“Abdication”

October 11, 2018

President Trump may be accused of many things, but being a great leader is not one of them.  Indeed, as reflected in a news article October 10, 2018 in the BBC News, entitled, “Donald Trump and a World of Disorder,” reporter Nick Bryant makes the observation that “while the attention has been focused myopically on the highest court of the land, the Trump administration stands accused of being a bystander to lawlessness around the world.”

Nick Bryant notes the following examples:  (1) the forced disappearance of the Interpol chief, Meng Hongwei, who is being held by Chinese authorities, (2) Mounting evidence of the Kremlin’s involvement in the chemical poisonings in Salisbury, (3) the horrifying case of Jamal Khashoggi, the missing Saudi Arabian journalist who was killed and dismembered by a Saudi hit squad inside the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.

Mr. Bryant says the United States has in the past viewed itself as the “upholder of norms, an exemplar of moral leadership, or the policemen of global bad behavior.”  This idealized idea has not always been lived up to, but it has in the past informed the actions of our President and Congress.

President Trump, however, is an example of the opposite.  He has been reluctant to perform the role of “upholder of norms, or exemplar of moral leadership.”  We do, of course, know why.  Being morally bankrupt himself, he has no moral core from which to speak to the rest of the world.

The President has not condemned or criticized the Saudi Arabians, even though it is reported that US intelligence intercepted communications of Saudi officials plotting against Khashoggi, who in his newspaper columns often criticized the Saudia Arabian government.  Trump has certainly been reluctant to criticize Putin and the Soviet Union.  Trump has praised the autocratic President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, calling him as “fantastic guy.”  Trump has told a rally of his supporters that he “fell in love” with North Korean Kim Jong-Un at the Singapore summit.  Trump has commended Recep Erdogan of Turkey, giving him “very high marks.”  Trump has even commended the strong man Rodrigo Dutertes, president of the Philippines, even though he has killed 12,000 suspected drug dealers and users.

When confronted with his view of Putin on a TV talk show with host Bill Reilly, who called Putin “a killer”, Trumps response was “We have a lot of killers” and simply shrugged his shoulders.

I have quoted this article by BBC reporter Nick Bryant extensively to make an important point:  our President Donald Trump has abdicated any moral leadership towards world affairs, which might affect us and the world in it’s relationship with the United States.  This is horrifying!  Our so-called President shrugs off the last 70 years of world leadership of the United States, saying, “we have a lot of killers.”

This president can speak of “America First” and turn the installation of a Supreme Court justice (Brett Kavanaugh) into a political pep rally for the conservative base of the Republican Party, but he cannot confront injustice, the murder of an innocent journalist, or subversion of our democratic election process.  This president can, however, cozy up and lie in the same bed as thugs, dictators, and strongmen who kill and suppress their own citizenry and even hold them up as examples of “great leaders” who need to be emulated.

This President’s moral compass is pointing south instead of north.  He has no discernment of either right or wrong.  He recognizes only power, those who win and those who are “on his team.”  It is like the former FBI chief, James Comey, remarked:  “This President runs his administration like a crime boss, demanding ultimate loyalty to him.”

The appalling part of all of this is that the conservative base still supports this man, who is the anti-thesis of every democratic ideal they supposedly hold to be true.  The cancer of President Donald Trump is growing among us like an insidious fungus, poisoning our lives, sucking away the life and joy of this democracy and will in fact bring us to the death of democracy if he is not quickly stopped.  I am appealing to all that is good, true, righteous and of good report if any such is left in this nation.  I also am appealing to Almighty God to help us in this season, that we might know truth from lie, freedom from cult of personality, and be able to discern what is right from that which is wrong.

A prayer of hope and faith:

Our Heavenly Father, faithful and true, and lover of all humankind:

We know that you are The Fount of all goodness, all righteousness, all justice and all truth.  We also know you as our friend, and we love you.  Because you alone are our Savior and have sent your Son Jesus Christ to be the Redeemer of all your children, we appeal to you in this darkest hour of the waning of our democracy.  Would you arise and become our Savior in this hour and come to help us?  Be for us, your people whom you call by your name…be for us the Rock of our Salvation, the Repairer of the Breach, the Strong, High Tower of our Hope and our Redemption.

Come and save us from the unrighteous cancer of wickedness and death growing in our midst.  Purge us with your holy fire of goodness, righteousness and truth.  Blow upon the wheat of this nation and separate the grain of goodness from the chaff of wickedness in this land.  Bring down those who preen themselves as giant peacocks, tear off all their feathers and show them for the naked fowl they truly are.

Help us as your people, the People of the Book of your Holy Word of God in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior to again see with clear eyes and grand vision.  Let us know the truth and let the truth make us free.  And when you make us free, let us be free indeed!

We offer this prayer in your most holy name, and in the name of your Son and our Savior Jesus Christ, to whom be all praise, glory, honor and blessing, both now and forever.  Amen.

Bill Wilson, servant of God by God’s grace and abundant mercies.

Let all of God’s people say, “Amen!”

“Amen!  We praise you, Lord Jesus Christ!”

“Amen.”