United Church Moderator Reflects on Loving Donald Trump
Choosing to love even those whose words and actions are filled with hate and division does not mean accepting their behaviour or tolerating injustice.
In a commentary posted today on The United Church of Canada’s website, the church’s Moderator, the Right Rev. Jordan Cantwell, reflects on the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Cantwell begins by confessing, “I need to say I love Donald Trump.”
She admits those words are hard for her to say, but adds, “Although I have serious misgivings about his policies and pronouncements, he is a child of God, just like me, so I must treat him with dignity, respect, and love.”
She notes, however, “Choosing to love even those whose words and actions are filled with hate and division does not mean accepting their behaviour or tolerating injustice. Love does not turn a blind eye to injustice or a deaf ear to the cries of the oppressed.”
The Moderator’s statement acknowledges that many people in both Canada and the United States are experiencing extreme levels of fear and anxiety, sparked in large part by the rhetoric and behaviour of the President-elect, as well as the political records of some of his recent appointees.
She writes, “Whenever fear becomes the dominant force in our lives, it inevitably leads either to hatred and exclusion or to despair and apathy. We cannot afford to go in either of these directions. So let us draw on the deepest resources of our faith to choose instead an alternative that is stronger than fear, hate, or despair—love.”
To read the full text of the Moderator's commentary, click on the link below.