Dear President-Elect Trump,
You’re probably not expecting any love letters from Democrats, but this will come darn close. Sir, you didn’t have my vote but you do have my heart, and I kindly ask to share 3 things with you.
Firstly, you’re a Winner–not because of any item you own or title you possess, but because you Exist. That’s a 10 to the 2,685,000th power odd, and for reference the number of atoms in the visible universe is just ~10 to the 80th power.
Secondly, I’ve seen you say and do things that shame and hurt others, and from my heart I wonder: Who hurt you? What bullies did you face, or who dared lay hands on you? Only you know your story of survival and truly none of us is a stranger to pain, rejection, or simply being misunderstood. But resilience is in our DNA and we find ways to cope–anything from food or drugs, to money or sex, shopping, TV-watching, any thing. And every thing, from our own self-doubts to our possessions or fixes, seeks to enslave us.
The truth is nothing on earth will ever truly satisfy. So with an honest-to-God love for you, I want to share this third thing, and sadly it’s a warning: What good is it if we gain the whole world yet lose our “souls”? [This next part gets a bit biblical, you can check me in Daniel 7, 2Thessalonians 2, Revelation 13 if you like].
The Bible predicts a world leader rising above others in a time when the divide between “haves” and “have-nots” is out of control. This leader is called a lawless/loveless one who will suffer a mortal head injury yet miraculously survive–like if JFK came to work after Dallas. In that incident there may be a Judas-like moment when the leader will be taken over by the devil himself and bad times are described as this leader starts proclaiming himself to be God, doing “signs and wonders,” and taking total rule of the world causing great distress, albeit for a set time (phew).
Dear President-Elect Trump, please don’t be that leader.
I honestly believe you have a tremendous capacity for good, and I’m capable of setting aside everything I’ve seen, heard or read about you for this moment with you in this letter. No matter what mistakes mark our past, we’re Loved fiercely by One who witnessed everything we’re ashamed of–things we did outright or in thought. And God can turn it all to good, even if we only see the outworking on the other side.
I believe deep within you is something so tender and humble, and I hope you’ll glimpse God’s Real-Time Love in this letter and let it touch your heart and dealings with others.
Please don’t be offended. I only want to encourage and alert you as you may be faced with the toughest decision in the world: to have every possession and power on the planet, or to possess an authentic, God-like, self-sacrificing Love . I know you’re a fighter and I believe you’re strong enough to choose rightly. At the same time, I also don’t want you to believe popular Christian ideology that says God wants to rule over us. Quite the opposite– just look at the tree in Eden, or the state of the world today. All creation was handed to us and we were only asked to care for it and each other–especially the weak and vulnerable amongst us.
Dear President-Elect Trump, forehead to forehead, I hope this letter reaches you and bless your heart. And if it seems crazy, just consider Jesus who faced a similar choice at the start of his ministry. He turned his back on all that glory and power, and that same Love runs through our veins too, if we let it.
Thinking of you, with lots of hope and respect,
Jasmine
This letter was written by a love-striving, bible-believing, social justice-hungry “Christian” who votes solidly Democrat. Yes, the word “Christian,” along with the word “Love” lost their meaning, so here’s help on what those words should mean.
If being a Christian and voting Democrat seems blasphemous to you, check: “Who would you rather rule, Jesus or a Pharisee?” or “Open Letter to Those Identifying as Christian in America.“
If you want more insight on the seeming conflict between “law” and love, check:
When Love and Law Conflict: A (Bad) Lesson from Ezra and the Broken Families, or
Pearl and Mother of Pearl- You are God’s Magnum Opus.
And for encouragement in this possession and achievement-focused world, see:
Goodness Trumps Greatness Every Time.
Beautiful work from Ali Binazir and Dina Spector
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