I am one of the throng of people so deeply impressed and moved by the sermon the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde preached at the National Cathedral after the inauguration of Donald. J. Trump. At the end of her 15-minute sermon, she said, “…In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are sacred now…”
As a preacher, also called by God to interpret scripture and to offer words that draw people toward the love the gospel demands, I found her sermon to be so perfect in tone and a bold-and-gentle reminder of what it means to be Christian. Some who are less familiar with the Christian scriptures may have been surprised at the teaching. Clearly, Trump, who created his own bible, should have at least a passing familiarity with what she said from the pulpit, but he was offended at her words and at her tone. He wants an apology.
That’s not shocking. The good news of God’s amazing love as preached by Jesus, whom the church calls “Christ” and “Messiah,” has always been a challenge to empire and a disruption to the violence of patriarchy, racism, and discrimination. It is a call to care for widows and orphans and strangers. It is a call to sharing resources, being merciful, and making sure everyone has enough.
For those of us who say we are Christian, the command to love is central. We get those commands from the Jewish scriptures because Jesus is a Jew. He is quoting Deuteronomy and Leviticus when he commands his followers to love God, neighbor, and self. Just in case that was not clear, Matthew’s gospel gathers the teaching of Jesus into what is called the Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes.
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5: 1–11)
“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he began to speak and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Those who show mercy are blessed. Those who show mercy will receive mercy. Rev. Budde was reminding Trump, who claims to be a Christian, that being merciful is what it means to be Christian.
Any Christian who is offended by the call to mercy must ask: Am I a Christian? Am I living as though Jesus has a claim on my life?
And we — all of us — who watch Trump be Trump must ask ourselves: Are we ready to tell the truth about what we see? Jesus also said, “The truth will set you free.” (John 8.32)
Love demands the truth. The truth is POTUS does not have to be a Christian to be POTUS; it is not a job requirement. But damn, don’t we want a leader who is honest, trustworthy, working for “we the people” and merciful? I do!
The truth is: If our commander-in-chief is an unrepentant liar, rapist, insurrectionist, and traitor who is working for his billionaire cronies and not the rest of us; let’s just call it what it is. Let’s stop acting like he is a Christian; let’s stop pretending that the God who came all the way down to be with us in Jesus is somehow now ready to use Trump to save the world and make America great again. Come on, my people. Let’s be honest and brace ourselves for four years of the terror Trump promised.
I join the reverend in praying for a transformation of Trump’s heart, from callous and cold to merciful and kind.
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis is senior minister and public theologian at Middle Church in New York. She champions racial equality, economic justice, and LGBTQIA+/gender rights. Featured on MSNBC, PBS, NBC, CBS, and NPR, she is the author of several books, including “Fierce Love” and the “Just Love Story Bible.” Her podcast is “Love Period.”