Encourage heroics Every generation has its heroes. People who seemingly stand head and shoulders above the crowd- not because they are wealthy, or beautiful, or talented, or famous, but because they are brave.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I love The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen. This story has been a favorite all my life because everyone in the empire, from the greatest to the least, pretended to see the King’s new clothes. They took the path of least resistance. Only a child had the good sense and the courage to say, “But the Emperor has nothing on at all!” One person who will speak the truth sometimes shoves the door open for the faint-of-heart wobbling in the wings.

What Do Heroes Look Like?

The Emperor’s New Clothes is certainly a story for such a time as this. Another is Jim Wallis’ book Christ in Crisis. I’ve known all along that Donald Trump’s policies bear no resemblance to the teachings of Jesus Christ, but shockingly, even I’ve become inured to just how ungodly this man is. To reiterate his shortcomings would overwhelm this space. But to actually see a side-by-side comparison of Jesus’ instructions versus Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign is jarring. Have we become accustomed to Christians trying to convince everyone that wrong is right and crazy is sane? Well, like the child who exposed the King, I’m standing up. I am a Christian, and I hereby declare that Donald Trump is a villain. His policies compared with Jesus’ teachings reveal that they stand in complete contradiction to each other. Now it’s time for the adults in the room to gather their courage and put on their big kid pants. It’s time to stand up to this brazen bully.

So how would we look in our grown-up clothes? Well, it could look a lot like Martin Luther King Jr’s journey. In his book Strength to Love, he says this: “Nowhere is the tragic tendency to conform more evident that in the church, an institution that has often served to crystallize, conserve, and even bless the patterns of majority opinion.” Well BOOYAH! I seem to remember His own church murdered Jesus. We’re great when we’re at our best, but God help everyone else when we gang on up the least of these- immigrants fleeing poverty and violence, the poor of our own country, our allies the Kurds (welcome to Russia, comrades!), and whoever else- in the name of Christianity. It’s enough to make a woman scream. But I’ve got other plans.

I’m no hero. I’d hoist a protest sign, but I’m afraid I would whack a Trump supporter over the head with it. (Wake up already!) I’m just angry. My church has been hijacked by a powerful political party. I’m also very cognizant of the fact that one day I will stand before the ultimate Hero and give an account of my actions in the face of evil. I may be saved by grace, but I also want to be able to say, “I did all I could.”

And I invite you to come with me. I’ll keep you posted.