Morality

Walking in Darkness with Trump

Tom Ratkovich, , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I have said repeatedly that I neither know or judge the heart of POTUS. Only He who sits on the Great White Throne can do so. I can, however, observe his walk – as can each so-called Christian who rationalizes and enables that walk in darkness.

1 John 1:5–7 is one of the richest summaries in scripture of what it means to live in authentic relationship with God:

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

God is light. His nature is pure and true. There is no sin or evil. No deception. Only perfect moral clarity.

Authentic Faith

We, of course, are not perfect. We sin. We deceive. But walking in the light does not affirm sinless perfection. Rather, it is a lifestyle lived openly before God – one in which we pursue truth and righteousness but are honest about our sin. This is authentic faith and by the blood of Jesus Christ we are cleansed of that sin.

But counterfeit faith belongs to those who live deceitfully. Those who profess fellowship with God but thrive in darkness are living fraudulently. One’s faith is revealed in how he or she lives, not simply by what one says.

In chapter two of his epistle, James asserts, “I will show you my faith by my works” (v. 18b). Conversely, infidelity to the Lord is exposed by works of darkness.

The Walk in Darkness

I will say it again…we all sin. But those who live in darkness do so repeatedly, vigorously and unrepentantly. They see weakness in what the Lord calls strength. They treat God’s written word as a suggestion that takes a backseat to the satisfaction of their own fragile egos.

Donald Trump walks in darkness. That is not my assessment of his heart which I cannot judge – it is my appraisal of his behavior – of which GOD CALLS UPON EACH OF US TO JUDGE! Personally, I do not understand how anyone can appraise it differently.

But what of those “Christians” who do indeed gauge it differently – and thereby enable, empower and encourage POTUS’ walk in darkness?

The Normalization of Darkness

The assumption of those who sanction the darkness of Trump is that the end justifies the means – that moral compromise is acceptable to appease their worldly fears. That a strategy of deception is prudent to eradicate enemies. That silence is just fine when the truth is inconvenient.

By seeking to divide the world into “us” v. “them” like their demigod, the apologists are effectively partitioning the darkness and the light. They claim to know God while embracing a life that contradicts His nature.

However, the Lord wills that “we have fellowship with one another” in His light – a fellowship that can only be achieved and sustained when we seek to live without deception, immorality, self-centeredness and wrath. Authentic faith lived in His light is manifested in truth, compassion, humility and love. The benefit of such faith? “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

“He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:4

The Growing Polarization between Good and Evil

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“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:9-12

These four verses constitute an unfiltered description of moral and social breakdown under the pressure of a salvific choice we all face: remain steadfast in obedience to God’s will…or bow to the pleasures and opinions of men. This is not a parable. This is Christ’s prophecy of events that will precede the end of the age culminating in His return.

Let’s break it down.

Persecution Reveals Allegiance

Jesus is unambiguous in proclaiming that His followers will suffer persecution and ridicule. Such persecution, in fact, becomes a “sorting force.” Following Him will become too costly for some, pushing them to compromise or abandon their faith. Those who invite and endure tribulation will grow in their faith – deepening the chasm between the faithful obedient and the fragile.

Betrayal Overcomes Unity

“…many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” Jesus is not talking about simple disagreements. Rather, He describes a total fracture in relations in which polarization is not just ideological, but personal. Trust, respect, compassion and love erode. People see those who do not share their view of the world as enemies rather than neighbors. Friendships, families – even churches – divide over politics, morality and faith.

Sound familiar yet?

Truth Becomes Contested

The rise of “false prophets” points to confusion about what is true. When competing voices claim authority, people will cluster into opposing camps. This accelerates division because each side believes it holds the truth. Each sees its adversaries as being deceived.

Of course, there is but one truth and it is known to those who trust in Jesus and remain obedient to His word. Humility, compassion, mercy, fidelity and love are the virtues that embody God’s elect. Money, power, pride, lust and gluttony are among the false idols that provoke deception and magnify the polarization of good and evil.

Moral Boundaries Erode

“Lawlessness” is a rejection of God’s moral order. As the polarization becomes more profound, shared moral standards evaporate. Consequently, society fragments into conflicting versions of good and evil. Those versions are informed by what we love and idolize.

When there’s no shared standard, everything becomes a power struggle between competing visions of good. For those that enable and encourage behavior in defiance of the Lord’s command to love one another, “good” is often what serves their self-interest or appeases their fears. Tolerance of evil becomes normalized. The end justifies the means.

Love Grows Cold

But the ultimate crisis is this: “…the love of many will grow cold.”

The tragedy isn’t just that the world becomes more divided but that in the face of that division, multitudes – including many who profess to follow Christ – will begin to lose their capacity for love.

We see the manifestation of this today. Compassion is displaced by outrage. Winning is more important than understanding. Love is supplanted by vengeance.

Where Do We Go from Here?

Let us remember that Jesus’ words are prophecy. They are being fulfilled right here, right now. We can’t alter the inevitability of His word. But we can make every decision, every action, every word glorify Him. We can love Him by loving others.

And if we can do that, Jesus has made yet another promise in the subsequent verse for those who remain steadfast in their faith:

“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13

Understand that “endurance,” in this context, is not just holding onto belief. It is holding onto love in an environment that steadily erodes it. That is the real challenge of our time.

Trump: The Worthless Shepherd

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“Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.” Ezekial 34: 2(b)-4 NIV

Ezekiel 34:2–4 functions as a moral lens on leadership. Moral leaders care for the vulnerable, heal the sick, feed the hungry and seek justice for the aggrieved. They do so with truth and humility. Moral leaders do not use authority as a means to enrich or feed themselves.

It seems absurd for even his most deluded adulators to confuse Donald Trump with a moral leader. They simply cannot deny his blatant neglect – or, more accurately, his disdain – for the impoverished, the sojourner, the forsaken, and anyone that doesn’t pay him homage, cannot benefit him, or doesn’t look like him. Nor can they deny his unrepentant use of the presidency to enrich himself, his family and those who bend the knee.

And as incredulous as it is, those adulators seem not to care. They see not a corrupt, narcissistic POTUS who rules with “harshness and brutality” directed towards the most exposed – but a demigod who blinds them by stoking their fears with deceit and slander.

God spoke to the prophet Zechariah, informing him that Israel would suffer leaders (“shepherds”) who would ultimately preside over the nation’s demise. Such leaders would prefigure those of modern day.

“For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.” Zechariah 11:16

To the moral among us, that sounds an apt description of POTUS. The Lord continued in verse 17:

“Woe to the worthless shepherd,
who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm and his right eye!
May his arm be completely withered,
his right eye totally blinded!”

In these passages, God condemns shepherds who prioritize personal gain over those they lead, who fail to strengthen the weak or heal the sick, who do not seek the lost or care for the vulnerable – but rule with spite and mercilessness rather than grace and compassion.

Such is the reign of Donald Trump, the worthless shepherd.

Zechariah 11 is both symbolic and prophetic. Verses 4-14 speak of the people’s rejection of the “good shepherd” representing God’s appointed leader. Many commentators see the rejected shepherd as prophesy regarding Jesus Christ. The “worthless shepherd” described in the subsequent verses is then a foil – a false messiah, antichrist figure, or corrupt leader that the people turn to in place of the true Christ.

I do not believe it is a reach to suggest that Zechariah 11 has prefigured the volatile circumstances we find ourselves in today. There is no more compelling evidence than the fact that Donald Trump has become the most powerful person on the planet. Such a scenario could only unfold if the nation turned from the teaching and the example of Jesus Christ.

Those who enable, empower and encourage Trump have rejected the Good Shepherd. They have renounced love, compassion, humility and truth, embracing instead a morally bankrupt potentate who exalts himself, is vindictive and unrepentant, and presents himself as uniquely capable of “saving” the country. Such renunciation contrasts sharply with biblical ideals of godly leadership and is a bold rejection of the Lord’s instruction.

Why Do Atheists Show Compassion Without God?

Tom Ratkovich, , , , , 5 Comments

A friend of mine posted this quotation on Facebook – attributing it to Martin Buber – though I can find no validation of such attribution. Nor could Google or ChatGPT. But as my friend characterized this statement as a comprehensive summary of his personal view of religion, I consider it worthy of discussion.

Continue reading “Why Do Atheists Show Compassion Without God?” →