One Nation Under God?

On January 20th, 2025, our nation celebrated the inauguration of our 47th president, Donald Trump.

At Trump's inauguration last week, two pastors, Rev. Lorenzo Sewell and Bishop Mariann Budde, made headlines for their prayers and sermons.

Reverand Sewell's prayer was full of patriotism, honoring God and the late MLK Jr. It called for unity and hope and equality, evoking a familiar line from The Declaration Of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..." you know the rest. Sewell seemed to honor the president's office and spoke to his many responsibilities and the guiding hand of providence in his leadership.

It was clear that he was excited about Trump being back in office, but his prayer, I believe, could have fit any man or woman who happened to take the White House.

I thought it was beautiful. It painted a picture of our entire country in my mind. Our cities, monuments, parks, nature, history, culture, and people. All the things that made America, America.

And that's precisely what the prayer should have done.

The prayer should honor the nation and uplift the leaders, whoever they may be. It should recognize the ultimate sovereignty of God over America.

Bishop Budde and her sermon sparked a reaction from Trump, who thought it was disgraceful, especially as she called on him to have mercy on those in the LGBT community and "migrants" who were "scared" now that he was in office.

While I agree with showing mercy and compassion to those in those communities, it's clear that she was making a political statement and a not-so-subtle attack.

Let's talk about the word tolerance for a second here.

Here's the Merriam-Webster Definition: sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own.

Political tolerance seems to be defined today as agreeing with certain positions, particularly ones considered "woke" or "politically correct."

I am a Christian and an American citizen. There are some things I tolerate as an American citizen that I disagree with as a Christian. I believe that one should obey the laws until they call one to disobey God's commands. Acts 5:29.

For example, I recognize that those in the LGBT community have a right de jure to marry. Do I agree with it? No. I also recognize women have a right de jure to have an abortion. Do I agree with it? No.

Why? Because I recognize the authority and sovereignty of God over government. But I also acknowledge that puts people in government. Romans 13:1-2.

Some today don't believe that you can truly show love and compassion to someone without agreeing with them. That can be a dangerous thing. Conformity is not necessarily strength when it comes to things politically and culturally.

The students that were part of the White Rose Resistance in Nazi Germany during WW2 are an example of this. They loved Germany and her people. But they could see that the National Socialist Party (Yes, that's what NAZI means) was harming and enslaving people in many ways. They stood together in strength to distribute leaflets to call people to passive resistance. They stood in peace, love, compassion, and non-conformity. And they gave their lives for it.

So did Martin Luther King Jr, our founding fathers, and many others throughout American history and world history.

Here's my response to Bishop Budde's views on the LGBT community and illegal immigration. I may lose some subscribers for this, but here we go:

I believe those in the LGBT community need help, treatment, therapy, and compassion. I do agree with that. But I also think that this agenda is pushing a perversion of God's good design for humanity, and it's harming a lot of people. That is my view as a man of Faith.

For illegal immigrants, I believe that we should care for the foreigners and sojourners in our midst. But those who are knowingly here illegally and are not refugees should be either deported or go through the process of becoming legal citizens. If they want to be legal citizens, they should get help.

Here's an excerpt from an AP article on Budde’s sermon:

In her sermon, Budde said they gathered "to pray for unity as a people and a nation — not for agreement, political or otherwise — but for the kind of unity that fosters community across diversity and division."

What do you think her definition of unity and tolerance is?

If her idea of unity and tolerance expects people to adhere to her point of view, then is it either?

I have friends with whom I disagree on political, cultural, theological, and social issues. But we can still be friends. If we're both Christians, our being "In Christ" is the unifying factor. If we're both Americans, our being "Americans" is the unifying factor.

We CAN and SHOULD do that.

There must be a balance between personal responsibility, compassion, and conviction. How can we achieve that in our interactions with others? How can we foster true unity in our nation and our lives?