As the pastor of a church, I have an interesting perspective on this. I know and love people who voted for Clinton and others who voted for Trump. I don’t have exit polls or demographic data at my fingertips, but I do know my congregation.
As I have watched this campaign descend into nastiness, I saw the worst motivations attributed to the supporters of each candidate. I know that those qualities exist. I’ve seen them. However, that is not what I find in my congregation. That doesn’t mean that my parishioners are pure and holy. I don’t even find that in the mirror. Instead, I find people with sincere differences who care about their children and the future of the country.
Will Donald Trump be a great president? I have my doubts. His moral failures, narcissism, and crude objectification of others concern me. However, his supporters in my congregation have no illusions about these things. In conversations with me, many articulated their own repulsion at his actions. Still they supported him. (In full disclosure, I had my doubts about Hillary Clinton as well, but the election has made them moot.)
Perhaps, the best thing for my congregation right now is to listen to each other. Locked inside our own opinions, we fail to appreciate the other person. We become stingy with our love, reserving it for those who agree with us. The pain that many are experiencing in our neighborhoods is real. The sooner we experience it together, the more likely that reconciliation can occur. Jesus Christ came to knock down the dividing walls of hostility (Ephesians 2:14).
With that foundation, I would hope that my congregation will always remain “the loyal opposition.” Where we see good in our political system, let us applaud it. Where we see error, let us speak clearly and civilly about our disagreement. Let no one ignore corruption, no matter if it is found in our party or the other one. Our politicians have a tendency to be tempted by power. It is our job to hold them accountable.
My congregation also must take a special care when attributing God’s actions to a politician. Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton was not God’s choice in this election season. To say so borders on blasphemy. Frankly, such talk is more about shutting down dissent and debate rather than any spiritual insight. The more faithful response is to pray for our new President, encouraging him to acknowledge his shortcomings and to seek the forgiveness of God.
Lastly, it is easy for even Christians to forget a simple truth. Our hope and trust is not in a politician. We have a Savior, and he doesn’t have an R or a D beside his name. Jesus Christ is ushering in a new kingdom. That kingdom will necessarily come into conflict with the kingdoms of this world. We must never forget that we are ambassadors for Christ’s reign, working to bring about his peace.
If you voted for Donald Trump, now is not the time for arrogance. If you voted for Hillary Clinton, now is not the time for despair. I pray that our nation can be John Winthrop’s shining city on a hill and Martin Luther King Jr.’s beloved community. I pray that my congregation can show the way.
Pastor 139 