Christmas, Trump and the gift of God’s love

One of the aspects that differentiates the USA from most European countries is the openness with which their presidents speak about faith.

In Europe, where Christendom used to shape all of culture, secular political correctness now rules out an open conversation around faith.

This is why it is somehow surprising to many of us to see Trump (or any of his predecessors) unashamedly speaking about the Bible and its message for all people.

“JESUS CHRIST LIFE CHANGED HISTORY”

As December began, Donald Trump shared on Twitter a message he recorded in front of the White House.

The Christmas Story begins 2,000 years ago with a mother, a father, their baby son and the most extraordinary gift of all—the gift of God’s love for all of humanity.

Whatever our beliefs, we know that the birth of Jesus Christ and the story of his life... pic.twitter.com/P94C3LjWlx

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 1 de desembre de 2017

“The Christmas Story begins 2,000 years ago with a mother, a father, their baby son and the most extraordinary gift of all—the gift of God’s love for all of humanity”, he said.

“Whatever our beliefs, we know that the birth of Jesus Christ and the story of his incredible life forever changed the course of history”.

WHAT SHOULD WE THINK?

It is no news to say that the popularity of Donald Trump in European countries is very low. His use of the social media to criticise those who oppose his views on issues like migration and security has lead to several international diplomatic crisis.

Statistics show that many evangelical Christians voted for Trump, but it is also true that Christians in the US and abroad have underlined that the President's leadership is far away from the Gospel values.

Theologian John Piper wrote earlier this year about why Trump was not a good example of leadership. “A leader should be dependable, trustworthy, reliable. A leader should be a good example for our young people in matters of character and moral uprightness and civility”.

In an much-read interview with Evangelical Focus, Philip Yancey also expressed some of the many issues Christians have with the President's lifestyle and attitudes.

Many disagree with Donald Trump in much of what he says and does, but his words for Christmas were a good reminder to all of us. Every human being is in need of “the most extraordinary gift of all—the gift of God’s love”.