I had a certain relative (in-law, actually) who was a polar opposite in terms of my politics. Inevitably, our family get togethers went somewhat sour if he and I engaged in what was happening in our country and how best to make it better. Our discussions seemed to make things worse.
This relative passed away years before the 2016 election. I cannot fathom what our conversations would have been like discussng the Trump vs Clinton contest. I’m sure, like millions of Americans, my in-law would have been stunned by the returns as they piled up in favor of Trump. The ensuing years after another election would deliver weeks of January 6th coverage and reveal a more divided country than since perhaps the Civil War. And now, The Donald is running again.
Russell Moore is a theologian and ethicist. Some would call him a preacher. He previously served as president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the public-policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. He left that role in 2021 to work for the magazine, Christianity Today. On August 4th of this year, Moore was selected as the magazine's incoming Editor-in-Chief.
No surprise to anyone, the political leanings of the ERLC are decidedly conservative. In past days, the same could be said for Christianity Today. That might not be the case anymore.
A November column by Russell Moore was titled, “Trump Won’t Divide the Church this Time (and That’s Not Necessarily Good News.)” Mr. Moore gives ample verbiage to his disdain for Donald Trump. He sees great damage in the church and society having resulted from the Trump presidency. In Moore’s words, “…even those who disagree with me lament that fact that denominations have been ripped apart, and friendships are gone—all because of politics.” He worries it will happen again. (Note: in a recent survey among Republicans, Trump led by 30% over other candidates.)
Michael Gerson, a leading evangelical voice in the media, recently passed away from cancer at the age of 58. A graduate of Wheaton College, he became a gifted speechwriter for former President George W. Bush. I interviewed Gerson several years back. His more recent work was as a columnist for the Washington Post. Like Russell Moore, Gerson had no use for Trump. His columns reflected that.
But Michael Gerson was known for his quality of character and respect. In writing about his passing, a former associate, Jan Balderama, said, “I can’t claim to have known Michael Gerson in full; I had the privilege of editing him for less than two years…We probably would have disagreed on (Iraq) and plenty else. But none of that mattered… Mike was profoundly decent—warm, generous, full of gratitude for life’s gifts. He admitted fallibility. He had a huge heart. He could also be extremely funny, even in the darkest moments.”
Another media voice, Ruth Marcus, said of Michael Gerson, “Mike believed that the path to the just society we all want “was to take the high road, to not belittle others, to not demean others, to not cast doubt on people. You could disagree with people’s views without disagreeing with and undermining and attacking their motives and their honesty and decency.”
Following Gerson's death, Russell Moore would tweet, “It’s hitting me today that both of them, Mike Cromartie (formerly Vice President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center) and Mike Gerson, are gone. They were two of the smartest, most effective, and most gracious Christian men I’ve ever known.” While true, it is always easier to praise men and women who agree with you.
For all of us—and especially those in the Christian community—we must take to heart the instruction of the Apostle Paul found in Colossians 4, verses 5-6: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (NIV)
While these verses certainly address our spiritual conversations, they are also a most necessary reminder before our politics get completely out of hand.
That’s Forward Thinking.
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