A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO DONALD TRUMP: when critique becomes a mirror
Disclaimer: This article speaks about the man, Donald Trump, not his policies. Policies shaped by injustice, self‑interest, or pride must always be scrutinized and challenged. This is non-debatable. What follows, however, is not a critique of what we communicate, but a reflection on how we communicate.
INTRODUCTION
In a recent interview between Jordan Peterson and Pierce Morgan on President Donald Trump, I was challenged to reevaluate my own approach to a man who seems to provoke only extremes—either devotion and admiration, or disgust and slander. With Donald Trump, there appears to be no middle ground, no neutrality. You either love him or you hate him. And as I watched the interview, I knew exactly where I stood.
As I listened to an alternative voice – something we should all do from time to time – I was reminded that the deeper question for me as a Christians is not whether my response is justified or not, but how my response aligns with the teachings of Christ? Whether or not he deserves the criticism he gets, is not the point. The point is whether, in the name of righteousness, I end up betraying the very Gospel I claim to confess.
The real issue, according to Christ, is not whether we personally like or dislike Mr. Trump. The deeper question is how we, as Christians, express our discontent – which we should – but without becoming mirrors of the very attitudes we condemn. During the interview, Peterson mentioned that Donald Trump is probably the most abused person on earth today. And even though he acknowledged that it is often justifiable, he then he made this striking observation:
“Those who accuse Trump on Social Media often reveal the same spirit they denounce. He is often accused of hatred, being unkind, derogative, and bullying. And yet, in the countless social media posts of those criticizing him, the same spirit prevails – hatred, being unkind, derogative, and bullying.”
This critique extended even to Christians—those who, convinced they “own the truth,” sometimes justify rudeness and arrogance in the name of righteousness.
And this convicted me. Not in how I view Mr. Trump, but how I remain faithful to the Gospel’s call to humility and love, even when confronting leaders or ideologies I find highly offensive, unbiblical and deeply troubling?
A DIFFICULT WORD TO WRITE
I must confess that I find the character of Mr. Trump highly offensive—at times even deeply disturbing . Yes, you guessed it, I do not like him. Yet, likeability was never the central issue when Christ commanded His followers to love. He didn’t call us to like all people. He called us to love all people – and there is a big difference. He did not limit that love to the likeminded people we normally surround ourselves with or the naturally lovable people we all love to love. His call was far more radical: to love our neighbour, to love the foreigner, to love the Samaritan-like stranger, to love our enemies, to love the people we love to hate, and—dare we even say it—to extend love and respect to the heartless emperor and the cruel tyrant. Yes, in modern-day language, we are called to honour President Donald Trump. (OK, so I lost some people there. Don’t stop here, KEEP ON READING).
We do this not because of who he is, but because of who God is.
These are not my words:
1 Peter 2:17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honour the emperor.
Loving the family: I can do that. Fearing God: no problem. But honouring a man who destroys lives and find joy in degrading and ridiculing others – certainly not.
AND YET!
Respect and honour are the foundational stones upon which all virtues are built. Kindness and compassion flow from respect. Tolerance and grace are built on reverence. Friendliness cannot exist without honour. We have to start here. It is equally important to discern between fearing (revering) God and respecting (honouring) people. Revering God is a structural virtue. Our faith is built on our deep reverence, honour and obedience to the God we serve. But showing proper respect to everyone (please note the words of Peter – EVERYONE) is a decorative virtue. This is how we portray the God we revere to the world out there.
We need to reveal the God that we revere, by respecting the people that He redeemed. Hold on to this thought.
But, before exploring this foundational virtue, we need to address the white elephant in the room: Is respect earned, deserved, or given?
According to human wisdom respect is earned. You earn my respect by acting in a way that satisfies my understanding of what is acceptable. If your definition of “acceptable” differs from mine, then you don’t earn my respect. You have to earn it before I give it. If you don’t deserve it you won’t get it. Donald Trump does not deserve my respect. That settles it.
NOT SO IN SCRIPTURE.
According to the Bible respect is not something that can be earned, deserved or given, it is a character trait. It reflects who we are and who we represent. Not honouring people says more about us than the ones we disrespect.
The words “show respect to everyone” and “honour the emperor” in 1 Peter 2:17, are both the same word and translated from the Greek word tim-ah’-o which literally means to “fix a valuation upon; by implication to revere: – honour, and value.” A more literal translation of this text can therefore read as follows:
“Place a proper value on every soul you encounter, even the emperor”.
I find this profound. Respect therefore refers to the value of a soul and not the evaluation of a person. And if we want to place a value on every soul we encounter, we need to calibrate it according to the value system of the One we represent. If we truly share the heart of Christ, our prayers and communication will be that Mr.Trump will come to know Christ, not that he will go to hell.
Scripture provides the answer in this regard: In 1 Timothy 2:1 we are urged to petition, pray, intercede and give thanks for ALL people — for this is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants ALL people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
We show respect to EVERYONE, including Donald Trump, not because he deserves it but because he is valued by God. The emperor – and Donald Trump – is as much an object of the cross as we are. Because God fixed a value on souls, to the extent that He sent His Son to redeem us, we understand that respect should be given to all people, without any strings attached.
When we show proper respect to everyone, we can become agents of change.
So, we show respect to people even though we might not respect their actions because God wants all to be saved. By our respect we will either be a building block or a stumbling block for God to achieve His purposes when people recognise the redeeming Christ in us.
THIS IS QUITE SERIOUS.
But, here’s the difficult part. Peter purposefully and intentionally includes the hated emperor in his call to reverence.
“Fear God and honour the emperor” is his instruction.
But surely this was a mistake? Shouldn’t it read, “honour God and fear the emperor”?
Not so. Peter knew exactly what he was writing. He was present when the Lord told the crowd whom they should fear: “Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” were the words of Jesus. (Luke 12:5)
But to honour the emperor. Ouch! That must have hurt. Respect Donald Trump! Ouch, this hurts even more because I actually witness his arrogance being live streamed every day.
Tell the Democrats in the USA to respect Donald Trump or the Republicans to honour Joe Biden, and then multiply that with a 100. The emperor was morally corrupt, spiritually evil, by any definition deranged, and mentally cruel beyond words. Humanly speaking, he deserved no respect and no honour. He deserved utter contempt. And yet Peter instructs (not suggests) that the Church honours him.
The emperor Peter is referring to was most probably Nero. Nero’s extreme punishment on the Christians was perhaps one of the most evil displays of cruelty in the history of the church[3]. He held parties in his gardens while the Christian’s punishment served as entertainment. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination. This public spectacle was on display in the Forum courtyard for all Romans to witness, while he paraded around in a chariot dressed in costume.
“Honour him? You must be joking!” was probably the first response of every reader. But Peter provides the reason why in the next verses (19) Because it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. (21) To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
We respect because redemption is our calling, we honour because Christ is our example. It is as simple and as difficult as that. Remember, your greatest enemy was one of the reasons Jesus was crucified. He has value in the eyes of God.
So, show proper respect to everyone. Yes, that includes President Donald Trump.
The Gospel does not give us permission to repay insult with insult. It calls us to embody a love that is undeserved, a respect that is unearned, and a humility that confounds the wisdom of the world. If we fail to live this way, then we risk becoming indistinguishable from the very voices we criticize.
Anne Lamott once noted that “we can safely assume we’ve created God in our own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
Which God have I created?
CONCLUSION
In closing, let us not shy away from critiquing policies that are inhumane, self promoting and cruel, yet may we do so with a spirit that reflects Christ. Let us resist slander and hatred, for such things do not honor God. Let us remember that grace is extended to all—that Mr. Trump, like each of us, stands equally as an object of the cross. And for every word of anger we might speak, let us balance it with a word of prayer
Heavenly Father,
We lift up Donald Trump before You today. You are the One who raises leaders and calls them to account. We ask that You grant him wisdom beyond human understanding, humility to walk in truth, and courage to act with justice and mercy.
Guard his heart against pride and anger, and guide his steps toward peace. May he seek counsel that honors You, and may his words and actions be tempered by compassion.
Lord, remind us that all leaders are human, in need of grace, and that our ultimate hope rests not in earthly power but in Your kingdom. Strengthen us, as citizens and believers, to pray faithfully for those in authority, even when we disagree, so that Your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
[1] Acts 7:58 (they) dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
[2] Act 8:3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
[3] http://johnchristy.com/neros-persecution-of-christians/