rationalism, in futility. What matters above all-whatever term we use-is that the idea and practice be kept simple, practical, and biblical. When all is said and done, the point is to love and obey God by loving him with our minds. For the Christian mind is a combination of intellectual light and spiritual ardor that, in Dorothy L. Sayers’s term, is simply the “mind in love” with God.
As I migrated Ron’s Reflections to Substack, I kept the ethos of “thinking Christianly;” I hope that has been apparent in my writing.
As I spent a lot of time doing nothing this past week, I had the opportunity to ponder many things about the time and place where the Lord has seen fit to deposit me. Regarding the work I do here, I asked myself, “Why do I write?” After all, it’s not likely that my opinion will sway anyone who holds a different point of view from my own. Besides, I tend to cultivate a following of like-minded individuals, and I am very careful about where I share my writing because I am not looking to engage in a war of words on the Internet.
So why do I write? I reached three conclusions.
First, writing is a gift God has given me that I must use. I’ve been told I am a good writer and should share my writing with the world. Through the years, I’ve received constant validation that I have a talent in this area. I won national awards for my writing as a high school student, and when I wrote an opinion piece on public policy that a friend and I circulated among elected officials in Washington, DC, to determine how they would respond to two ordinary citizens, nationally syndicated columnist David Broder called the paper “exceptionally clear and compelling.” I have had great writers compliment me on my work, and many friends who don’t know each other but know me have told me emphatically, “You are a writer!” Since I began my endeavors here on Substack, you have honored me with your subscriptions and continued interest. When Paul speaks of “good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10), I imagine God designing us before birth to do specific tasks in the world on behalf of His Kingdom. I believe He created me to write, among other things, so my writing expresses my obedience and gratitude to Him. That’s why my pen stand, more symbolic of writing than practical, is inscribed with my name and Ephesians 2:10.
Second, I believe I’ve been able to encourage and validate others who see the world as I do. Those of us who are flummoxed and frustrated by the times we’re in can often feel isolated, and it's comforting to read the work of others who share our perspective. Not only do they make us feel less alone, but they often describe our collective thinking more elegantly than we could. I’m grateful to be a contributor to this community and a recipient of its solace and enlightenment.
Third, the church needs Christians to hold it accountable. One of the more exasperating complaints I hear from Christians about fellow believers who call out the church in the public square for its misdeeds is that they shouldn’t be airing their grievances on secular platforms like the New York Times or CNN. However, the church, as a man-made institution, does a poor job of holding itself accountable. When pastors or church leaders are abusing people, and the institution ignores or shames the accusers, turns the congregation against them, defends the abusers, or shuttles them elsewhere so they can continue their abuse, where else can they go for justice? If an influential segment of American Christendom, whatever their motivations, chooses power and exclusion over persuasion and inclusion, embracing the most aggressive and antagonistic form of politics possible as a vehicle for imposing their vision of God’s Kingdom on our secular, pluralistic republic, who will stand apart to remind them that Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world, indeed not of this nation, and knows no borders or barriers but builds bridges and paths, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9)? If the church has chosen earthly power and cultural influence over the Great Commandment to love God will all our being and our neighbors, without exclusion, as ourselves, and the Great Commission, which is to make disciples rather than repel people with our lack of humility and self-awareness, who will cast a light in the darkness? The American church is masterful at wagging its scolding finger at the prevailing culture. However, it hides behind Jesus’ guidance in Matthew 18:15-17 and distorts His forgiveness and grace to excuse all sorts of wrongdoing. Conversely, Paul’s ministry paid little to no heed to the culture and urged Christians to keep Christ’s church blameless:
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges[a] those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:12-13)
Paul’s epistles were devoted to correcting the church when it strayed, and the apostles’ New Testament letters primarily addressed Christian conduct, not how non-believers should conduct themselves. Even Jesus makes it clear that our witness to the world is corrupt without first examining ourselves and being honest about our own failures. Christ died and rose again so we could present ourselves to him “as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27).
Like every Christian, I am saved by grace and on a pathway to spiritual maturity. This journey will take a lifetime, and I will stumble and fall sometimes. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit lives within me and every Christian. We must confront abuse, idolatry, or other sins in the institutional church and shine the light when it prefers to hide in darkness. Otherwise, we quench the indwelling Spirit and allow fear, pride, arrogance, and other parasites of our flesh to guide our steps. It is Christ’s church, not the man-made institution, that deserves our allegiance, and we must seek the things of Christ, not the power, money, or influence of this world.
I mentioned previously that I had some draft articles I intended to publish, but I decided to refrain after the events of this past week and the time I had to think about them. I decided that there was nothing more I could say about Donald Trump, his total takeover of the 170-year-old Republican Party, or the essentially worshipful embrace of his candidacy by most white conservative Christians that hadn’t been said already by me and others, and our words will not change anyone’s allegiances.
Instead, I’ve decided to examine recent events and their immediate and near-term impact and look ahead to the future. I’ve concluded it’s essential for Christians who are devoted exclusively to Christ and His Kingdom and not the kings and kingdoms of this world to take some time to prepare themselves for what may come. In other words, it is time for us to “think Christianly” about the times ahead.
I confess I had a visceral reaction to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump because I am a child of the 1960s. While I was alive at the time, I was too young to remember the assassinations of President Kennedy and Malcolm X. However, I vividly recall the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the attempted assassinations of Governor George Wallace and Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. In 1968, when King and Kennedy were assassinated, I remember fearing that the world was coming to an end because good men were being gunned down.
Some people may not realize that one of the fears that gripped the black community during Barack Obama’s rise to the presidency was that he would be assassinated; it’s one of the reasons Colin Powell, once considered a potential presidential candidate, refrained from running for office. Journalist David Smith writes in Powell’s obituary:
His wife, Alma, reportedly feared that he would be assassinated because of his skin color. Journalist Bob Woodward’s book Bush at War quoted her as saying: “If you run, I’m gone. You will have to do it alone.”
Let me state emphatically that there is no level of disagreement or dislike of a political candidate that makes their attempted murder acceptable. We must never return to a time when assassination was considered a possible option to settle political disputes. I am very concerned that, whatever the outcome of this election, the assassination attempt has made the possibility of political violence by the losing side much more likely.
I am also disturbed by what the assassination attempt has unleashed in the community of believers who support Trump. They declare the failed attempt as unquestionable evidence of God’s favor on Trump, which isn’t sound theology. Did God decide on that day that Trump would live and Corey Comperatore, who heroically put himself between the shooter and his family, would die? History shows that good and respected leaders who served the people well have been assassinated. Conversely, tyrants who were responsible for murdering millions dodged death at the hands of would-be assassins. Was God’s favor on the tyrant and not on the public servant? Shane Claiborne of Red Letter Christians writes:
If God is love, and I’m convinced God is love, then God certainly wants all of us to live and flourish, and it breaks God’s heart every time we hurt or kill one another. Murder is always wrong, going all the way back to the inaugural murder of Cain and Abel.
With this in mind, we can be sure that God did not save Trump but not the person killed by mistake. God did not save Trump, for that matter, but not the kids at Sandy Hook or Uvalde. God did not save some of the Israeli hostages but not the others. God does not want thousands of kids in Gaza to die.
Nevertheless, Trump’s most ardent supporters are persuaded that the failed assassination attempt is a sign that God wants Trump to return to the presidency:
As former President Donald Trump prepared to enter the Republican National Convention for the first time on Monday after surviving a shocking weekend assassination attempt, his friend and country singer Lee Greenwood invoked a higher power.
“Prayer works! ... The bullet missed him just enough to save his life – to be the next president of the United States,” Mr. Greenwood told the crowd, as Mr. Trump waited just off the convention floor. “We have believed for so long that God will make some changes in this country. And He’s about to make a change to the current administration and send them home.”
Mr. Greenwood then launched into his familiar hit “God Bless the U.S.A.” as the former president entered the arena to thunderous applause. The crowd broke into “USA! USA!” before switching to the words Mr. Trump himself mouthed as he was rushed off the stage after a bullet grazed his ear last Saturday: “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
The moment was cathartic. And Mr. Greenwood’s suggestion – that Mr. Trump was saved by God so that he can recapture the White House – has been a consistent theme throughout the week here, with Republican officials and delegates alike painting their bloodied but unbowed leader as a hero of near-biblical proportions.
Plenty of people from across the political spectrum invoked God in expressing gratitude for Mr. Trump’s survival. President Joe Biden said he was keeping Mr. Trump and family in his prayers. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi posted, “Thank God that former President Trump is safe.”
But for some fervent Trump supporters, his survival signals not only God’s protection but also a larger, divinely ordained plan to return him to the Oval Office. In primetime speeches and conversations on the convention floor, many here describe it as part of a broader good-versus-evil struggle encapsulated in the election, further raising the existential stakes of the race.
I am impressed that, in the moment his life was threatened, Trump’s instinctive response was to rise above the phalanx of Secret Service agents shielding him from further harm, thrust his fist into the air, and defiantly encourage the crowd to fight. That image, which I won’t share here, will go down in history; I won’t go so far as to say that was the moment he won the election because this year has shown us that anything can happen quickly to change the fortunes of both candidates. Still, Trump’s awareness of the moment and his performance amid chaos and blood streaming across his face showcased his appreciation for spectacle and how it energizes his followers. There is a reason his rallies and other mass events have the fervor of a religious revival, and the most vocal and demonstrative of his Christian followers come from the charismatic religious tradition. At heart, Trump is a showman; giving them a good show to arouse passions and motivate actions is more important than substance.
It’s hard to look at last week's events and not conclude that Trump has a pretty clear path to the presidency. He survived an assassination attempt and emerged from it more of a hero to his followers than before. The court case on his mishandling of classified documents and obstruction of attempts to recover them was dismissed based on the rejection of decades of precedent regarding the appointment of special counsels by a judge he appointed to the bench. President Biden is seeing his party come apart at the seams as the calls increase for him to step aside after his disastrous debate performance on June 27th, and just as he was getting back on the campaign trail, he’s laid low by COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the Republican National Convention showcased unity and celebration, although one pundit described it as “a confused convention that spun wildly, like Trump’s speech, between partisan culture war and appeals to national comity.” I didn’t follow it, mostly because I was on vacation, but my conservative friends and acquaintances on Facebook posted enough content that I could’ve followed the whole thing without turning on a television or watching a social media feed!
I was not interested in the event other than my curiosity about who his running mate would be, and that was settled the first night. With the selection of Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate, Trump put the final nail in the coffin of Reagan conservatism, effectively remaking the GOP in his image. It is hard to believe that he was widely panned as an outlier in the GOP in 2016, and now he is the GOP personified.
As I said, anything can happen between now and the election to change the political calculus. However, the turmoil in the Democratic Party suggests their convention in Chicago will be dramatic and unpredictable. It is ironic that they are convening in Chicago because there are echoes of 1968 in this year’s presidential election - cultural schisms, an assassination attempt, one party consolidating behind their candidate while the other is in dispute over whether the incumbent should be their nominee. If President Biden steps aside, those echoes would be even louder, mimicking President Johnson’s decision not to seek re-election because he was deeply unpopular due to the Vietnam War. The disarray in the Democratic Party gives Trump even more of a glide path toward victory on November 5th. Moreover, it puts the Democrats in danger of losing their Senate majority and failing to retake the majority from the Republicans in the House. We could be facing a one-party government by January 20, 2025.
So, for Christians who don’t believe it is Christ’s desire for us to use the force of government to impose a 1950s version of American Christianity on the rest of our countrymen, how are we to live under a regime dedicated to Christian dominionism? I intend to seriously consider this question in the weeks ahead because that is where we are headed. I have some preliminary thoughts that will put us on a Christ-like trajectory.
Christians are fortunate in America and other democratic nations where Christianity is the predominant religion because we can choose our leaders. However, we haven’t always had the best options or used that power wisely. Conversely, according to Open Doors, an organization dedicated to the persecuted church, one in seven followers of Jesus worldwide are attacked, detained, or murdered by the authorities under which they live.
The persecuted church today is not unlike the faithful of Israel in the Old Testament and the early Christian church in the New Testament, who were almost always under the rule of autocratic regimes they had no hand in bringing to power. Their experiences and what God instructed them to do in those situations will help us today as we navigate the times ahead.
When the defeated Israelites were being dragged into exile in Babylon, the Lord gave the prophet Jeremiah instructions to pass on to his conquered people. They resonate for Christians today under hostile leadership:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:4-7)
One can imagine how hard it might have been for the once-proud Israelis to hear their God instructing them to live their lives as they usually would and be good citizens of the nation that has taken them captive and exiled them from their homeland. However, hundreds of years later, Paul and Peter instructed Christians across the Roman Empire to do the same.
Paul advised Christians to “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them” (Romans 12:14) and declared, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). Moreover, he said, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). In his instructions to Timothy, Paul writes:
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
Paul had a specific expectation of church leaders, who he said “must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:7).
Peter said, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). He echoed Paul’s instructions to respect the authorities under whose rule they lived:
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:13-17)
So that’s where we start. We respect the governing authorities and live “as servants of God” by loving our neighbors in word and deed daily. Remember to “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). So much of what outsiders see of Christians is borne of fear, pride, or a desire to control. The word “love” comes from our mouths frequently, but they see nothing of the kind in our actions. We would do well to refresh our knowledge of love from a Biblical perspective:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:1-13)
What happens if the law compels us to do something we believe is unloving, which is highly likely under a regime of Christian dominionism? Peter said it best when the Sanhedrin challenged him not to teach in the name of Jesus Christ: “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men’” (Acts 5:29). Think of how Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement stood up to injustice. They stood against unjust laws yet accepted the punishment for them without resistance or complaint. The culture of non-violence in that movement extends even to resistance against tyranny. In that way, they were emulating the example of Christ, as did His disciples after they were anointed with the Holy Spirit. They suffered willingly to bring the hope of the Gospel to those without hope. Are we prepared to do the same if we are called to do so?
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)