It didn't take long for the "Not My President" signs to change hands again, but in the wake of President-elect's racist and violent campaign rhetoric, these signs take on a new significance.
There's only one problem with them: He is our president-elect. He was nominated in accordance with the rules of the Republican Party and elected under the laws of our nation. We should have and could have stopped him from taking office. We had our chance. It's gone now.
We have all failed.
A lot of ink has already been spilled discussing the roll of the Religious Right in President-elect Trump's ascendancy. Articles proclaimed Trump's campaign as the dying gasp of the old Reagan-era marriage between Fundamentalists and the GOP. The second generation of the "Moral Majority" revealed that they don't actually care about sexual ethics, race, or even free trade; instead, they crave proximity to power. Ralph Reed demonstrated the limits of "faith and freedom" -- which apparently only extends to white fundamentalists. Cowards like Wayne Grudem sold out their faith in the name of the Supreme Court and a false equivalency that makes Planned Parenthood more terrifying than a ban on Muslims. After years of yelling about the importance of sexual ethics, Albert Mohler remained mostly mum -- though he paid lip service by linking Donald Trump and Bill Clinton. Only Russell Moore stood firm in opposing the GOP's candidate.
There is no need to rehash those articles -- though it might prove to be cathartic.
Instead, I'm interested in the Mainline. Nobody writes about us much. And why should they? From a numerical perspective, we're in decline. We're not nearly as vocal about our politics. We are not often bold.
But the election was our failing, too.
Donald Trump was not elected by Southern Baptists, the PCA, and the Missouri Synod alone.
He was elected by members of the ELCA, CBF, and PC(USA). He was elected by United Methodists and Episcopalians.
I know for a fact that many in our pews cast their ballots for the president-elect.
The xenophobia and Islamophobia of the campaign are alive and well in our pews.
The sexism of the campaign thrives, even among our call committees.
Blind eyes were turned in the interest of some ill-defined sense of "greatness."
This is our fault, our fault, our own most grievous fault.
We have sinned, in word, thought, and deed. By what we have done and failed to do.
We have failed to preach prophetically about the horrors of racial discrimination and sexism.
We have failed to welcome in the resident alien.
We have failed to confess our own greed.
We have failed to call the world to repentance and newness of life.
We have talked about "the messiness of our world" rather than sin and evil.
We have given in to the world's definition of greatness as a numbers game.
We have ceded our authority, preaching about "emotional vulnerability" rather than Christ crucified and resurrected.
We have valued programs over ministry.
We have been aphoristic rather than apostolic.
We have failed because we have preached Brene Brown rather than the Triune God.
We have failed because we lack the prophetic imagination to see the Church as the Body of Christ at work in the world.
We have failed because we have not been an in-breaking of the Kingdom of God.
At the end of the day, we have failed because the Holy Spirit was moving among us, inspiring us to preach a radical Gospel, and we ignored Her.
Kyrie eleison.
Christie eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Now, go in peace. Serve the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment