I was urged to comment on the President’s recent Truth Social post in which he used AI to portray himself as _______ _________. Wait, who? My understanding is that almost everyone assumed he was depicting himself as Jesus Christ. But Trump claimed that that wasn’t in his mind at all: “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better.”
A lot of people think he’s lying. I don’t know; he could be, but then I’m not sure that he’s dialed in to what is being communicated in maudlin religious imagery/ Christian kitsch. It’s actually not that clear!
At any rate, I wasn’t troubled by the post, even before I heard what he claimed he was intending. President Trump often communicates in ways less-then-tasteful or zany or inarticulate or juvenile. Our president – unfortunately often the opposite of inspiring! If ever the saying fits, this man is far more than the sum of his parts. If he goes down as a significant president in US History – which he might – it’ll be in spite of most of his utterances and almost all of his social media posts!
I also wasn’t troubled because I didn’t see anything important possibly being symbolized, either in the original or the Trump rendering. The original, kitschy picture – which I haven’t seen – couldn’t have been communicating anything that definite, but rather sentimental. And DID the original picture even portray Jesus? I don’t know.
Finally, I also wasn’t troubled despite the predictable impulse to make this – this latest outrage!! !! !! – the thing in which I plant my flag. I think it’s a mistake to be reactive. I think that people who put black boxes on their social media page during the George Floyd unrest are now a little sheepish. Also, I think in a month everyone will have forgotten Trump’s post. And they should have.
I wasn’t troubled, though I didn’t approve, just as I regularly disapprove of (and would like to disavow) things our president says. Too bad; wish that were different.
If I were to find something about it that bothered me, it would be the timing of the post: DT pressed “send” on the Lord’s Day. I don’t want the President or any politician tweeting on the Lord’s Day except during emergencies when it’s vital – VITAL – to receive information.
Because when the President posts on the Lord’s Day he is implying that it’s a day like any other day. Then that implies a materialist and undifferentiated view of TIME…every day is the same and should contain just more of the same. In short, this kind of uniformity, when no thing or time is sacred, enforces secularism. That’s the more insidious and far greater evil.
We’re in a leveling everything era and it’s not doing us good. We’re going against the grain of reality. God made a world of distinction and hierarchies in time and space and persons.
The world is trying to shove us into a ‘it only matters what’s going on in your mind/head/soul’ reality. We Christians should shove back. We want obvious differentiation because there is actually differentiation. We want evident, concrete distinctions! Men are different from women with differing roles. Adults are different from children and confusing them hurts everyone. Not everyone should eat at the Lord’s Supper and we’re not kind or generous in saying otherwise. Baptized or unbaptized is an important question. Church member or not matters.
Reality is more than what’s in our heads. Christianity is more than what’s in our heads.
So, I would like our policy makers taking us back to blue laws when certain practices weren’t permitted on Sundays. (I believe in CT hunting is still officially prohibited on Sunday.) I’d like our political leaders to show some reverence around the day, simply because Sunday is the Lord’s Day and should be considered differently.
Before we get around to taking back the abstraction of cyberspace, let’s take back the concreteness of time and place and hierarchy. What would make more of a difference for the improvement of society? A) The president says, “I’m done posting pictures of myself as Jesus.” Or, B) the president says, “I will only post on Sundays during emergencies.”
The church of Jesus Christ should care much more about structural matters than shocking blips. If we’re going to get hot and bothered about something, let it be more about timing than shocking pictures.
Written hastily.
Colin
Really nice reply to what was distasteful. However as Trump does with many other ideas he seems to have . he made many people talk about Jesus and made them all acknowledge Jesus is more important then him. I believe he may operate this way to draw more people to whatever cause he is after at the time
Also unfortunately this year ct has passed a new law promoting hunting on Sundays as a way for people to get more time in the woods.