Wow! It's been a couple of years since I posted anything. It would take something big (apparently) to awaken me from my writing slumber. Well - something BIG happened yesterday. Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as POTUS. I will say up front - I didn't vote for Trump. I (for the first time ever) wrote in a candidate...John Kasich...but I digress...
This morning was like any other morning. I got up, made some coffee, and went to my desk to have my devotional time, which includes prayer, Bible reading, journaling, and burning incense (no I'm not a hippy...read Rev. 5: 8 or Rev. 8: 4...it's a prayer thing), and time just meditating. Yesterday in my journaling, I reflected upon the historic transfer of power to Donald Trump. I had made myself a promise not to pout if my candidate lost, nor gloat if my candidate won...but to pray for the person who was elected either way. I prayed yesterday, and I will continue.
This morning's Bible reading was Isaiah chapter 45. It starts this way: "This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut." Whoa. I don't know if "irony" is the proper word or if this is just flat out a "God thing," or if God is looking at me and giggling. The day after Donald Trump gets inaugurated, I am reading about how God "anoints" a pagan, Gentile king and promises to help him subdue nations... Why in the world would God pick Cyrus? Well, turns out God had a special job for Cyrus. Cyrus would be the one who would first allow the Israelites to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Not only that, he would send supplies and the the treasures that had been taken from the Temple when it was destroyed. Later he would free the Israelites from captivity and allow them to return home from exile...no strings attached. Really, Cyrus did more for the Hebrews that many of the kings of Judah. Hmmm....
Cyrus...Trump? Then my brain kicked in and I remembered a critical difference in the analogy. The Jews didn't elect Cyrus. They were already in captivity in Babylon and Cyrus conquered that region.
So is Donald Trump like Cyrus? For over a year now, conservative Christian leaders who were supporters of Trump have been comparing Trump to Cyrus. At the time I was thinking, "Y'all are crazy...this guy won't get nominated, much less elected." Alrighty then. So I did some research and read some articles. One article I read in "Charisma News"from March, 2016 was written by Dr. Michael Brown. He raises the question, "Is Trump like Cyrus?" He points out that the analogy breaks down at the place I saw it break down - that the Jews didn't "elect" Cyrus. Be that as it may, could Trump be the one God uses to "restore" America? Before we say, "Yes" too quickly, Dr. Brown also points out that there was another pagan king - Nebuchadnezzar - whom the Bible calls, "God's servant." His purpose was to destroy, punish, and take into captivity. Could Trump be that kind of "servant" of God? I like Dr. Brown's answer: "Let God be God. Only time will tell."
At least one other possibility comes to my mind. I am reminded of what Israel did in 1 Samuel 8. The people said to Samuel, "Give us a king." Samuel was upset, and prayed to God about it. "And the Lord told him, 'Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods so they are doing to you. Now listen to them, but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.'" (1 Sam. 8: 7-9, emphasis mine)
So...you want a "king?" You want a strong, take-no-prisoners man who will defeat your enemies and make your country "win" again? Be careful what you ask for...
Is Trump Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzar, Saul, or none-of-the-above? I really don't know. Let God be God. Only time will tell. What I do know is that this seems to be a critical crossroads for our nation. I believe now is the time for some praying and some soul-searching. I say let's give Trump a chance to lead and see what happens. In my opinion, protesters yelling, "Not My President!" etc... do little good. The man is in office. That being said, if Trump does act and lead in a way that is against the core principles that followers of Christ have chosen to live by, or if he acts or leads in a way that is contrary to the principles on which our nation was founded...we can and must let our voices be heard. I (we) must not be silent in the face of injustice or tyranny. As a preacher, I must reclaim my prophetic voice. Y'all, I really do pray that this will be a time of restoration, not a downward spiral.
"Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of these days!" Amen.
