Trumpism: How am I responsible?

A person I respect challenged me the other day over “Trumpism.” Why have so many people in my party gotten things so wrong? Why have so many religious people been attracted to Trumpism?

Maybe people like I am have been doing it wrong. Where is the rot present in my own life? 

It is easy to call names, and Donald J. Trump is a target rich environment, but that is too easy. Lent starts tomorrow for Orthodox evangelicals such as I am. Now is a good time to ask: What have I gotten wrong?

Let’s dispose of false guilt. If we aren’t voting for Trump or enabling his racism, we are not directly responsible for Trump. What have we done . . . or at least what have I done. . . that contributes to a rise in Trumpism?

Too often we have left non-college graduates in our rear view mirror. 

Every ministry has a focus, but I am reminded of what my dad said to me as a boy. “You will be fine. Our world will reward ‘smart’ kids like you are. What of the people who cannot go to school or don’t do as well?”

Have I kept in mind service to people who don’t  like to read books for fun and remembered that what I enjoy doing is not sanctified. Is there a place in all the things I do to help all God’s children do well? Can I put my knowledge, such as it is, in the service of people with other skills?

Real community means appreciating other gifts and putting my own gifts (when wanted) in service to the community. By allowing “folk beliefs” (like birtherism or anti-vaccine ideas) to go unchallenged because they were “beneath” discussion, we set up room for know nothing trumpery.

Too often we have tolerated authoritarian leaders in our communities.  

Today my pastor bowed before each member of the congregation and asked for forgiveness. He does this every year on Forgiveness Sunday. It is an outer sign of the inner reality of his humility. He is our pastor and that means he cares for us. I am afraid to say what we pay him, but suffice to say he is not working for the money.

Like my dad and other pastors I have known, he is a model of care and sacrifice. We don’t hold him up in our broader community. We don’t give him the book contracts because he might have something to say, but he is not a “name.” We glorify celebrity and not service.

I should write more about real mean and women of God. I should stop appearing with or working for the Christian Media Complex that churns up stars of dubious credentials, qualifications, and character. Worst of all are the authoritarian ministries that become all about the guru leader . . . men and women not accountable to anyone.

We need more men like Father Richard and fewer people concerned with “winning.”

We don’t dialog about bad ideas. We ignore them or dismiss them.

When people questioned President Obama’s birthplace, I quickly looked into the “issue” and discovered there was nothing to it. There is no reasonable argument for President Obama being born anywhere by Hawaii.

When people like Donald J. Trump kept raising “birther” arguments, I thought it stupid or silly. I suspected some appeal to racism, but I said little or nothing. Instead, with most people tempted by “birther” argument, I needed to listen and respond. We needed to dialog patiently with folks to show the problems with birther arguments . . . patient listening. When people who knew better, like Trump, kept repeating the nonsense, we should have stopped seeking their endorsement or approval.

This is a time to learn. We have allowed racism to continue. We have allowed “allies” to say irresponsible things about illegal immigrants on crime and other issues and not spent the time to confront, dialog, and (yes!) listen and learn.

Time to change.