WHY I WON'T BE BLOGGING ON THE US INAUGURATION

People have been asking. Are you going to do a blog on the Inauguration?

No. I am not. 

I made a decision last April that I would turn the TV off every time he came on. My life has been so much less confused, stressed, frustrated and angry as a result. 

I got lucky with the election. I was in Rome without a TV in my room so I avoided the result with wonderful ease.

The inauguration has not been so easy but I distracted myself by concentrating on the fact that it was Martin Luther King Day. Ironic. A powerful comparison with the human being that America has just elected as their President. 

I concentrated on the Kingdom of God that Dr King attempted to bring. The fairness, justice and reconciliation at the heart of his prophetic ministry. The gentle and gracious way that he went about it.

I find nothing in the new President’s demeanour, attitudes, nothing in his past or present, nothing in his ambitions that I could be positive about. I find him offensive, self obsessed, more interested in wealth and power than in compassion and care for those who need help.

Of course, I could look ahead at all these years we now have to suffer him as US President. Again I am fortunate. I will actually retire in the last days of this Presidency and that momentous landmark seems to be rushing down the road like a freight train. So it won’t be long. It’ll fly in.

That’ll be the time to really make our judgements. Though I will continue to switch him off I am sure the implications of his actions will seep out. As they do it’s simple to see how God will respond, never mind me. Jesus made how he judges our lives very clear, near the end of his ministry:

‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (Matthew 25:34-36)

Indeed if those are the kinds of people that this Presidency concentrates on and the things he acts upon, as Jesus demanded, then who knows I might have to stop turning him off. I’ll really start blogging then! 

Comments

[Stephen Adams]

Thanks for this helpful blog

[Paul Keeble]

Trump & ilk bring to mind an old Larry Norman song: “I bet they all own a Bible. It’s never been read.”

[Harry]

Steve, I agree with your thoughts on Lying Trump. He seems to bring out the worst in me and like you, I just couldn't bring myself to watch the Inauguration...it would have been to painful to watch. But what I just don't understand is why so many Christians voted for him. I am a Christian but I could never bring myself to vote for a guy that is a convicted Felon 34 times over and is a rapist. I know we are all sinners but he constantly tells lies, has sex with a Porn Star while his wife is having their baby and says he is a Christian. I just don't understand why millions of Christians voted for him. I know that there are groups called the Christian Right (but I personally don't think they are followers of Christ). Have you got an answer to why they voted for him? Personally, I think he may be verging on an Anti-christ figure