Written: Thursday 19th January 2017
I write this blog post on the eve of one of the most extraordinary moments in US history in my living memory. Tomorrow, Donald J Trump is going to be inaugurated as President of the United States.
I’m still taking this in. Even 12 months ago this seemed quite an unlikely story, but it is happening.
During the 1990’s, an American sociologist called Francis Fukuyama concluded that after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the following collapse of the Communist bloc, history had, in effect, ended, and whatever followed would just be a re-hash of previous chapters.
But he was mistaken. Lots of new things happened since 1989.
9/11 followed. Isis followed. And at a less apocalyptic but still pretty shocking level, Brexit and the election of Donald Trump followed.
In the US, or in my case watching from Britain as an outsider, we all formed our opinions about “The Donald”, and I cannot help feeling that whatever people’s opinions on Hilary, Donald is a very curious choice of nominee never mind President.
In the interest of balance some might feel the need to level equal amounts of praise and criticism towards Clinton and Trump, but I don’t think that’s needed now because Trump is going to be the next President, and Hillary is not.
The issue is, how are we, who are Christians, supposed to respond to this surprising turn of events? For various reasons, some good and some bad, there are many people who are glad that Hillary did not succeed, but even they must admit that Trump is an erratic figure with poor impulse control who doesn’t seem to be able to handle any criticism at all without going on Twitter to defend himself by criticising the other party.
He couldn’t even resist slating Meryl Streep as “over-rated”.
In any case, when I turn to the Bible I see that much worse leaders than Trump have been in charge of nations and empires. Psychopaths, megalomaniacs, genocidal men… And God was still able to work out His plans and purposes through them in some cases, and despite them in others.
So I’m going to suggest several things we can pray for Donald Trump on the eve of his Presidency. And several ways we can pray for the nation of the US, a country I don’t belong to but feel a real concern for because of friends I have who live there and because of America’s influence on the wider world.
Before we get to the what, here’s the why. Why should Christians from the USA and beyond pray for Donald Trump?
- We should pray for him because he really needs Jesus – whatever your politics it is clear that he needs the saving grace of Jesus Christ in his life, and no publicity stunt of him holding a Bible like a kind of heirloom is going to override the fruit of his life which is lacking in humble Christian faith. Let’s be honest, he is just as much of a show-off as Kanye West.
- We should pray for him because God commands us to do so (1 Timothy 2:2), to pray for leaders and those in authority.
- We should pray for him because the stakes are very high. America has such influence through its sheer size, its economy, its military and its movies.
- We should pray for him because Trump needs wisdom beyond what he has now – as all Presidents do.
- We should pray for him because the USA is divided and needs reconciliation – the sheer length of the campaigns for both nomination and election was probably one of the most damaging things as it polarised even further sections of American society until social media was just crammed with angry self-righteous mud-slinging on both sides. Not only that, more long-standing divides between black and white, civilian and police have grown wider in recent months due to the shocking level of shootings of unarmed black US citizens by white police, and some equally-wrong retaliation shootings that followed.
So what and how do we pray for the new President? Here are a few suggestions
- Pray that when he faces the enormity of the role, he humbles himself. Like Nebuchadnezzar who after being punished by God for standing in the way finally looked up to Heaven and blessed the Most High God (Daniel 4:34) and was restored to his right mind after a period of madness.
- Pray that when he is criticised or otherwise frustrated, and feels inclined to lash out, that God restrains him. Like King Saul who tried to kill David but ended up prophesying (1 Samuel 18:23) because the Holy Spirit overwhelmed him.
- If Trump absolutely refuses to be restrained, pray that the other guy “ducks”. Like the servant David who ducked out of the way when King Saul tried to pin him to the wall with a spear (1 Samuel 19:10). Writing as an outsider to the US, everyone I know who is not American is concerned about the damage Trump could do if he sacks of climate change measures, if he pursues war or if he forms dangerous allegiances with corrupt world leaders. Not that I’m naming names.
- Pray for a godly Vice President and good advisors around him. Like Daniel and his friends in Babylon, like Joseph in Egypt, both second in command despite being in exile, they did amazing jobs and brought blessing to the whole regions they were based in. Let’s pray for the VP that God moulds him and helps him to play a great supporting role. Let’s pray for the checks and balances in America’s system that they also help to restrict the worst excesses of his character.
- Pray that he discovers God’s word. Like the young king Josiah who discovered the Old Testament Law (2 Kings 22:11-20) and asked for it to be read out to him. When he heard it, Josiah realised the nation of Israel had strayed so far from God’s commands that he tore his robes, repented of his sin and that of the nation, and caused a nation-wide repentance that led also to godly reforms and the tearing down of idols. In a Western culture that is pretty close to Babylon, self-serving and self-glorifying and independent in all the wrong ways, what better time for the incoming President to start reading the Bible, realising his need for mercy and crying out to Jesus Christ for mercy and help.
- Pray that in the end, the US electorate looks not to politics, media or even religion for its identity and security, but rather to Jesus Christ, who is Lord and above all earthly authorities including any President, king or queen.
- Pray that the electorate hold Trump and his new administration to account for its ethics, transparency and policies. In this “post-truth” environment it is so important that facts are held onto, propaganda is resisted and since Trump seems to have a casual relationship with the truth, the media and the wider public need to play their part in holding the new government to account I these areas.
- Pray the electorate holds itself to the same high standard, avoiding lazy armchair criticism.
- Pray that the nations is re-united, not at the expense of other nations, through the gracious and courageous leadership of the Church. What an example it would be if a multi-racial Church crossed class and ethnic barriers because of a deeper identity that exists around being in Christ! Christians have a clear ministry of reconciliation and the Church needs to build bridges more than it does walls.
- Pray for a revival across America that makes America great* again, regardless of who is in the White House.
* Great in God’s eyes and not necessarily in anyone else’s
Hope Community Church (MCR) 