Until last week, I didn't realize the magazine Christianity Today was founded by the late Billy Graham, the evangelical preacher whose 20th century crusades brought the message of Jesus Christ to tens of millions.
Graham died in 2018, but his publication carries on, hardly noticed, I suspect, by people who do not practice the faith.
That changed last week when the magazine's editor cast a message out to its readers headlined "Trump should be removed from office." It's the same message the magazine delivered 20 years ago about President Clinton.
The strange love affair between evangelical Christians and this president defies explanation. Daily, President Trump demonstrates values I, as a Christian, would never want my two teenage sons to embrace. While he appears to have a self-image as one of the greatest human beings ever, his virulent and petulant behaviors are beyond the pale of any measure of Christian expression.
He courts evangelical support, certainly. Some of his administration's actions undoubtedly match up with some of the political goals of evangelicals. But how long can followers of Jesus turn their cheeks to the cruel and hateful behaviors of this president?
Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, isn't politically my cup of tea at all. Trump, though, is even making me agree with her, for once. "What the president misunderstands is cruelty is not wit," Pelosi said last week after the president made fun of the gratitude Rep. Debbie Dingell showed for Trump's kindnesses after her husband, longtime Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, died in February.
"John would be so thrilled. He's looking down," Trump, speaking at a rally, recounted Debbie Dingell saying to him.
Then Trump remarked to his supporters, "Maybe he's looking up. I don't know." If a crowd can be shocked at the same time they're laughing, that's how I would describe the reaction.
It's one more example of the problems with this president cited by Christianity Today, which suggested "this president has dumbed down the idea of morality in his administration."
"He has hired and fired a number of people who are now convicted criminals," the magazine said. "He himself has admitted to immoral actions in business and his relationship with women, about which he remains proud. His Twitter feed alone--with its habitual string of mischaracterizations, lies, and slanders--is a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused."
The editor went on to admonish believers who remain loyal supporters: "Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump's immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency."
The late Peter Scholtes spent years in the business world writing books about leadership and management. In that world, he suggested "I don't think everybody dislikes change. I think people dislike being changed."
Evangelical Christians believe transformational change comes to a person's life through faith in Jesus Christ. The evidence suggests Donald Trump doesn't want to change, and hasn't one bit.
Early in his life, Scholtes was a priest, working to build relationships and bridge the racial divide on the south side of Chicago. He couldn't find a song for an ecumenical event, so he set out to write one himself, including the lyrics:
"We will work with each other, we will work side by side.
And we'll guard each one's dignity, and save each other's pride.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love."
My faith suggests to me that God can achieve a lot through imperfect people. Indeed, every person He's ever put to work for His purposes fits that description. It's even conceivable to me God could be at work in Donald Trump.
But in terms of Christian support for him, I wonder: Can they see he is Christian by his love?
Commentary on 12/22/2019