Golden Calf

For months before Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, so many people on social media repeatedly said various versions of "We need to pray! Only God/Jesus can save America." Then Trump won, and those voices either fell silent or are now calling for retribution for the past four years of Leftist oppression.

So, Jesus isn't the answer anymore? Trump—a man—is now the savior of the United States, the world? Jesus is now irrelevant?

Trump is not even in office yet. The talking heads of the fourth estate are cross-chattering about the military (the Pentagon, not the warriors) actively not supporting Trump, the DNC actively setting the stage for a coup.

Yet, it's all good now. Trump's got this. 

Humanity is so predictable. "There is nothing new under the sun!" (Eccl. 1:9) When things suck, we fall on our knees and beg God for His mercy and graces. We put on sackcloth, cover our heads in ashes, and start attending church on Sundays, all the time pleading for His protection, for the conversion of our country back to Him, so the insanity will stop.

And when He provides, we, like the Hebrews at the base of Mt. Sinai, turn our prayers to the golden calf we have created—this time one made of politics. Are you kidding me?

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The phone rings. "Hello?"

"Hi, Dad, how's things?"

"I'm good. It's been a while since I've heard from you. I've been thinking about you. What's going on?"

"Well, honestly, Dad, things are really bad for me right now. I was hoping you would help me out."

"... What's going on?"

"I'm up to my eyes in debt to the loan shark and he's threatening to bust my knees and I haven't been able to pay my mortgage for the last few months because I've been making the interest payments to the loan shark. Dad, they're going to take my house and I don't know where me and my family will go. Please help me?"

"Son, I love you. Of course I'll help you, but I need to know you'll stop gambling and be the responsible adult I raised you to be."

"I promise, Dad. This time I'm done with gambling. I'm going to focus on family, especially You."

"Okay, son, I'll take care of it. Tell the loan shark...."

Three weeks later, Dad calls His son because He hasn't heard from him since He paid all the son's bills.

The son's cellphone rings, but it's drowned out by the chattering crowd at the roulette table and the insistent jingle of the digital one-arm-bandits. The son signs another IOU for a thousand dollars. He looks at his phone and swipes the 'hang up' icon. Then swipes the sweat from his forehead before placing another bet.

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Welcome to America. The place where God is the center of our lives until the crisis passes.

"'If it is displeasing to you to serve the Lord, choose today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.'” (Joshua 24:15)