Juan Williams, in his latest article for The Hill, takes Christians to task for supporting President Trump in spite of his moral failures. His premise is based on a recent pole that claims 68% of Evangelicals approve of Trump's job performance. He says we have "sold [our] souls for Trump". He goes on to state "Hypocrisy that deep can’t be excused by Trump’s convenient switch from supporting abortion rights to opposing abortion...what we are seeing is a hollow core in evangelical faith as practiced by its leaders". While I generally respect Mr. Williams I am deeply disappointed with this disingenuous commentary. To be precise, his conflation of two disparate ideas in order to draw a conclusion that serves his partisan interests. Might I suggest, approving of anybody's "job performance" should not be equated with approving of their moral character. Particularly, if the former is in the present while the latter is in the past. The truth is simple; I can approve of anybody's performance in a specified set of circumstances while steadfastly condemning their moral character.
Which, of course, is what the Evangelicals I know do...
So how, then, did so many Evangelicals actually make the decision to vote for Trump in the first place? The simple truth is, many Evangelical's regarded the 2017 presidential election as a "Hobson's Choice", We would have preferred another viable option so we could exercise our civic duty without holding our noses. Rebecca Hagelin, in her article, Can a Christian Vote for a Non-Christian Candidate? says "I never look for the best Christian to be president – I look for the one who best reflects a strong moral character, and who is most likely to preserve my rights as a Christian and freedom-loving American". It's a commendable approach but...what if neither option is of strong moral character?
Well, life is difficult...
So, here's my point. We have allowed a fractured culture to divide the Church. I believe Mr. Williams when he says he is a Christian. So...he should know better. All he has to do is look at the comments to his article and understand it is being used to demean, belittle and condemn the Church. It is being used as fodder to suggest Christians should really not be allowed to participate in the political process.
Why? Because he believes we should have voted another way...
Marginalizing anybody...and subjecting them to ridicule...is an affront to the Gospel to which Mr. Williams appeals. But, it's not just him. It's many devout Christians as well. I was excoriated by relatives when they discovered my vote. You might have thought I had sworn allegiance to the Anti-Christ. I was disappointed in them as well. You may agree with them. You may call me a hypocrite. You may call me a fool but remember...in doing so you have predetermined how God will judge you.
But there is a better way...Jesus tells us, in Matthew 6, "if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours".
The sanctity of the Body of Christ is expressed in how we love one another. It may be the only way we can lead this wounded culture to a place of spiritual healing. It is time to quit judging one another and step up to meet our Lord's expectation that we be salt and light in a world that is perishing.
Live boldly out there today...
