It has been announced: The Donald isn’t going to show up for the January 28 Republican debate because he doesn’t like Megyn Kelly and her, “I’m going to keep you accountable for your sexist remarks” questions.
Trump’s got money and the power that goes with it. He has no need to be questioned about his stances by people he knows disagree with him.
So he’s not going to show up and will hold a rival event of his own.
I choose to refrain from commenting how one who packs up his cookies and goes home when he doesn’t like the questions or questioners in front of him might function as President of the United States. What I do want to do is draw parallels between Trump’s apparently childish, me-centered behavior and the church.
About ten years ago a British Christian satire site set out to find the best Christian joke. Out of the top ten picks, one written by comedian Emo Phillips,came out number one. Here it is:
I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump. I ran over and said: “Stop. Don’t do it.”
“Why shouldn’t I?” he asked.
“Well, there’s so much to live for!”
“Like what?”
“Are you religious?”
He said, “Yes.”
I said, “Me too. Are you Christian or Buddhist?”
“Christian.”
“Me too. Are you Catholic or Protestant?”
“Protestant.”
“Me too. Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?”
“Baptist.”
“Wow. Me too. Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?”
“Baptist Church of God.”
“Me too. Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?”
“Reformed Baptist Church of God.”
“Me too. Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915?”
He said: “Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915.”
I said: “Die, heretic scum,” and pushed him off.
In the United Methodist Church, all we need to do is change some of the questions to: “Free Methodist or United Methodist?” “Progressive or Traditionalist?” “Pro full inclusion or anti full inclusion?” We end up again at, “Die, heretic scum.”
Christians at large and United Methodists in particular have many things that should hold us together. They include a joint love for God, a shared gratefulness of the mystery of grace, a respect for John Wesley and his famous “methods” that shaped the movement that changed the face of the religious world, a passion for social justice and resolve to stand up to oppression and evil.
Yet, we are still ready to tell the “other” to jump off the bridge.
I’ve been reading reports and critiques of the January pre-conference, a preparation time for the 2016 General Conference of the UMC to take place in May, 2016. So much “pick, pick, pick” over the things that separate us. So easy with such a practice to turn small yet important challenges that can and should help us clarify a theology infused with grace into pus-spilling rampant infections.
How much “trumpianism” is evident here?
Could we, too, not want to be held accountable for the things we have said that may have, in retrospect, been unwise or even profoundly un-kingdom of God-like?
Could repentance, the key to a life of grace-filled and healing love, also escape us?
Could one of the reasons Trump is so immensely popular in his campaign is that he exquisitely reflects the collective dark inner lives of most people and is able to get away with it?
In other words, we are just little “trumpians” in our practice, if not our theology?
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