On Facebook the other day I saw a post from an acquaintance that started out talking about how in the Bible, rain is consistently referred to as a blessing. I guess in a desert culture such as where the ancient Israelites lived that makes some sense, until we recall from Genesis that it was also this same God who killed everyone in the world but 8 people in a global flood following 40 days of an uninterrupted “blessing,” so I’m not sure I get that bit of reasoning. But that wasn’t the part that made me sit up and take notice; it was the comment that followed, indicating how fitting it was that God would be blessing his people today, on the inauguration of a new president who presumably would be bringing God back into the public arena, by raining on the inauguration (and also here in California, where we badly need it).
Let’s set aside exactly which version of Christianity was being described here as “God’s people” (since there be dragons), although knowing my Facebook Friend I doubt he was including Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses, since he’s made it clear to me in previous conversations that those two groups (at least) aren’t really “Christians” as they’ve not been “born again.”
So let’s just go with face value with this and examine his observation that God is blessing us (or someone, at least) at this inaugural freak show with a nice rainstorm.
His exact quote:
”Our country has been in both an environmental and spiritual drought. It is no coincidence that the heavens opened up and showered us today. As believers we have prayed for a cleansing of our nation, let’s not miss the opportunity to both fear the Lord’s sovereignty but speak boldly and with confidence the truth of His word. Thankful for our friendship and praying we can be encouraged this year.”
In fairness, he later clarified that his wife (who actually wrote the above comment) was talking about “cleansing ourselves from hate” since we’ve been a divided nation and implying that this new administration allows us a clean slate. But a close reading makes me suspect that that may be a bit of after-the-fact rationalization; it seems pretty clear to me that she felt the country’s “spiritual drought” had at last come to an end with Trump’s swearing in.
How exactly are we to interpret this? If it’s true, and Donald Trump is the answer to the prayers of the faithful (instead of, oh, the Russian government hacking DNC emails), it must mean that somehow God approves of Trump’s election; maybe even tilting the playing field a bit so The Donald would get to sit in the Oval Office.
Maybe God’s been busy elsewhere in this vast universe and missed a few important points here. Trump earned himself “four Pinochio’s” more than two hundred times during his campaign for telling blatant and obvious lies; he’s a serial adulterer (even if we pass off his bragging about committing sexual assault as “locker room talk”—a disgusting lie in itself—he’s had two very public marriage-ending affairs including with his current—and third—wife Melania); he’s broken contractual agreements literally thousands of times, leading to having to defend himself in more than 3,500 lawsuits, and on and on. And lest we say “Oh, that was during the past; he’s a new man now…don’t you believe in forgiveness?” please note that just yesterday, during his first actual function as president, he lied twice (to the CIA, of all places) about the size of the crowd at his inauguration, and then claiming that it didn’t rain during his inauguration. Both blatant and easily-refuted lies.
I find it pretty difficult to believe that the God who wrote the 10 Commandments would send as an answer to prayers a doofus who is practically the poster child of commandment-breakers everywhere.
About BigBill
Stats: Married male boomer.
Hobbies: Hiking, woodworking, reading, philosophy, good conversation.
My Christian friends
Let’s set aside exactly which version of Christianity was being described here as “God’s people” (since there be dragons), although knowing my Facebook Friend I doubt he was including Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses, since he’s made it clear to me in previous conversations that those two groups (at least) aren’t really “Christians” as they’ve not been “born again.”
So let’s just go with face value with this and examine his observation that God is blessing us (or someone, at least) at this inaugural freak show with a nice rainstorm.
His exact quote:
In fairness, he later clarified that his wife (who actually wrote the above comment) was talking about “cleansing ourselves from hate” since we’ve been a divided nation and implying that this new administration allows us a clean slate. But a close reading makes me suspect that that may be a bit of after-the-fact rationalization; it seems pretty clear to me that she felt the country’s “spiritual drought” had at last come to an end with Trump’s swearing in.
How exactly are we to interpret this? If it’s true, and Donald Trump is the answer to the prayers of the faithful (instead of, oh, the Russian government hacking DNC emails), it must mean that somehow God approves of Trump’s election; maybe even tilting the playing field a bit so The Donald would get to sit in the Oval Office.
Maybe God’s been busy elsewhere in this vast universe and missed a few important points here. Trump earned himself “four Pinochio’s” more than two hundred times during his campaign for telling blatant and obvious lies; he’s a serial adulterer (even if we pass off his bragging about committing sexual assault as “locker room talk”—a disgusting lie in itself—he’s had two very public marriage-ending affairs including with his current—and third—wife Melania); he’s broken contractual agreements literally thousands of times, leading to having to defend himself in more than 3,500 lawsuits, and on and on. And lest we say “Oh, that was during the past; he’s a new man now…don’t you believe in forgiveness?” please note that just yesterday, during his first actual function as president, he lied twice (to the CIA, of all places) about the size of the crowd at his inauguration, and then claiming that it didn’t rain during his inauguration. Both blatant and easily-refuted lies.
I find it pretty difficult to believe that the God who wrote the 10 Commandments would send as an answer to prayers a doofus who is practically the poster child of commandment-breakers everywhere.
About BigBill
Stats: Married male boomer. Hobbies: Hiking, woodworking, reading, philosophy, good conversation.