What can we learn from the Trump phenomenon?,2015 in review
IT’S WORTH CONSIDERING
Since this is my last post of 2015, I’d like to comment on one of the
biggest news stories of 2015—Donald Trump. He has stirred things up and dominated the news like no other figure, political or otherwise, in recent memory. Teflon Don continues to amaze nearly everyone as he confronts the status quo with controversial statements, characterizing his opponents as idiots and fools, and publically verbalizing whatever thought is currently rambling through his unconventional mind. Yet, his poll numbers continue to rise. He has tapped into something, but what?
Many Republicans are disenchanted with their wimpy leaders, who continue to give Barack Obama way too much of what he wants and never call him out for his borderline-treasonous actions. They’re also frightened by the direction our country is going. Things are so bad that drastic action is required to take back what has been lost. Politics as usual isn’t going to cut it. Neither Barack Obama not Hillary Clinton play by the rules, so a middle of the road conformist Republican politician will accomplish absolutely nothing. What is needed is someone who understands the nature of the multiple wars that we’re in an intends to win every one of them.
Enter The Donald, the super hero with magic hair, the bigger than life action figure who needs no cape. He has his own planes, and just about everything else. He boldly goes where no political candidate has gone before, confronting the PC villains at every turn, saying what many were thinking. His followers see him as the only action figure available and are willing to overlook his frequent outrageous comments as necessary baggage that comes along with a brash, get out of my way, Rambo type who’s one of the good guys.
The fact that Donald Trump has filled that role speaks to the paucity of hero-types among our leaders, and that’s a sad commentary on our nation’s leadership. He alone has captured the hearts of a large segment of the Republican party because he alone seems to have the courage (if not the discernment) to say what needs to be said with absolutely no regard for the consequences.
Take his comments on a temporary ban on Muslims entering our nation. He has taken a lot of heat for daring to say such a thing, but as one who understands this issue, I can say that his suggestion is the only way to solve the problem. (I understand that the logistics are problematic, but the basic idea is absolutely necessary.) Of course not all Muslims are terrorists, but most, if not all, the terrorists who are threatening us are Muslims.
I wish all those who are excoriating him for his “outrageous and
insensitive” comment would take some time to actually read the Qur’an and see what’s in there. Perhaps then they’d realize that the so-called radicals are merely carrying out the commands of their holy book. He is absolutely right when he says that it’s not about religion. It’s about keeping us safe. He’s not going after a whole religion for what they believe. He’s rightly concerned about what they are taught to do, and what they are being taught to do is a direct threat to our survival as a nation. We need a president who gets it, and Donald Trump is seen by a lot of Republicans as the only one who does.
I had hoped that a few of the other Republican candidates would learn from him, but, I guess you either have it or you don’t, and few potential leaders have what he has. The problem is that he scares a lot of people. I’m one of them. Like most super heroes, he’s mysterious. There’s a lot about him we just don’t know, and we’ve had seven horrible years of living with the consequences of electing someone we really didn’t know. Then, every once in a while, I wonder if maybe he is just what our nation needs. Right now it’s hard to tell, but the phenomenon that is “The Donald” is definitely shaking things up.
AS I SEE IT
I’d like to close with what we can learn from him and his influence on his world. I wonder if the New Testament Jew called Saul of Tarsus was seen in a similar way. He, too, changed sides and went around saying some outrageous things and acquired quite a following as well as a host of enemies. He upset the status quo wherever he went and confronted the Jewish PC crowd head on.
Saul Meets Jesus on the Damascus Road
In making this comparison, I am in no way equating The Donald with The Apostle Paul. I am merely showing that God can mightily use people like this who are sold out to a person or a cause. In Donald Trump’s case, I’m afraid a Damascus Road experience is necessary for him to be sold out to the right person. On the other hand, God once used a talking jackass, so perhaps history will repeat itself. My purpose in my final post of 2015 is to encourage us to apply their methods, passion, and results to our own lives as followers of Jesus Christ. After all, isn’t that why we’re here? Imagine what our lives would be like if we really denied ourselves, took up our cross and followed Jesus in full surrender to Him. It’s something to think about as we wrap up 2015.
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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
Donald Trump photo by Gage Skidmore
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Rambo image by Yoni S.Hamenahem
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Reproduction of Saul on the Road to Damascus is in the Public Domain
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