We are better than him

Some days, Donald Trump exhausts me and breaks my heart. He is routinely cruel, bullying people day in and day out. He lies all the time, about everyone from Barack Obama to Ted Cruz. He is completely transactional and devoid of empathy. (Just recall his comments about our neighbors in Puerto Rico after the hurricane.)

And yet this vain and vulgar man, this man who never apologizes, who insists he has never asked God's forgiveness, is the darling of evangelicals.

It's enough to make this old Christian gal cry.


I believe in signs. I believe God reaches out to me in the way I'll best understand. And today, on my day off, He did.

Doing errands on this unseasonably warm day, with Christmas carols playing in my headphones, I walked up a different street than usual. I was so happy to see the nativity on the lawn of the Catholic church that I crossed the street to get a closer look. I just wanted to be nearer to it.

Then I saw the sign.

 "Immigrants & Refugees Welcome Here."

YES! Mary and Joseph were immigrants. There was no room for them at the inn, so she had to give birth in a manger. Oh, I'm sure Donald Trump would try to keep them out with a wall, maybe cruelly separate the baby from His parents. But we celebrate them. We honor them. And we continue to welcome immigrants and refugees in His name.

Donald Trump doesn't really represent us. We're better than him.

My heart took off.

The Book of Matthew tells us: Whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Yes.

I wish we had a President who inspired rather than incited. And hopefully come January 2021, we will.

But for now, it's up to us to rise above our President. We can. We will. I know it.

All it takes is love.