“The Chosen One”?

Welcome into the frightening demagogic mind:

Too much to be attributed to coincidence, the very next day after Root’s statement, the president turned, looked into the sky, and said, “I am the Chosen One!” Call it a declaration of supremacy or a Freudian slip. Whatever you like.  See for yourself and come to your own conclusion.

As Michael Gerson said, “At some point, arrogance is so extreme and delusional that it can only be expressed in blasphemy.”

By way of contrast, note the right response to being flattered with allusions of deity:

When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. 

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. Acts 14:11-15

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Do I think Root actually dubbed Mr. Trump the Messiah? No. But when the president goes out of his way to thank him, quoting him verbatim for the compliment, and then looking into the sky and saying, “I am the Chosen One” is, if not blasphemous, incredibly pompous, disgusting, and offensive. This narcissistic declaration implies resistance to his will is disloyalty to God and country.

If this had been said in some other cultures a person could get jailed or worse for offending the religious right. (I suggest nothing of the kind here. I’m just making a point about how distasteful Mr. Trump’s words were.) Problem is our country’s “Religious Right”––the camp that claims sole proprietorship of righteousness––has no compunction about these sort of bellicose declarations of their favorite son. That to me is as disgusting as the incident itself!

Following his visit to the grieving families from the El Paso shootings: “The love for me,” he boasted, “and my love for them was unparalleled.” That’s not only insensitive; it’s insane! Where are his advisers? Where is Congress and his inner circle when he’s in need of being reeled in from swimming in lunacy? “His counselors are now flunkies,” says Gerson. “The proof of their loyalty is not found in the honesty of their opinions but in the regurgitation of his insanity.”

“It is their public duty to say that foolish things are foolish, that insane things are insane, that bigoted things are bigoted. On growing evidence, their failure to do so is abetting the country’s decline into farce.”

“Mental health — very important,” said President Trump before boarding Marine One the other day. Can’t argue with that! “Never would the interests of the United States have been better served by a louder helicopter,” said Gerson.

When I was twelve, John Lennon said the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.” Though I had absolutely no Christian influence and wouldn’t have for another five years, I was so offended by the remark I boycotted my favorite band for about a year! Though Jesus was not on my radar at all, and whether or not Lennon meant anything “spiritual” by it, his words bothered me. Now that Jesus is decidedly on my radar, and since control over the plain meaning of English words is not a presidential power, Mr. Trump’s comments, both on Twitter and on camera are deeply offensive to me and I believe they should be at very minimum distasteful to all those who identify as Christians.

I appeal to anyone with a functioning conscience, especially my Jesus-following brothers and sisters, who actually believe there is a “Chosen One,” whose name isn’t Trump. It’s at his feet that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he alone is Lord!

For the love of God and for your own good if you’re on the train called Trump, jump off immediately! If you’ve already jumped, spread the word that the train is on a reckless course!

What are your thoughts about this? Do you think I make too much of Mr. Trump’s words and actions? Does it even matter that the so-called leader of the free world says and does such things? Is it right, in your opinion, to speak  out about our elected officials in this way or should we just pray and trust that God will work it all out?