A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a message on Facebook saying that I was going to take a break from commenting on Donald Trump. My rationale was that no one is going to be convinced to examine their unalloyed support of a man who doesn’t deserve to hold the highest office in the land. I hoped for a respite.
Yet Donald Trump doesn’t give anyone a respite. Shortly after my stated desire to ignore him, he was credibly accused of withholding badly needed military aid to Ukraine to hold off a Russian invasion until he got a promise from that nation to look into supposed corruption in the Biden family. It was a quid pro quo.
Now, we all know that there are appropriate quid pro quos with other nations with respect to policy and national security issues. But a quid pro quo for personal political benefit, getting another country to dig up dirt on a political opponent is not the same thing. He did this for himself, not for America.
It’s an impeachable offense, the latest of many that he has committed, beginning with the obstruction of justice highlighted in the Mueller Report that all too many refuse to see.
We now have a parade of people who have worked in the administration (some still working there) who have confirmed that offensive quid pro quo. Some of those witnesses, like ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor and NSC staffer Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, have sterling reputations and have put themselves in the crosshairs of an angry president who has decided that anyone who says anything about him that he doesn’t like (no matter how true) is an evil NeverTrumper. He has even called those in the Republican party and/or conservative movement who dare to disagree with him “human scum.”
That’s not exactly presidential, but we should be used to that by now. As I said in another Facebook comment, I will accept the honor of that insult, coming as it does from that source.
I have pretty much been accused of not being a good Christian because I share my concerns about this man. I’m told I should be praying for him. I do. He desperately needs salvation. However, I also pray for this nation. It desperately needs qualified leadership grounded in integrity. That’s not what we have in Donald Trump.
I firmly believe, watching him try to speak intelligently, that we have as head of state a man who is seriously deficient in character and is borderline emotionally unstable.
Some think I shouldn’t say such things, but I disagree. There is a time for discretion and waiting to see how things develop, but then there is also a time for speaking openly and freely about the dangers of placing trust in someone who is untrustworthy.
Someone needs to say this. I would rather not be that person. Yet I believe it is part of my Christian duty to speak out in warning.
What disturbs me the most is the willful blindness and deafness of those who should be spiritual leaders, followed by the craven fear of politicians whose priority is simply getting reelected. The first are doing a disservice to the ministry God has given them. The second are doing a disservice to the position they have attained in government.
I don’t give up hope. For the sake of our Christian witness, I pray that eyes will be opened so that our message of God’s love, the need for repentance, and the offer of His forgiveness will not be tarnished by our association with an unrepentant and self-aggrandizing leader.
The honorable thing for President Trump to do would be to resign and allow Mike Pence to take over. The probability of that happening is slight. That leaves impeachment. Let’s be serious. He’s going to be impeached by the House. It’s all going to come down to the Republicans in the Senate. Will they do the right thing and make rule of law and integrity their cornerstone of judgment? Or will they circle the wagons the way the Democrats did around Bill Clinton?
The Democrats were wrong to do that. Republicans will be just as wrong if they do the same.
Moses admonished the judges in his day with these words:
Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God.
Deuteronomy 1:17
We would be wise to take that admonition to heart: stop being “tribal”; look at the facts as objectively as possible; don’t be intimidated by anyone, i.e., don’t fear criticism when you believe you are judging fairly. And above all, remember that the final judgment is God’s, so we had better be sure of our own integrity when we come to our judgments.
That is what I try to do. That is what I have done in this post. I’m willing to stand before God and have Him examine my heart and judge my motives for writing this post. I have nothing to gain in this world by what I have said; in fact, it will only bring criticism, I’m sure. Yet I must do what I believe God has called me to do.
I’m constantly pondering principles and want my life to manifest them. I appeal to my Christian brothers and sisters to do the same. It’s time to take a stand for righteousness. Who will take that stand? Will you?