[For an explanation of these 18 posts, see Part 1 published on 3/27/2019.]
Pope Francis and President Trump Dispute about Walls
In 2016, Donald Trump campaigned for the U.S. presidency, which he won. The main plank of his platform was that he promised to build a wall on the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border to stop illegal immigration and transportation of narcotics. The U.S. had a decades-old problem with illegal immigration across this border, and the U.S. Congress had been dis-functional in solving the problem. Trump pledged to solve it with a “big, beautiful wall.” But he was known for being light on statistics. For instance, he constantly asserted, “Mexico will pay for the wall.” Yet Mexico was very opposed to such a barrier. And Trump pretty much never explained how that would occur. As for how to construct the wall, Trump first suggested pre-cast concrete planks as high as fifty feet. (He later conceded that a combo wall and fence might do just as well.)
At the same time, Roman Catholic Pope Francis expressed sympathy for poor folks trying to find a better life by emigrating to foreign countries. So, he announced in opposition to President Trump, “building walls . . . is not Christian.”
With all due respect to the pope, he really thinks walls are not Christian? Most of the 110 acres of The Vatican have defensive walls. You can view them on the Internet. Yet, access is easily obtained. But that’s because times are different. Does Pope Francis need to visit the Vatican library and brush up on his Vatican history? Its huge walls were first constructed in the ninth century to keep out invasion of barbarians.
Trump likes a good fight. But he said he likes Pope Francis and doesn’t want to argue with him. Nevertheless, President Trump replied, “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith. Disgraceful!” Ah, Mr. Trump, Jesus sometimes did a lot more than just question a man’s religion. He once told his opponents, “You are from your father the devil, . . . he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8.44).
Donald Trump is no theologian. Still, he could have gotten one-up on the pope by mentioning God’s walled, holy city in heaven. It’s in the Bible—at the end. Someday, this beautiful city will come down toward earth. In the last two chapters of Revelation, John the author says of his vision, “I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, . . . It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, . . . The angel who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. . . . He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits” (Rev 21.2, 12, 15 NRSV).
That’s a lot higher than Trump’s proposed wall. During antiquity, the common cubit was eighteen inches long. Thus, this wall is 216 feet tall! And no one will scale it illegally. People must “enter the city by the gates” (Rev 22.14). The best part about this city is that “the throne of God and of the Lamb [Jesus] will be in it” (v. 3). So, even God and Jesus are right now enclosed within walls in this holy city in heaven.[1]
[1] For more biblical information about this city of God, see Gal 4.26; Heb 11.10, 16; 12.22.
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