"God is on His throne" doesn't exonerate human evil
I still don't have many words right now, so I'll share some words from my husband who has always been braver than me
I am a hopeful person, but finding hope has been hard these past few days. I’ve seen too many friends, people I know and care about, expressing astonishment by the anguish and fear Donald Trump’s election has caused.
But, it’s just an election! They say. Yes, it is. But we elected a convicted felon who has sexually assaulted women (and bragged about it), voiced disdain for democracy, and has all the historical markers of a fascist. As my friend and colleague Barry Hankins explained in a recent op-ed for The Waco Tribune Herald:
“Talk of fascism this week also reminded me of the spring of 2015, when Donald Trump first began what seemed like a quixotic run for the presidency. I was covering the run-up to World War II in my world history class. I listed on the PowerPoint the common features of fascism — things like devotion to a strong leader, chauvinism, ethnocentrism, fear of outsiders coming into the country, scapegoating of identifiable minorities, militarism and nationalism. I noticed the brightest students in the class raising their eyebrows. I almost stopped and said, "Look, I've covered fascism this way for thirty years. This lecture was not designed for Donald Trump."
But he just made a woman chief of staff! He is pro-women! They say. Yes, he did. But he also has bragged about sexually assaulting women, as in the infamous Access Hollywood tape:
"I've got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her. You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything ... Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."
He has been accused and convicted of sexually assaulting women. He has a track record of saying horrible, misogynist, sexist things about women. His first term did not reflect concern for women nor support of women. His VP is J.D. Vance. And so, so many of the people who support him speak openly about disenfranchising women and controlling women’s bodies (and this goes way beyond abortion).
But we are going to be better off with him, especially economically! They say. Well, the reality of that aside, you may think you will be better off. But what about your Black neighbors? Your immigrant neighbors? Will they be better off? Have you thought about why so many Black and brown people voted against Trump? Could they be right about the racism deeply entrenched in white Christian America? If you haven’t thought about this, I would encourage you to do so. I recommend starting with
.But God’s will be done. Most of the country voted for Trump, so it must be God’s will! They say. Well, if we believe this, then we certainly aren’t reading our Bibles. When has ‘what most people are doing’ been the litmus test for what is right?
And this is the part where I’m going to turn to my husband’s words. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for his pastoral voice during the past few months. My husband has always stood for what he believes is right, and it has cost him his job, his friends, and a vocation he loved (the story I told in The Making of Biblical Womanhood). He knows the price of standing for what is right, and yet he still stands. Below is what he posted on his Facebook page this week, shortly after the election. It resonated deeply with me. Perhaps it will with you too.
“GOD IS ON HIS THRONE”
I’ve seen many people post this the last couple of days.
“God is on His throne” is a true statement, but it is an incomplete theology.
“God is on His throne” does not mean all is ok or that His perfect will is being accomplished.
God is on His throne during every evil event in human history.
God is on His throne, and genocide still happened.
God is on His throne, and clergy sex abuse still occurred and was covered up by His followers.
God is on His throne, and Hitler still sent millions to gas chambers after rising to power with the support of most German Christians.
God is on His throne, and still millions of Africans were kidnapped and brought to the Americas as slaves, and many Christians used Scripture to justify and defend the practice.
God is on His throne, and our nation still tore itself apart as North fought South, both sides believing God was on their side.
God is on His throne, and in His sovereignty He allows evil, sin and suffering to take place, and He rarely stops us from hurting one another.
God is on His throne, and one day He will return to see all things right and enact perfect justice, but today is not that day.
“God is on His throne” too easily becomes the platitude of the privileged who believe they will benefit from the current circumstances. All is ok because they are ok.
“God is on His throne” can quickly become an abdication of our responsibility to be His stewards over creation and His hands and feet to the hurting.
God is on His throne, and He’s commanded us to hear the cries of the poor, to advocate the cause of the oppressed, to welcome the stranger, to visit the prisoner, and to feed the hungry.
God is on His throne, but are we carrying out the commands and the priorities of the King?
Regardless of how you voted, I hope you will stop and think about the impact of your choices on others. The heart of Christianity is putting others—God first and then our neighbors—above ourselves.
This is some really great perspective. And I wish more pastors had Jeb's fortitude and willingness to say unpopular things.
Was God not on His throne in 2020 when Joe Biden won more votes and throughout the last four years while MAGA Christians reviled him and refused to acknowledge his leadership on their behalf?