Why celebrate Trump’s blunders

 I can’t remember any politician that has been as polarizing as President Trump.  I’ve voted for Trump every time he’s ran for office, my support has strained family relationships and friendships.  Part of Trump’s appeal to many people is his bluntness, he speaks his mind with confidence and complete disregard for the consequences, well, stupidity has consequences.  

Trump has completely opened himself up to be roasted and ridiculed, yet only foolish people hope for their pilots to fail in the cockpit.  Yet, we should celebrate Trump’s blunders, both supporters & haters alike.  Trump‘s critics are relishing in his immature antics, while his supporters are struggling to defend him. Here’s a thought, perhaps we do not need to demonize him or seek to save him.

Trump has a few failed promises, for example he has not turned the economy around during this presidency, he drew us into a war with Iran after running for office claiming he wouldn’t start any new wars, and perhaps worst of all are his idiotic social media posts.   Trump has made it hard to support him and he’s freely given his adversaries all the ammunition they need to lambaste him.  So why should we celebrate his bumbling childish behavior & blunders?

I voted for Trump based on many principles, and on the basis of an often rejected maxim, he was the lesser of two evils.  Unfortunately, like it or not, we have to pick between the evil, passive disengagement isn’t an option, inaction isn’t a solution.  You may think you are talking the higher ground when you avoid the voting booth because of the poor quality of the candidates to choose from, but that is merely self-righteousness deceiving us.  

This is not an endorsement of Trump’s ridiculous antics, nor am I interested in rescuing him.  This is about us.  We need to stop pretending we know what it’s like to be a billionaire and what it’s like to hold the most powerful position on the planet.  We don’t know, but we do know that absolute power absolutely messes with a person’s mind.  We have plenty of hypocrisy going on on both sides of the aisle  

When we hang our hopes on a person in a broken system, we set ourselves up for failure and disappointment.  Trump‘s recent activities and behaviors remind us all of that.  It’s easy to jump on any bandwagon, both the one that endorses and the one that rejects. It’s deceptively easy to be judgmental, and to be deceived into thinking that any individual has what it takes to fix the problems that we have gotten ourselves into.

Trump’s fans need to remember a rush to excuse him is entering in a race to the bottom, and there are no winners at the bottom. Just losers really big losers everyone said so.  

And for those who despise Trump, remember the Bible obligates us to pray for all king’s & rulers and at the time when that was written, the emperors were barbarian pagans. 1 Timothy 2:1-4, [1] First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [2] for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. [3] This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, [4] who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

I don’t agree with Trump on every issue, neither do I agree with everything everyone in my family thinks, and sometimes I disagree with myself.   

I want Trump to succeed as much as the next person, I want what’s best for our country, I would like to see peace and prosperity and freedom reign in our country, I would like for us to enjoy our liberty, but I also recognize that all of this is temporary.

Philippians 3:20-21, [20] But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

A powerful song that questions Follow your leader…?

Are we on the brink of an American Revolution?

 

Here's a revelation if you too woke up to the news this morning that those opposing the Trump administration are calling for a Bastille day type French revolution: Hoping a sitting president fails is like force-feeding your pilot NyQuil and quaaludes before the plane takes off.  Passive aggressive attitudes and the negative immature rantings will not move a country forward.  

This is a free country, you don't have to like the president, and everyone is free to voice their opinion.  If you don't like the direction our country is going, come up with a better plan, find positive contributions that improve the situation, be proactive with helpful actions.  

Read more history books, we don't erect statues to cowardly saboteurs for a reason.  Also for your own safety, of a heavily armed population with more firearms than citizens in our country, I feel like the folks supporting the Trump agenda are probably the majority of the ones carrying.   

What should we make of Christianity Today Magazine Calling for Trump's removal?

This morning I unfollowed the Twitter account of Christianity Today. 
The reason?  Their piece on removing Trump was nothing less than hypocritical on their part: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/december-web-only/trump-should-be-removed-from-office.html

Why do I think CT magazine is hypocritical and a bit insincere in their proposition that Trump needs to step down?  Even if they are right about Trump's presidency being compromised, the magazine has reached a new, low level of hypocrisy. 

Time and again the CT piece points to the moral problems they see with Trump.  Why are they suddenly the moral police for politicians, and why have they remained silent in regards to so many other politicians, especially the previous administration? 

I cannot recall the magazine ever recommending the Obama administration remove themselves.  For example:  #1, Joe Biden under the Obama administration certainly went further than Trump ever did with the Ukrainians in Biden's threats to withhold American dollars unless Biden got his way:  https://www.wsj.com/video/opinion-joe-biden-forced-ukraine-to-fire-prosecutor-for-aid-money/C1C51BB8-3988-4070-869F-CAD3CA0E81D8.html

 #2, Have we ever had a more pro-LGBT, pro-Abortion, pro-Planned Parenthood president than Obama?  If Trump's character/morals disqualifies him from office, what about the stances Obama took? 

I do not like a lot of what Trump's past holds.  Yet, since taking office, he has done quite a bit for Christianity and people of faith.  I cannot say how sincere he is in his faith or what his position with God is, that's not for me to judge.  I also do not feel I need to defend Trump.  That's not what this is about.  This is about a "Christian" magazine that is not about politics but is supposedly about faith, misspeaking in complete error (Technically Trump is not impeached until the House delivers the articles of impeachment to the Senate, which they so far have not delivered) and hypocrisy. 

CT magazine has the right to whatever stance they think is correct, but for me, I think they have lost their way.  My guess is they are attempting to be hip and relevant, and perhaps reach a new audience to boost their sales?  I'm no longer interested in their perspectives, and I'd say they will lose more of whatever influence they had due to this blunder of theirs. 

What can Pres Trump teach our churches?

Let me clarify, this piece isn’t about politics and I’m not interested in getting political. Instead, the current object lesson playing out in Washington is too valuable for us to pass up. Love him or hate him, President Trump’s administration illustrates a mental-trap many of our churches fall into. Trump was used to doing business with businessmen and he assumed that his style of leadership would automatically/seamlessly translate over into the White House. Has it?

Regardless of what he has or hasn’t accomplished in your view, Trump’s agenda faces challenges. Why? It’s my opinion that Trump thought he could manage politics like he did business. Instead, it looks to me like politicians respond very differently to different methods of motivation. Elected officials might not hold the same values or feel the same pressures from certain types of leverage in the same way someone from the world of business does. And this gross misunderstanding is where we in the church can learn a valuable lesson.

By the way, the subject of President Trump is a lightning-rod issue and our nation is polarized about his position. Neither idolizing him nor demonizing him helps much, but, according to Scripture, since he is a government leader, praying for him is every believer's responsibility.

Back to my point. Unfortunately, many of our churches mistakenly think that an executive/manager who is successful in the marketplace automatically makes for a good church leader. Worse yet, our churches often adapt a worldly business model of leadership because of the influence of the folks we typically select to lead us.

You can’t “run” a church like you do a business. Well you can try, no one here can stop you.

The people with whom you worship with don’t want to be managed, they long to be led -- they deserve to be nurtured and encouraged. The mistake Trump made in thinking one type of leadership translates into all fields, is the same mistake we make when our churches gravitate towards gifted leaders who are successful in their places of work without realizing business acumen isn’t a guaranteed promise for shepherding God’s people well.

I’m not saying people in the business world are disqualified from serving and leading in our churches because of their profession. That’s not my point at all. Besides, I know really great people with business backgrounds (even a few lawyers) who are very spiritual.

I am saying churches need to be led like a church, not like a business. The church is a physical manifestation of a supernatural reality. There isn’t a Dow Jones Industrial Average influencing our quarterly decisions. The WSJ isn’t evil, but it isn’t the publication we turn to for learning about living the Christian life.

We don’t go to auto-mechanics to fix our marriages, no matter how talented they are at being problem solvers, we seek out counselors. You wouldn’t take your child to a carpenter if they needed braces for their teeth. No matter how well a poker-player can read faces, we don’t ask them to teach a classroom full of students to read. If we want people to become more Christ-like we need to find people who imitate Jesus to help us accomplish that, wherever we find them and from whatever their professional background may be. If we want our churches to thrive, we don’t need to look to a conference table half as much as we need to be gathered together around the Table.

Here's why no one is listening to your ranting:

The mood of our country has flip flopped. Perhaps you can remember how just a few years ago, many conservatives were promoting Ayn Rand’s book, “Atlas Shrugged” and people were printing the bumper stickers “Who is John Galt?” as if our country were about to lose all of our creative, hard working capitalists, and follow the plot-line of “Atlas Shrugged.”

The mood of our country has flip flopped. There was a period of time, recently, when we were worried as a nation that we were becoming a Socialist nation. Fears were expressed, and fears were played upon and harnessed.

The mood of our country has flip flopped. Now, in mass, people are nearly revolting against a new leader. People fear a tyrant, an authoritarian neo-fascist, has moved into the White House.

The mood of our country has flip flopped. It seems like when people protest or complain about a politician they disapprove of, they have a meltdown in the process. And this is the problem, we as North Americans have lost the ability to hold civil discourse. The only time we seem to promote tolerance is when we expect people to see a situation our way.

The "winners" of each political cycle always gloat and promise the rest of us we're entering Utopia. The "losers" always mope and moan about the terrible plight we are in.

When someone holds a different perspective than I do, I don’t mind it at all when people express their opinions. What irritates me, and what is absolutely counterproductive though, is when people whine. People on both ends of the political spectrum are guilty of this.

When you are trying to convince people of your point -- but the rhetoric becomes combative, whiny, and borders on paranoia, I can guarantee you that your audience will tune you out and become resistant to your message. Simply think about how you personally respond to people who rant...

If you want people to even consider your perspective, adapt your approach. Polish your presentation. Grow up and don’t throw a temper tantrum. I’m not simply recommending more maturity, I’m proposing some sanity and a realistic outlook.

Our country goes through cycles and the pendulum swings after those in “control” disappoint the people. Every earthly leader eventually fails to fulfill all of their promises, and in the meanwhile they inflame their opposition with their meager accomplishments, but none of this change is eternal.

If you don’t like who’s in Office, don’t worry, they won’t rule forever. If you don’t like the present circumstance we are in, find a positive way to share your ideas without sounding hysterical, discouraged, or defeated. Trust me, no one listens to Chicken Little without thinking about fried chicken.

Post-election America: Can we experience diversity without being divisive?

Regardless of who you voted for this year, you either have been let down because who you voted for didn’t win, or you will soon feel let down by your winning candidate since Presidents can’t deliver on all of their campaign-trail promises -- it’s simply impossible to accomplish all they pitch.  Disappointment is one thing, but our nation seems to be beyond disappointment.  

I’m not sure if upheaval is a strong enough word.  One year ago, no one could've predicted how this year’s tumultuous election would conclude.  This has been the craziest year, politically speaking -- the Presidential campaign was a banal circus that brought out the worst in too many of us.   This much is clear, following the results of the election, we are extremely divided as a nation, we are polarized, we are majorly at odds with each other.

Sadly, our nation is radially divided along party lines, by ideologies, race, and religion.  We are not in a healthy condition; we need healing soon.  Christians should be asking: How can the church help bind up our nation’s wounds?  

The Book of Romans in the New Testament was written to a divided group of Christians.  Without going into too much of the tedious history of the period, the church in Rome was disrupted when the Jewish people who started the church in Rome were forced to leave, while the gentiles who remained in Rome had grown in numbers, and then the Jewish believers later returned.  

What were the results in the church in ancient Rome?  It was a diverse group who had reunited, but they needed some guidance on how to get along.  Why?  They were as culturally and ethnically diverse as you could get, yet the Apostle Paul offers godly wisdom with the hope that the church in Rome could experience unity.  Had they given up, would we even be believers today?

How can the book of Romans help us?  It’s in Romans we learn how we can actively perpetuate a mindset that’s non-judgemental and accepting of those with whom we don’t see eye-to-eye with.  We gain valuable insights into the virtue of tolerance throughout the book of Romans.  

“Tolerance” gets a bad wrap in many Christian circles, but we need tolerance now more than ever.  The type of tolerance I’m recommending is not synonymous with relativism, or the claim, “What’s true for you, isn’t true for me.”  I believe in absolutes, truth, and moral standards that apply to everyone equally.  

Tolerance, in the healthiest form, is the idea of respecting people, of dialoguing, of actively listening, and of withholding judgement.  It’s the only way we can meet people with opposing views halfway.  

Here’s just a small sample from Romans to illustrate the point I’m trying to make, “[14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. [16] Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. [17] Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. [18] If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”  (Romans 12:14-18 ESV)

Please continue to pray for our nation, that we may experience peace and harmony.  It really doesn’t matter who our President is because God is still in control, and, we are supposed to serve as His hands and feet in a wounded and broken world.  It’s really up to us to make the world a better place, it’s not the job of the government anyway.  

America, has it ever been "great" and where should we focus anyway?

Trump won his election by focusing his constituency's attention on the past, a past that many people see differently.  To be simplistic and direct in his branding, Trump repeated his mantra, "Make America great again"  It's the "again" that strikes a nerve with a varied demographic.

So, besides the fact the phrase was plagiarized (Ronald Reagan used that phrase when he ran for office) what's really wrong with the phrase?

It falls short because it's claiming a future that's tied to a past, a somewhat unshared past experience.  We can't go back in time, even if we wanted to, so its a waste of time to wax nostalgic.  Regardless if you think America once was great, we can agree that not everyone thinks so, in fact about 50% of the population takes issue with this phrase.

How can you govern effectively if half of your people feel alienated?  We could say, "Who cares? Let's move on." But that's not feasible in a democracy or a republic.  That type of "suck it up and get over it" stance only works under a totalitarian regime, and even then the cooperation is only a thinly veiled attempt to acquiesce to the leadership.  

I don't buy into any "privilege" movement, it seems to be denigrating to those who feel someone else is privileged.  I love what Donald Miller posted today on twitter, particularly the end of his post:

Click here for the link to Miller's post if that image was too small to read: "Victims love to call Heroes "Privileged"

I couldn't stand Hillary Clinton, so this post isn't about gnawing sour grapes because Trump won.  I'm interested in our nation finding some healing from our massive division.  So..., what would work better for Trump, if he wanted to united America, again?  Drop the word "again" from his slogan, and simply say "let's make America great, together"

I doubt Trump would take advice from someone of my station in life, but if I could give him advice that he'd listen to, that would be my piece of advice, forget about the past and look forward to a future we all can participate in.

Sadly, when you polish off the golden age, you find it's only a pile of pyrite.

Why people we can't stand are so popular

If the research can be trusted, and I see no reason not to believe what is being published in this case, one of greatest regrets people voiced on their deathbeds was: I wish I had been more courageous and expressed myself.

Think about this, of the deepest regrets people have at the end of their lives, at the top of the list was the disappointment of not speaking up in life.  Ranking higher than wishing they had worked less and spent more time with their families was this nagging agony from not having shared their opinions more often.

Which leads me to this conclusion, blowhards who are often viewed as obnoxious or belligerent are wildly popular simply because they do speak their mind.  In a sense, I think many people are living boldly, however vicariously, through the opinionated talking heads they watch on TV.

Many media sensations are frustratingly unoriginal and lack tact or intelligence.  Yet, they have an audience who sits there quietly thinking, "I wish I could say that too, you're my hero..."

I for one was never impressed with the Duck Dynasty series.  I applaud them for their wonderful family values and strong faith.  I believe they are genuinely good people.  But still.  I have redneck family members who could run circles around the Robertson family with saying it how they see it.  The show's popularity and the speaking engagements they have landed stem mainly from Phil shooting straight from the hip and saying whatever he thinks, minus any novelty.
  
I guess the takeaway here is this: Speak your mind while you still have time and don't lose your mind over the people you can't stand in the media -- they have everyone's ear who wishes they could only open their mouths too.

The deception of knowledge: How we are wrong when we are right

I agree with Bernie Sanders, in part.  There is a massive mount of inequality in America and it is unfair, there's corruption on Wall Street and in DC, and that greed hurts people.

Time out: Just because I agree with Sanders on this, certainly doesn't guarantee either of us are right.

But to make the point of this post, I think Bernie is right with his analysis of the situation we are in, but he's mistaken on the conclusions he draws, particularly in his offered solution.  His goals are flawed even though he's properly upset -- even while he sees the problem clearly.  Time will tell, but if history teaches us anything, "Bread & Circus" is more harmful than the threat of any outside invaders.

I could use the same logic with Trump.  Illegal immigration is a problem these days, but there's no way on earth you can deport over 10 million people from America.  It would literally take over a thousand years if you did the math.

Here's another way to look at this.  Have you ever watched a couple argue in a restaurant?  The man and woman are in a heated debate.  You think, what a scoundrel, look at this guy!  You think, he probably smacks her around at home.  You blood is boiling now, you are ready to take matters into your own hands.  Your analysis is, there's a conflict.  The problem is, you have no idea what it's over, and, you can't possibly know what advice to offer.  Yet, in your own mind, you are confident you know what's best for them.  I'm fairly sure your advice wound't be right or welcomed.

Here's an even better example.  Have you ever been lost, maybe while driving?  You realize (analyze  and assess correctly) you are lost!  Does this suddenly impart a mystical knowledge of how to get home, or to your destination?

An accurate analysis doesn't necessarily lead to the correct conclusion.  Read that again.

You might see the problem clearly, and that's the deceptive part.  Because we know what the problem is, we suddenly believe that entitles us to a clear insight into resolving the situation.   One doesn't lead to the other, just because you can identify the problem realistically that doesn't mean you know the right path forward.

Back to Sanders for a minute.  His suggestion that democratic socialism would be the solution is mistaken, in my opinion.  So, what is proven to work better under pressure than capitalism on the right, and socialism on the left?  A system we'll not go to willingly, but it's the oldest system of trade known to mankind.  We only go to it, these days, in times of natural disasters or when economies collapse.  The barter system was here at the dawn of civilization, and it will be here when it collapses.
In the meantime, what economic system is best?  I honestly don't know, but I do know what we've done isn't perfect and some of the proposals are worse.  I do know this, changing the name of the system won't patch up our problems, because you can't legislate morality.  The problems we face as a nation are matters of the heart, and until we fix our hearts as a nation, it doesn't matter who's in the White House or what system they back.