Watching the rise of Trumpism has been difficult for many Christians. In addition to assumptions made about our views from the outside, there’ve also been “obviously we’re all on the same page, right?” assumptions made by other Christians, many stemming from the disturbing merger of Christianity and conservative politics that’s slowly happened over the past decades.
As a general statement of principles, I’ve decided to compile a list of observations that I’ve found to be a source of strength. I hope they can provide some encouragement for others as well.
Remember: You can be a Christian concerned about Trumpism and still…
– Be a member of any political party
– Be passionate and engaged about politics and the future of our country (this stuff matters, and affects a lot of people that you may not frequently encounter)
– Not have your head in the sand regarding climate change
– Fully respect and value the police and military
– Have varying opinions on gun control laws and other complex social/civil rights issues
– Be knowledgeable about legitimate journalistic sources and understand when specific terms devolve into “fingers in the ears” partisan talking points (phrases like “mainstream media” and “fake news”)
– Feel free to respectfully and honestly voice your opinions if you disagree with policies and decisions (and be flexible enough to know that you’ll agree with some and not others)
Above all else, don’t stop talking! People generally seek to avoid conflict, but superficial conversations aren’t helping anyone these days. This is one of the strangest times in American history, and Christians will do a service to their faith by staying friendly, respectful, open, curious and engaged.
House of Kyle 