Dear Donald, I am Sorry
Mr. Trump,
I want to apologize. I don’t consider myself a hateful person, but I’ve been incredibly angry at you. Your actions, words, decisions. Maybe this is how conservative Republicans felt with Obama? Anyways, that is neither here nor there.
At church recently, my pastor spoke about the “hard work of nurturing relationships.” Often Christ-like love can be costly and inconvenient. It’s extremely humbling, to intentionally put your ego in the back seat for the sake of others. But as a follower of Jesus, this is the behavior to which I am called. As it says in Philippians 2:5-8, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
See, it’s not about what I think you deserve or what you think you deserve. Ultimately, our sins (publicized or not) require separation from God. But HE decided we deserved better. In SOME things, He has ridiculously low standards. Because even if you (or I) were the only human on the planet, He would’ve STILL sent Jesus to save us. Despite ourselves, He’s crazy in love with us. And once we delve into a relationship with Him, we receive His love as through a sieve--meant to hydrate us and then pour out to others. “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.” -1 John 4:10-11.
Here’s my apology then: I have not seen you as an individual worthy of God’s love. That is wrong, un-Christian. I don’t have to admire you or agree with you to acknowledge that your soul, like EVERY human soul, is worth saving. This was Jesus’ message to the very end of his ministry, even praying “Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing” over those who were actively executing Him.
We are in such a weird, bi-partisan time in this country. Obviously, as president, you see this. It’s assumed that voters MUST stick by their political party, irregardless. Admitting that we see flaws in our candidate’s choices, that we don’t 100 percent tow the party line, is frowned upon. Forbidden, really. What a disservice this does to ourselves, not promoting genuine discourse. Not providing room for questions. I voted for Obama twice, but didn’t support his stance on pro-choice issues. Sometimes I think Christian voters mistake “the American president” for “the American savior.” This is simply not true. There was only one Savior, Jesus, and He came for the ENTIRE WORLD, not just a single country.
That being said, you hold a lot of power. And I’m not sure of your relationship with God, if you have one, but some people believe you do. Clearly, God knows either way. On the earth, however, actions speak louder than words as proof of this. To that end, I’d like to share a few Biblical truths we could both use a refresher on:
Mark 10:42-45- “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.”
Romans 12:17-18- “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
James 3:1,13,17- “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly...Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom...But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
Matthew 25:34-40- “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you...For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?...” “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it for one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it for me!’”
So, humility, peace, adhering to higher standards, seeking wisdom, and serving others. These are major themes of the Bible, of Jesus’ teaching. Perhaps you needed to be reminded of them, as I did. Humility is a hard one though, especially for the two of us I think. In humility, I admit that I need to be praying for you more. For your heart. That you can truly find (and display!) the discernment and selfless love Jesus freely offers us. Because God seriously does LOVE you. And, as a Democrat, I'll keep trying to voice my concerns and frustrations civilly yet staunchly. But also, as a human, I’ll continue learning to admit when I am wrong. Perhaps that’s a new year’s resolution we can both work on?
Sincerely,
Laura Gross
I want to apologize. I don’t consider myself a hateful person, but I’ve been incredibly angry at you. Your actions, words, decisions. Maybe this is how conservative Republicans felt with Obama? Anyways, that is neither here nor there.
At church recently, my pastor spoke about the “hard work of nurturing relationships.” Often Christ-like love can be costly and inconvenient. It’s extremely humbling, to intentionally put your ego in the back seat for the sake of others. But as a follower of Jesus, this is the behavior to which I am called. As it says in Philippians 2:5-8, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
See, it’s not about what I think you deserve or what you think you deserve. Ultimately, our sins (publicized or not) require separation from God. But HE decided we deserved better. In SOME things, He has ridiculously low standards. Because even if you (or I) were the only human on the planet, He would’ve STILL sent Jesus to save us. Despite ourselves, He’s crazy in love with us. And once we delve into a relationship with Him, we receive His love as through a sieve--meant to hydrate us and then pour out to others. “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.” -1 John 4:10-11.
Here’s my apology then: I have not seen you as an individual worthy of God’s love. That is wrong, un-Christian. I don’t have to admire you or agree with you to acknowledge that your soul, like EVERY human soul, is worth saving. This was Jesus’ message to the very end of his ministry, even praying “Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing” over those who were actively executing Him.
We are in such a weird, bi-partisan time in this country. Obviously, as president, you see this. It’s assumed that voters MUST stick by their political party, irregardless. Admitting that we see flaws in our candidate’s choices, that we don’t 100 percent tow the party line, is frowned upon. Forbidden, really. What a disservice this does to ourselves, not promoting genuine discourse. Not providing room for questions. I voted for Obama twice, but didn’t support his stance on pro-choice issues. Sometimes I think Christian voters mistake “the American president” for “the American savior.” This is simply not true. There was only one Savior, Jesus, and He came for the ENTIRE WORLD, not just a single country.
That being said, you hold a lot of power. And I’m not sure of your relationship with God, if you have one, but some people believe you do. Clearly, God knows either way. On the earth, however, actions speak louder than words as proof of this. To that end, I’d like to share a few Biblical truths we could both use a refresher on:
Mark 10:42-45- “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.”
Romans 12:17-18- “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
James 3:1,13,17- “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly...Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom...But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
Matthew 25:34-40- “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you...For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?...” “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it for one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it for me!’”
So, humility, peace, adhering to higher standards, seeking wisdom, and serving others. These are major themes of the Bible, of Jesus’ teaching. Perhaps you needed to be reminded of them, as I did. Humility is a hard one though, especially for the two of us I think. In humility, I admit that I need to be praying for you more. For your heart. That you can truly find (and display!) the discernment and selfless love Jesus freely offers us. Because God seriously does LOVE you. And, as a Democrat, I'll keep trying to voice my concerns and frustrations civilly yet staunchly. But also, as a human, I’ll continue learning to admit when I am wrong. Perhaps that’s a new year’s resolution we can both work on?
Sincerely,
Laura Gross
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| Like I said, God has low standards-He thinks EVERYONE was worth it. |
Beautiful! Tears in my eyes. So tender And strong. Thank you Laura for your faith and your heart, and your willingness to stay positive and speak out.
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