When it comes to choosing who to vote for each election my simple advice to people is to consider which party best depicts the kingdom of God as Jesus describes it and vote for them. Easier said than done I know, but generally when people are pursuing righteousness, peace and joy – a description of the Kingdom in Romans 14 – then the outcome will be a healthier and more just society. And in case it isn’t clear – there is no perfect political party to throw your lot in with. They all line up in some ways and depart from a Jesus-like ideal in other areas.
That said, the fireworks that have emanated from the Trump appointment point to what the world is like when someone totally disregards the ethics of the kingdom of God and simply pursues the kingdom of me. When a person sees themself as the centre of the universe and is also the most powerful person in the world, then they may be tempted to use their power in self-centred ways. Every day I wake to read the news, wondering what has happened in the last 12 hours. It is like a reality TV show unfolding around us, except it is real life and one man is using his power to simply bring maximum benefit to himself. It is horrific.
The world is reeling from the misuse of this power, from Ukraine to South Africa to Gaza, not to mention the chaos that must be present in his own country. And it appears no one is reigning him in. It seems those close to him have their own jobs to consider – but surely someone must have the courage to stop the insanity. The result of one person pursuing their own agenda without regard for others is tension, strife and conflict escalating, rather than being resolved. While secular politicians may not use the language of the ‘kingdom of God’, the values and ideals they espouse are often aligned with kingdom concepts. This is why Trump is such an abberation. He has complete disregard for any ideas that do not benefit him directly, while being seen as a great benefactor for the working class. As for the so called ‘evangelical Christians’ who are finding a way to endorse this craziness, it’s time for those folks to also admit that they can no longer fudge their way thru on this one. This guy is a clown and the world has become a circus – but it is just too critical for him to be allowed to keep making his messes everywhere.
And I don’t write this as any kind of lefty as I’m a self confessed ‘swinger’ when it comes to politics. However right now the unfettered destruction one man is wreaking on the world is some of the greatest craziness I have seen in my 61 years.
I’m also 60, an American, very jaded about politics but more on the conservative side, just so you know where I’m coming from.
You might not believe me when I say this but you have to take a lot of the news reporting about Trump with a huge grain of salt, more like a pound of salt. The establishment news media always been in complete lockstep with the Democratic Party in the Stares. An example is National Public Radio. It was revealed recently that every single one of their editors and reporters are registered Democrats. 100% of them. And they receive government funding.
Point is in general the mainstream media in the US hates anything conservative and walk in lockstep slanting coverage. One reason Trump won the election is his team sidestepped the regular media and used social media to great effect.
So when you read some ‘horrific’ thing Trump did or said, most of the time if you dig a little you’ll find the reporting was slanted, twisted, purposely incomplete or an outright lie. Our national media has lost all credibility with the majority of Americans
Like Proverbs says, there’s always two sides to the story, one seems right til another comes and searches him out.
So it’s not as bad here as the news media makes it sound, Trump is doing a lot of good too, and they hate hate hate him for it.
That’s my perspective, take it for what it’s worth.
Thanks Billy – appreciate I cannot see things from where you stand, so that is helpful .