A Better Way

Donald Trump should be treated with dignity.

Not because he is the President of the United States. Not because of his politics. Not because he has aligned himself with conservative evangelical Christianity. Not because he has done anything to deserve being treated with dignity.

Trump should be treated with dignity simply because he is created in God’s image, just like me, just like everyone else.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

I’ll admit it, that is often a very hard thing for me to accept. But if I want to be consistent with what I believe, that every person is created in God’s image, then I must believe that of Donald Trump as well.

That does not mean that I need to agree with him, or like the things he does or align myself with the things he stands for. I do not need to follow him as my leader or conform to the behavior that he encourages. Treating him with dignity does not negate speaking what I believe to be the truth and standing in opposition to things he supports that contradict my beliefs.

Within my disagreement, though, I should not ever wish him harm, but instead I should pray that his heart would be captured and led by the truth of the gospel. I should pray that he is overwhelmed and humbled by the Holy Spirit, desiring to be transformed to be more Ike Jesus Christ. I should pray that he will live in a way that is honoring to the God in whose image he has been created.

And, if none of that seems to be evident in his life, I should love him anyway and do my very best to see the Imago Dei in him, so that I disagree without hate and oppose his actions without opposing his existence.

I’ll be the first to confess that at times I have not done this well and I find it difficult to even write these words. But, if I truly believe what I say I believe, that every person is created in God’s image, I must be able to reconcile the Imago Dei in all human beings with my distaste for what they do, whoever they are. I must find a way to honor the image of God in each person while doing my best to honor God while speaking the truth. Those two things do not need to be mutually exclusive. They do not need to be in conflict. I believe it can be done, but it is not easy. It is not what our sinful human nature inclines us to do, at least it is not what my natural desires leads me to do.

“I have decided to stick with love… hate is too great a burden to bear.”

We all like to quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but few of us actually want to live like him and live out his words. Over the last couple of years, I have read much of King’s writings and I am amazed at his passion for living out a life of love and nonviolence. Despite the oppression, the violence, and the threats of evermore, King did not want revenge, he wanted justice. He did not have ill will towards those who persecuted him, instead he desired to one day stand beside them as a brother. He protested and loved at the same time. He spoke truth and confronted lies, without insults or personal attacks.

That doesn’t mean that everyone liked what he had to say at the time, but compared to the standards of today, his self-control and civility were simply incredible. Somehow, he was able to see the Imago Dei in each and every person and love them and offer them grace because of it.

From Dr. Martin Luther King's six principles of nonviolence - displayed at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia.

As Christians we are called to that same kind of love. We are called to honor and hope for the best for and from each human life, while still speaking what we believe to be the truth, in passionate humility, desiring to honor God in our words, our actions, our attitudes, and our love for our fellow human beings who, along with us, are created in the likeness of God. When we do that, even though it might not look like it in the moment, we all win.

It might, however, require us to turn the other cheek. We may need to forgive even when forgiveness is not asked for. Going the extra mile may be necessary. To love well and honor the Imago Dei in each person, we may need to summon enormous grace through the power of the Holy Spirit to do all these things and more, not only for our friends, but also for our enemies. It will be essential to expand our understanding of loving our neighbor.

Failure to do this will only lead to more division, more anger, more hate. We need to stop the elementary playground antics that justifies a wrong because someone else did the wrong to me.  As Christians, it is imperative that we stop this cycle blame and justification. We must show that we are disciples of Jesus Christ, not of politicians, billionaires, the media, academic elites, or anyone else. Jesus is our Lord, our King, our President, and our citizenship is the Kingdom of Heaven, not at some point in the future, but now.

If we can’t show a better way, if we can’t display the courage to turn the other cheek, if we can’t stand firm in the power of love, then why should we expect anything different from the rest of the world. It starts with us. It starts with me. I am sorry for my failures of the past and I pray, desperately, that I will learn and grow and do better in this day and in the days to come.