Dear Mr. President:
You posted a healing meme a couple of days ago that sent spiritual shockwaves throughout the world. I’m writing to thank you for doing so and I hope you actually get to read these words.
Your meme, intentionally or unintentionally, served to remind us what religious hypocrites we who judged you can be.
For decades our American churches have taught two principles that collided together in this meme like a spiritual atomic bomb. These principles became the focal point this morning during our weekly Bible study with a small group of legislators here in Minnesota.
Principle #1 – Be careful how we judge others.
For centuries, many consider Jesus Christ’s “Sermon on the Mount” to be the greatest message ever preached. In his Maxwell Leadership Bible, Dr. John C. Maxwell writes, “Jesus’ most famous message, the Sermon on the Mount, focused on the hearts of His listeners (emphasis mine).” This thought is stressed toward the end of His sermon when He taught, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or, how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye! Hypocrite!
First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Mr. President, I believe it is possible many of us violated this first principle because we forgot the second principle.
Principle #2 – If we are in Christ, we are to be His hands and feet in the world.
Among the many things He taught about Himself, Jesus said He came to bring healing. You explained that your meme was intended to represent that you were bringing healing. Isn’t that being the hands and feet of Jesus? Could it be that in condemning you for trying we are really condemning ourselves for not trying enough?
In his commentary, Dr. Maxwell continues, “He (Jesus) called His men to be different, to see the world from God’s perspective, to relate to people in a supernatural fashion (emphasis mine).” Isn’t the intent of your meme to demonstrate that you, as a follower of Jesus, are striving to be His hands and feet? That you are using the office of President of the United States to be His hands and feet in ways no one else can? That the Christ in you is operating in a supernatural fashion?
In our Bible study we asked how that meme might have been perceived if instead of you being portrayed it was Mother Theresa? Or Francesa Cabrini? Or Billy Graham? Or any number of other servants of the people not named Donald J. Trump? To be sure, you are not perfect (as your famous post on Resurrection Sunday demonstrated), but who of us is?
That led us to reconsider that any of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ should be able to put our faces in that meme as a visual reminder of what it means for each of us to be the hands and feet of Christ. You can imagine the introspection that occurred in our study at that thought.
So, forgive us Mr. President, for violating Principle #1 and judging your heart and intentions as if we could really know them. We cannot. That is solely between you and God.
And, thank you for putting something out there that forces any serious follower of Christ to reconsider how well each of us are at being His hands and feet in this world.
In a final thought from Dr. Maxwell, “Jesus warns us about facades and hypocrisy.” My prayer, Sir, is that we who judged you would take this word seriously. We know the Lord does. May we all focus on how we can better live to please Him and avoid living lives of facades and hypocrisy.
And may our own planks in our own eyes be permanently removed.
For Christ and His Glory –
Rev. Dale Witherington, Chief Steward
Restore Minnesota
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