History has taught me a good lesson. The parallel between Tiananmen thirty-one years ago (4 June 89) and the American protests today shows me that every epoch of history starts and ends not when leaders hide behind an ideology, inspired by some dead political philosopher more than hundred years ago. It however starts and ends with leaders taking responsibility. Full stop.
Alas, the Sermon on the Mount has been right all along about servant leadership. Being the salt and light, a city on the hill, poor in spirit, meek, merciful, peacemakers, one who hungers for righteousness and rejoices in persecution, that’s what it is all about at the end of the day. And you see all of that demonstrated when police officers across the country kneeling on concrete floor, stairways, pavements and roadsides, with heads bowed, in solidarity with protesters.
When you take a knee and bow your head in meekness, you are doing more than just holding up the Bible besides a church. You are telling the people clamoring for justice that we, the people of the badge, are vulnerable, open and defenseless before you. You are telling the people that love, not hate, dominates our hearts. You are also telling them that we are putting humility above authority, healing above power, and justice above prejudice and revenge.
This is a sharp contrast with the POTUS who had to bulldoze his way with tear-gas and pellet shots just to get a glossy photo-op with a sacred text (held upside down) behind an ancient religious building.
When Trump was asked yesterday about routing peaceful protesters away for that church compound for a photo-opportunity, he said he did not ask for protesters to be moved out before he walked over to the historic church. Not just that. Trump said: “They didn’t use tear gas.”
But this directly contradicted what was shown on tv, where tear gas was in fact used. Then, he added: “Now, when I went, I didn’t say, “Oh, move them out.” I don’t know who was there.”” (Gobsmacked).
You can bet your bottom dollar that Trump is a leader who will not take responsibility for what he has done. Nothing is his fault. He knows nothing too. He is innocent of what his subordinates has done for him. He will fire anyone who is not loyal. And he is someone who feels that there no need to ask for forgiveness.
Humility and taking a knee are beyond a man like him. He calls the area where protesters clamor for justice a battle space. And he also calls for governors and mayors to dominate them with coercion if necessary.
One writer opines: “So many things make America combustible right now: mass unemployment, a pandemic that’s laid bare murderous health and economic inequalities, teenagers with little to do, police violence, right-wingers itching for a second civil war and a President eager to pour petrol on every fire.” (Michelle Goldberg, “America is a tinderbox”).
Ironically, you will readily find Trump holding a Bible, worshipping in a church, and being prayed for by white evangelical pastors; all performed in real time in the public square, and this scene reminded me of what the Pharisee did when he stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people - robbers, evildoers, adulterers (maybe this is “NA”) - or even like this tax collector.”
And we all know what the tax collector did. He stood at a distance, away from the public attention, beat his breast and cried out, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Sadly, you will not see Trump applying the simple principles of the Sermon on the Mount to show meekness, to be a peacemaker, and to mourn with a contrite heart for others. That is why the words of Jesus is so apt here: “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Let me end with what Trump has to say about those who knelt. He retweeted on Wednesday morning attacking New York City police for being “tasked to bully Orthodox Jews and bend a knee to terrorists.”
Although he was not too specific in his view about the act of kneeling, you can tell from the way he conducted himself that kneeling is a sign of weakness for him. His battle cry for domination and the deployment of active-duty troops demonstrated anything but a heart contrite, a soul looking inward at such time, and a spirit that would take up the towel and basin ministry to serve.
Truly, as Trump is dividing the country, stroking the flame of a cultural war, leaders of the common space are coming forward to take charge.
Thomas L. Friedman wrote: “Help is not on the way from this White House or this GOP, but the country is full of problem-solvers.”
“We need to ignore Mr Trump as much as possible; he’s made himself part of the problem. But we can connect, elevate, amplify and empower the business leaders, social entrepreneurs and local leaders who are rising and ready to be the solution.” Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment