In God's Hands?

I was at the Christian bookstore recently, and overheard two women talking about the Presidential election. One of them said, ‘Oh well, what can you do? We get a new President every 4 years. It’s in God’s hands.’ How many times have you heard people saying that things were in God’s hands, because they didn’t want to bother doing anything about it themselves? Who did God put in charge of His creation? Who did God think was capable of taking care of the people, animals, plants, air, and water? Humans, that’s who! Of course, we were to take care of people and the planet, in the way God wanted us to!

Does anyone who is a true Christian, and believes in what Jesus said to do- love God, your neighbor, and yourself; take care of the poor, the widows, and the orphans, and yes, tell others about God, condone the actions of the GOP in Washington right now? Building a wall between the US and Mexico?  Going after NAFTA and NATO? Banning Muslims, but not the ones from countries like Saudi Arabia that Trump does business with, and that the 9/11 terrorist came from? Repealing the clean streams act? Allowing severely mentally ill people to buy guns? Threatening and disrespecting most of the world’s leaders, like the worst kind of schoolyard bully? Just because Trump won the electoral election, because the electoral college failed to do the only job they ever had to do, and it might have put him in charge of the USA, but not the world. It did not make him God either, although he seems to think it did!

The republican party, when Obama was President, was given clear instructions to try to block everything that the democrats tried to do, even if it was something that was for the good of the country. Things might not have been perfect, but Barak Obama was a man of integrity, great wisdom, and his values were certainly Christian. He brought races together, and he was well respected by world leaders. He was a President that we could be proud of. He made us proud to be American, and gave Christians a good name.

There are those who claim to be Christians, and who are anything BUT. The parallel between Trump and Hitler is obvious. While God COULD have just zapped Hitler with a well placed lightning bolt, the fact is he gave humans free choice and the ability to do the right thing. Would Hitler have had ANY power if the German people had overwhelmingly said NO? Of course not! Because there were many Germans at the time who resented the Jewish people. The fact is, they tended to be better educated, wealthier, and in charge of businesses and banks in Germany. And then they had the audacity to be thought of as God’s chosen people. Hatred against the Jews was pretty high. And the masses allowed the fanatical few to take over and do what they wanted to. Even if it led to a world war.

Jesus kept telling us what God was like, and he demonstrated this in His actions and by His words. He told us that God was love. He had great compassion for others. He gave his life for us. He healed the sick. He fed the hungry. He told us to take care of the widows and orphans. He did not even shun the lepers. He told the Jewish leaders that they had become corrupt, caring more about the things of the world, than the things of God. What do you think Jesus would say about raping the planet for short term greed? Or acquiring as much personal wealth as humanly possible, while widows and orphans have nothing? Or just continuing to ignore the huge homeless problem in America?

I urge everyone who calls themselves a Christian, to go back and re-read the entire New Testament, with an open heart. Then ask yourself if you think our leaders truly reflect the values Jesus taught us to have.