aka preaching archive (September 2026)

As some of my long-time readers know, I spent nearly 15 years as a church planter & pastor (after 13+ years in youth ministry)... which came to end in early 2013. (You can read more about that on my posts aka former pastor guy and Kenny Rogers, Toffee, and a Hatmaker.)

For nearly ten years, I didn't preach. (That's not entirely true - I officiated at funeral services for friends and former congregation members - but I didn't deliver the message for a Sunday morning service.) 

In March of 2023, that changed - thanks to the leadership and encouragement of Aarron Schwartz and our church family at Restoration Church Nashville. It's been humbling and wonderful and a bit scary to be back "in the pulpit" (even if we don't actually use a pulpit). The Restoration Church family has been so supportive. (A special shout-out to Bethany and the worship team... it's a privilege to speak after they've helped us prepare our hearts and minds.)

I need to also say "thank you" to a number of folks who encouraged me to take Aarron up on his offer to be part of the preaching rotation - including my wife (Shari Jo), my sons (Braeden & Collin), and even some of the folks I know through my "day job" (thank you, Teri & Denette.)

I decided that I needed to pull those messages into a single place... so that's what this post is for. I'll update it as needed. I'm putting the time stamp for the start of the message - but you're missing out if you don't get the worship team as well.

September 6, 2026 - Matthew 17:1-11 - Awe & Response

• message starts at the 32 minute mark
• the sound issues with my introduction prior to that are my own fault - didn't hit the mic button correctly (sorry!)
• "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. (John 1:14 MSG) 
• I highly recommend Charlie Peacock's song "Monkeys in the Zoo" - although I don't mention it anywhere in the message, it was an inspiration for the direction of the sermon 

January 11, 2026 - Joshua 3 & 4 - Upstream Faith

• message starts at the 31 minute mark
• the video quality is not as good due to WiFi issues at the church (the A/V team had to use the old system in order to stream the service)
• "Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]." (Hebrews 11:1 AMP)
• Managed to name-check Disney parks, Star Wars, and my Romantic poets professor at Baylor in the process of telling Joshua's story.

February 23, 2025 - 2nd Samuel 6 - When The Ark Comes to Town...

• message starts at the 40 minute mark
• I left out another 80s reference from my notes to the 1984 film "Footloose"
• Eugene Peterson quote from his book, Leap Over A Wall

God will not be put and kept in a box, whether the box is constructed of crafted wood or hewn stone or brilliant ideas or fine feelings. We don't take care of God; God takes care of us.

September 1, 2024 - Exodus 35 - More Capable Than You Realize

• message starts at the 35 minute mark
• "Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." (Psalm 33:3 NIV)
• C.S. Lewis quote I use is from his classic book Mere Christianity

Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. So that when we talk of a man doing anything for God or giving anything to God, I will tell you what it is really like.

It is like a small child going to its father and saying, "Daddy, give me sixpence to buy you a birthday present." Of course, the father does, and he is pleased with the child's present. It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is sixpence to the good on the transaction. 

May 5, 2024 - Luke 22:31-38 - When You Turn Back

• message starts at 31 minute mark
• book I reference: Saving the Bible From Ourselves
• "I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith].” (Luke 22:32 AMP)

March 17, 2024 - Luke 20:27-40 - Jesus & the Theobros

• message starts at the 38:30 minute mark
• balloon illustration is borrowed from N.T. Wright's Luke for Everyone
• Yeah, I somehow managed to combine Narnia, levirate marriage, and Admiral Ackbar into the message.

September 24, 2023 - Luke 14:25-35 - Counting the Cost

• message starts at the 38:30 minute mark
• my personal notes call this message "The Symphony Bar"
• “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33 MSG)

March 26, 2023 - Luke 8:22-25 - Master of the Storm

• message starts at the 33 minute mark
• The message here is NOT “Jesus will calm all the storms in your life”… it is “Jesus will not leave you alone in the boat”.
• "If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." (Psalm 139:9-10 NIV)

Reconstructing My Faith: Postmodernity, Bullies, and Uncle Carl

Well, you knew we'd eventually get to Mark Driscoll if we started talking about deconstructing and reconstructing my faith, right?

[insert heavy sigh here]

Postmodernity

In the spring of 1997, I attended the GenX church planting conference at Mount Hermon (a Christian retreat center in California). One of the speakers there was Mark Driscoll, who spoke passionately about the collapse of modernity, the rise of post-modernity, and how both of those would likely affect the way leaders taught & led their church communities. At the time, I reacted pretty positively to Mark's "in your face" style of speaking.  (For more personal context on my experience at the conference, you can see my post from 2006 entitled 9 Years Ago.)

What I didn't internalize back in 1997 was that Mark Driscoll had only been leading a church for a year or so. Mars Hill Church (Seattle) was growing rapidly, but he was relatively new to church leadership. His forcefulness, his charisma, his passion, and his humor masked his inexperience... and his tendency towards autocratic leadership.

Gosh, guys, I love what I’m doing. I got charged by a demon-possessed guy in my pulpit, the night we launched I had to exit counsel one of my key leaders, 10 minutes before the sermon, I kicked him out of the church. My worship team left three months ago. We moved six miles in the first three months, and it is… I love it. (quote from that message) 

In fairness, lots of the folks involved in the GenX church movement were pretty young... including me. (I was 33 years old in 1997 - man, that seems like a long time ago.) But you can still hear the echoes in that quote of the "pile of dead bodies" attitude that would overtake Mark D. and Mars Hill in the years ahead. 

There is a pile of dead bodies behind the Mars Hill bus, and by God’s grace it’ll be a mountain by the time we’re done. You either get on the bus or you get run over by the bus. Those are the options. But the bus ain’t gonna stop. This is what we’re doing. (quote from Church Planters Boot Camp, Oct. 2007)

With 29 years of life since that gathering at Mount Hermon, I find myself questioning how completely modernity has collapsed while facing pretty clear evidence that post-modernity has become a bigger & bigger part of our cultural conversations. Mostly I see a mish-mash - a sometimes toxic stew - of beliefs and theories about how the world works (or should work) that borrow from both strains of philosophical thought.

And I struggle with the support I gave Mark Driscoll's teaching & writing. What was it about Mark, about myself (also Mark - heh), that drew me in and convinced me to ignore red flags?

I have some thoughts - but, per the usual here on the akapastorguy blog, that's going to require me to tell you some stories.

Story #1: Bullies

I'd experienced bullying off and on in elementary school and junior high... but it kicked into high gear as a high school freshman. I was a small and not very strong guy with glasses - and an invisible target painted on my back. I particularly hated P.E. class and the whole "locker room antics" where weaker folks (like me) became targets for bigger guys trying to prove just how macho they were. (Looking back at this, I realize that those behaviors were more than "I'm big & dumb & mean" - that those guys had their own aches, pains, fears, and wounds that they were struggling with - but at the time they were simply dangerous people I tried to avoid.)

I had basically two strategies to dissuade bullies:

1. invisibility - try to do as little as possible to attract their attention
2. stiff upper lip - no matter what they did, maintain a stoic face (no crying, no complaining, no taunting, no reaction)

But my salvation from being bullied came not from my strategies - instead, it was a friendship with a much larger acquaintance who firmly noted that I was his friend and he didn't want anyone to mess with me. (God bless you, Tony V.)

Story #2: Uncle Carl

My Uncle Carl was actually my great-uncle Carl... he and my Aunt Beulah married late in life and I only met him once (I think) at about age 5.

I don't remember much about him - if it wasn't for family pictures of him with Aunt Beulah, I probably wouldn't even recognize him. But what I do remember was that he was a tremendously skilled amateur magician who specialized in close-up magic. (Close-up magic is sleight of hand tricks - cards, coins, silks, etc. - performed in tight proximity to your audience.) The wonder of seeing those tricks happen, of things appearing and disappearing, of his tremendous command of fan decks to make beautiful patterns... that's never left me.

When he passed away, my Aunt Beulah made sure that my dad & I got his magic books and paraphernalia. (Dad quickly confiscated his marked card decks - but I was left with the fan decks, the rope tricks, and a library of books on magic.) What I discovered is that performing magic isn't, well, magic - it takes confidence, a great deal of dexterity, and a lot of practice to make it seem easy and magical.

Point of Information: My Peculiar Media Intake Habits

I'm a news addict who doesn't like news shows - particularly those in the "let's get a bunch of supposedly smart people together to yell at each other" mode. 

I watch a limited amount of YouTube - mostly things like Rodney on Watch It Played (game explanations), WDW tips videos (hats off to DSNY Newscast, Touring Plans, Ear Scouts, and Disney Food Blog), and smatterings of the Holderness Family and Legal Eagle.

I seldom if ever watch sermons (including my own) - as much as I love truth and hearing God's word preached, I'd rather be forced to watch unboxing videos shot without a tripod than suffer through most church services (my current church is an exception, of course).

I read - a lot. A good bit of stuff on the Internet but also actual physical books - either from the local library or my own bookcase. Weirdly enough, most of my online reading is not about spiritual matters - even as I'm currently reading physical copies of two different devotionals, a couple of books (Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around & God, the Science, the Evidence: The Dawn of a Revolution), and have a stack of commentaries sitting at my feet.

Back to the Question At Hand: How Did I Get Drawn In?

This post has been "under construction" for almost two years because answering that question is... complicated. The disconnected stories you just read are my best attempt to give you some context and metaphors for the musings that follow.

• As I already told you, I don't listen to recorded sermons. So my interaction with Mark Driscoll's teaching was filtered simply through what he was writing. That means I got less of the "Chris Rock goes to church" vibe he liked to lay down in preaching & speaking but still all of the Teflon-coated certainty that was part and parcel of his writing about church leadership.
• I've been a summer missionary, a church staff member, a church planter, and a lead pastor of various churches over nearly thirty years. I cannot emphasize enough how much appeal there is to someone telling you "this is the way to do this" and "it's OK to be taking flak - that means you're over the target". Because the two things that are common to all of those ministry positions are (1) not feeling confident about what you're doing and (2) taking flak (criticism, hostility, attempts to fire you from your ministry position, etc.).
• For a kid who was bullied, congregational church ministry can feel an awfully lot like you were just magically transported back to junior high. I never experienced the physical intimidation I had as a teenager when I was serving a church, but emotional and spiritual bullying were par for the course. 
• For a minister who was bullied, Dricoll's "damn the torpedoes" attitude toward opposition was incredibly attractive. It wasn't that I wanted to be Mark Driscoll - I could sense the potential problems in leaning into that persona - it was that I liked hearing about someone standing up to the bullies.
• Here's the problem inherent in that: Mark Driscoll is, at best, an unreliable narrator of his own story. 
• For a very deep dive into the Mars Hill story (and, by extension, the ministry journey of Mark Driscoll), the podcast series The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill from Christianity Today is excellent.
• I wanted certainty - the bedrock assurance that I was doing the right thing and that my position as a pastor/church leader put me on the side of rightness and goodness. In exchange, I was willing to gloss over elements of Mark's message that were disturbing or problematic.
• I also wanted desperately to be able to do magic (grow a church, see people cross the line of faith, etc.)... ignoring that no single pastor has ever grown a healthy congregation. It takes not just personal confidence but the confidence of a group of believers in the presence and power of Christ. It requires flexibility to react to the moment rather than simply putting a plan in motion and running the bus over anyone who won't get onboard. And it's a marathon, not a sprint - a "long obedience in the same direction".
• Interesting aside: I first came upon long obedience in the same direction as a title of a Eugene Peterson book on the Psalms... but Peterson borrowed the quote from Friedrich Nietzsche.

And Then I Woke Up

I don't specifically remember what caused me to push Mark's books aside - it was probably the plagiarism scandal. Any residual goodwill was crushed by the choices that followed the death of Mars Hill Church. 

I'm not really sure how to end this wandering post. I've tried three or four different ways to approach it and all of them end with too much finger-pointing at broken people and too little self-examination on my own part. In the case of Mark Driscoll, that seems really easy for me to do. 

For me, the important thing wasn't to stop listening to Mark Driscoll - though that certainly wasn't a bad idea. The key was to start listening to what was bubbling out of my heart & mind that would cause me to ignore and/or excuse unhealthy and unChristlike teaching because it "felt good". 

And that's bigger than getting rid of books by "the cussing pastor".

This is the ninth post in a series... if you'd like to read the first eight, here they are:

#1: Reconstructing My Faith: Rocks, Dross, and Almonds

#2: Reconstructing My Faith: Syndrome, Mars, and the "F" Word

#3: Reconstructing My Faith: Cheaters, Ice, and Déjà vu

#4: Reconstructing My Faith: Flywheels, Smokescreens, and The Medicine

#5: Reconstructing My Faith: John Wayne, Straight Lines, and the Benefits of Being a Nerd

#6: Reconstructing My Faith: Pedigrees, Car Crashes, and Saying Goodbye

#7: Reconstructing My Faith: Worst. Church. Service. Ever.
#8: Reconstructing My Faith: A Question, The Rapture, And Dreaming of Escape

#77: Res Arcana (Mark's Top 100 - 2026)

Res Arcana

BoardGameGeek 

• rank: 180
• rating: 7.6
• published: 2019 
• designer: Tom Lehmann

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• You'd think that a game with an eight card individual player deck would feel claustrophobic - instead, it's the entry point to a brilliant Tom Lehmann design that challenges each player to build a victory point engine while defending themselves against the direct and indirect challenges of the other players.

Tips & Tricks:

• Proper assessment of your deck at the beginning of the game is vital.
• Like many of Tom's designs, the speed curve is slow for the first couple of turns and then accelerates rapidly toward the end of the game. 
• You can win without taking a Place of Power - but it's not easy to do.
• You don't have to "crank" every card in your tableau - sometimes it's smarter to pass and grab the magic item you need.

Extras

• The first expansion - Lux et Tennebrae - adds some nice variety to the system and a couple of new mechanics that don't overwhelm game play. (Note: my son noted that there's a lot more Tennebrae and not very much Lux in the expansion.)
• The second expansion - Perlae Imperii - throws more new curves into the system - but again without overwhelming the incredibly solid base game.
• Res Arcana Duo is a two player version of the game... but I just put all of the content into my box to give the system even more variety.
• The production of Res Arcana is gorgeous - and the box is appropriately sized for the components - including all three expansions!
• This is the second of seven(!) Tom Lehmann game designs on my list. 

Ruminations on Game Themes & Christianity

• I've been asked about my comfort level with the darker/sorcery-based elements of the theme of Res Arcana as a follower of Christ. This isn't the first time (nor will it be the last time) that this kind of question is raised.
• Rather than reinvent the wheel, here are some things I've written at different times over the years on this very subject.
• I was asked in an interview if a game's theme can go "too far". Here are my thoughts:
• Everybody has a belief system of some sort, which includes ethical & moral considerations.
• If a game (or a movie or a book or whatever) violates those beliefs, you should not - if you want to stay true to your belief system - partake of it.
• Just because something does not fit your ethical or moral schema does not mean it should be outlawed for everyone else.
• Therefore, people are going to play games I think are morally reprehensible... I am under no obligation to play them nor are they under any obligation to avoid them because of my beliefs.
• In a different interview, I was asked "Do you think that there are games that are actually a detriment to play? Just how important is philosophy in a game?" My (very long) response follows.
• The first time I remember struggling with this is back in the golden days of D&D... yes, children, back when we oldsters had to walk uphill 5 miles in the snow both ways to the game store to buy The Village of Hommlet module, and then wait forEVER for the The Temple of Elemental Evil to come out. (Still bitter about that one, TSR.)
• I grew up in church, and there was a substantial section of folks in the evangelical subculture who felt that D&D was evil and/or dangerous. While their opinions didn't stop me from playing, I did choose to run my 3 year campaign (I was the DM) as a "one God" universe... and didn't allow players to have full-out evil characters. My strong feeling at the time was that I wanted a world that I liked... a world that reflected my values. So, characters got "punished" when they were cruel or rude or unwise – and "rewarded" for altruistic behavior.
• I continue to struggle with this: it's easy for me to pick out games that offend me (the aforementioned Hellrail and Lunch Money), but you're actually touching on a bigger question. For years, my response to someone trashing fantasy/magic-based games has been, well, kind of lame. It's consisted of pointing out the logical flaw in the argument: if the objection to playing D&D/Talisman/Magic: the Gathering/etc. is based on the fact that these games encourage anti-Biblical behavior, you've got a problem if you play Monopoly, which clearly "teaches" players to run each other into the ground. Like I said, it's not the world's best argument (negative arguments seldom are), but it's served me well over the years.
• But the real question is: what ARE games "teaching" us? When we play Family Business, are we really learning how to "rub out" the competition, Mafia-style? When we engage in the free-wheeling backstabbing of Intrige, will that transfer over to the rest of our lives?
• The answer is: it depends. Over time, I've come to believe that someone with a strong belief system can engage cultural items (movies, music, games, tv shows, magazines, etc.) with thoughtful discernment. They can think through the implications of the work/items they're interacting with and discard those assumptions/philosophies that are harmful. To continue my gaming example, I can play Family Business without choosing to actually shoot someone... or, more to the point, without taking that "every man for himself/king of the mountain" philosophy back into my work or family life. Or, frankly, even into the next game.
• What concerns me is that there are lots of folks who lack:
• a. strong belief systems (note: I didn't say Christianity... while I believe that a relationship with Jesus is the best way to live & the only way to die, what I'm talking about here does not require a belief in a Higher Power)
• b. discernment skills - For them, it's a crapshoot as to how they'll deal with any kind of cultural input. In the same vein, kids don't have these kind of necessary filters in place.
• So, I think games (and commercials & movies & newspapers, yadda yadda yadda) have the ability to "teach" us both good & bad behavior choices and systems, if we let them do so without thinking about them. It depends upon our willingness to stay engaged rather than let our brains & hearts pickle in philosophies & ideas unconsidered. (And, since kids have less ability to do that, helping them choose wisely about the games they play - and teaching them those discernment skills.) The line gets fuzzier when you go from playing games which encourage questionable actions (whether it's the bluffing/lying of Liar's Dice or the cutthroat nature of Diplomacy) to games with questionable themes. Can immersing yourself in a particular theme be a problem?
• Again, the answer is a squishy "it depends." A non-gaming example: because of my personal beliefs & struggles, I am VERY careful about the films & television shows I watch. A long addiction to viewing pornography (finally broken with God's help) means that I choose not to see films that feature sexually charged scenes and/or nudity... I don't want to start the cycle again. (It's similar to recovering alcoholics choosing not to hang out in bars.) It may seem "prudish" to you, but it's a healthy & wise choice for me.
• The same is true in gaming terms. While I never experienced any kind of attraction to occultic practice while playing D&D, I can see where someone who had struggled with this would find D&D (and fantasy fiction & the like) something to avoid.
• I'm not sure this is a complete answer - I find myself comfortable & yet uncomfortable with some of the games I play and/or own. While they don't bother me, I'm sure they would be a problem for other people, and so I'm still dealing with the implications of those feelings.

Top 100 Songs: #50-#41

My musings are getting longer as we get into the top 50...

• #50: Graceland (Paul Simon - 1986)
• I've actually written an entire deeply theological post based on this song… which I fully admit is not what Paul Simon intended when he wrote and recorded it.
• #49: If the House Burns Down Tonight (Switchfoot - 2016)
• A great rocker of a song - with a lyric about what really matters.
• "And all those lies that mattered most to me / Were draining me dry making a ghost of me / And if the house burns down tonight / I got everything I need, everything I need / There’s a fire coming that we all will go through / You possess your possessions or they possess you / And if the house burns down tonight / I got everything I need when I got you by my side / And let the rest burn"
• #48: Hard to Get (Rich Mullins - 1998)
• I have always appreciated Rich's honesty and faith, his humor mixed with seriousness. This is the guy who walked into the Christian bookstore I worked at looking for Frederick Buechner books... and then told me that he "punished" bad audiences by refusing to play my favorite song of his, "Elijah".
• The week before he died in a car accident (in September of 1997), Rich Mullins sat down in an abandoned church with a cassette recorder to make a demo of the nine songs that would eventually become The Jesus Record. "Hard to Get" is a plaintive psalm both questioning God and leaning on faith in Him.
• "What I really need to know / Is if You who live in eternity / Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time / We can't see what's ahead / And we cannot get free from what we've left behind..."
• There are two versions of this song:
• the Rick Elias & the Ragamuffins cover recorded after Rich's death...
• And the demo version recorded by Rich... which I can't listen to without weeping like a baby...
• #47: I Will Be Here (Steven Curtis Chapman - 1989)
• Shari & I got married in 1990… and we had this very new song sung at our wedding. It was the first time we'd heard it used as part of a ceremony - it would not be the last. It still does an amazing job of saying what we feel and believe about our relationship.
• #46: Wasted Time (The Eagles - 1977)
• Probably my favorite Eagles song… possibly because it sounds like it could easily be on one of Don Henley's solo albums.
• #45: This Is The Way Love Is (The 77s - 1990)
• This should have been a hit single - of course, seeing as it centers around a weird metaphor for the love of God, maybe that was unlikely. But, man, what a song.
• #44: You Don't Belong Here (Tonio K - 1986)
• There are four songs from a single album on this list - this moody rocker has the best 2nd verse lyrics ever.
• "She said / It's like walking through fire / It's like shedding your skin / You throw your clothes out the window / You face the person within / It's like dying in public / It's like learning to fly / Leaving the world behind you / It's like being born twice"
• #43: I Will Not Go Quietly (Don Henley - 1989)
• This is "speak the truth even if your voice shakes" in pure late 80s rock form. It's been an anthem for me at different points in my life.
• #42: Is He Worthy? (Andrew Peterson - 2018)
• Andrew Peterson has recorded three thematic albums around the death & resurection of Christ - this worship song from "Resurrection Letters, Vol. 1" brings me to tears every time I sing it in church or hear it playing…
• #41: MT (The 77s - 1990)
• "More Than" (MT) is the opening salvo of The 77s "Sticks & Stones" album - they've recorded the song since then but I like this version the best.

Accurately Handling the Word of Truth (Part V)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.[a] Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts,

and turn and be healed.”

Isaiah 6:8-10 (NIV) 

There’s a Bible verse I think about sometimes. Many times. It goes, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me.’”

U.S. Homeland Security "hype" video posted on X (transcript source)

-----

I started this series of posts back in 2020 - calling out a variety of politicians on both sides of the divide for their misuse of Scripture to justify policies and positions:

• then-Vice President Pence (August 2020)
• then-President Biden (August 2021)
• Governor DeSantis (September 2022)
• then-candidate Trump (April 2024)

I get it. I understand rhetorical flourish and echoing classic passages of literature to evoke emotion.

But we as followers of Christ are called to "be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, NASB). What DHS (the department of Homeland Security) did yesterday is not accurately handling Scripture.

Zach Lambert (a pastor and author) summed up my feelings brilliantly last night in a X (Twitter) thread:

Using Bible verses to justify violence against immigrants is not only the opposite of what Jesus teaches, it’s also a direct contradiction to the passage cited in this video.

“Here am I, send me” was the prophet Isaiah’s response after being called by God to deliver a message to the people and their leaders. What was the message?

“Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows.” Isaiah 1:23

What were these corrupt and rebellious leaders doing?

“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?” Isaiah 10:1-3

God is sending Isaiah to warn the people, and more specifically their leaders, that if they do not turn from their corrupt ways and begin caring for the most vulnerable among them, they will suffer God’s judgment. Isaiah answers that call by saying, “Here am I, send me.”

For a corrupt government to use these verses to justify the very marginalization and oppression being condemned in this passage is the height of blasphemy.

-----

I wanted to come up with something wise and convicting to close this post with... I wanted to turn on my "pastor mojo" and finish with marching orders to my fellow followers of Christ.

But I'm tired. So tired of watching Biblical truth being used as a prop... by both political parties.

So, I once again leave you with this.

Pray always. Pray in the Spirit. Pray about everything in every way you know how! And keeping all this in mind, pray on behalf of God’s people. Keep on praying feverishly, and be on the lookout until evil has been stayed.

Ephesians 6:18 (VOICE)

Finite Disappointment and Infinite Hope

I'm not the first to notice the jarring juxtaposition of celebrating the life & work of Martin Luther King Jr. on the same day as the inauguration of Donald Trump. I've written extensively about my concerns & fears about Mr. Trump's fitness for public office and his "moneychangers in the Temple" attitude toward the Christian faith. 

Let me share some thoughts on this day and what it means to those of us who claim a faith in Jesus Christ.

• "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." (MLK Jr)
• It may be difficult to hear those words over the noise of inauguration news coverage, but there is justice. It just may not be on my timeline - or in my lifetime. 
• "When the righteous are in authority and become great, the people rejoice; But when the wicked man rules, the people groan and sigh." (Proverbs 29:2 AMP)
• "Again, my loved ones, do not seek revenge; instead, allow God’s wrath to make sure justice is served. Turn it over to Him. For the Scriptures say, “Revenge is Mine. I will settle all scores.” (Romans 12:19 VOICE)
• You are not the first person of faith to cry out to God and wonder why injustice prevails...
• "How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen or cry out to You about violence and You do not save? Why do You force me to look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates. This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted." (Habakkuk 1:2-4 HCSB)
• I found myself drawn to the book of Habakkuk this weekend - which is not unusual throughout my life. His struggles with evil and injustice - and how God chooses to deal with those things in real time - echo the battle in my own heart & mind.
• In 2020, I wrote the following words which ring true this morning: "The fact that I can't see how God is working in the world does not mean God has stopped working in our lives."
• Praying for our political leadership is not simply "God bless 'em" - there is Biblical precedent for accountability and justice.
• "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live." (1 Timothy 2:1-3 MSG)
• "What sorrow awaits the unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws. They deprive the poor of justice and deny the rights of the needy among my people." (Isaiah 10:1-2 NLT)
• "Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows." (Isaiah 1:17 NLT)
• Whether you are mourning or celebrating today, your obligation as a follower of Christ is to do justice... to live out the path set before us in Scripture.
• "...people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8 NLT)

I'll let Martin have the final word today...

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

Unpacking

Over the past couple of months, I've written a number of posts about the multitude of reasons I believe that President-elect Trump is a spectacularly bad choice to lead the United States for the next four years. The fact that he was elected last week does not lessen my concerns.

What follows is a hodge-podge of thoughts and quotes... a virtual download of my fears and frustrations. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this victory for a convicted felon... and, when I'm honest with myself, attempting to trust God with it as well.

Moreover, it's not as simple as "love God, hate Trump" or "it's the end of the world as we know it" - so much depends on how we choose to live and act. Heck, so much depends on how I choose to live and act.

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Hoping I'm Wrong... And Right

As you'll see as you work your way through the rest of this blog post, I take seriously the words that Mr. Trump has spoken over the course of the last four years. In many cases, the promises he's made have immense potential to cause financial havoc, ballooning national debt, trade wars with both enemy & allied nations, and warp the American sense of justice and law enforcement for generations to come. 

So, I hope I'm wrong about any number of these things. I pray that the President-elect will back away from and/or forget many of the proposals he has floated.

At the same time, I'm really struggling with the desire for Mr. Trump to follow through on some of these things and for those who voted for him to see the downstream impacts of their decision. I'm striving against that instinct - it makes me feel petty and mean and vindictive. But I also know that the most effective teacher is often natural consequences.

The really cynical part of me is resigned to the reality that Mr. Trump is a past master at finding someone (besides himself) to blame for pretty much everything that goes wrong... and that the tendency of those who've supported the President-elect to let him off the hook.

There are two kinds of Trump voters. Those who voted for Trump BECAUSE of what he said he would do, and those who voted for Trump DESPITE what he said he would do.

For example, Trump said he would lock up his political opponents like Liz Cheney. The BECAUSE voters genuinely hope he will imprison Cheney. The DESPITE voters thought it was all bluster and Cheney is not at risk.

The BECAUSE/DESPITE split applies to many other issues. In 2025, I expect one of these groups will be very disappointed.

When engaging with a Trump voter, it's helpful to discern which type you're talking to. Most in my circle are DESPITE voters. I suspect that's the case nationally as well. God help us if I'm wrong about that.

Skye Jethani

A Not Exhaustive List of Stuff That is Likely To Happen

• Donald Trump will never be held responsible by a court of law for the attempt to overthrow the 2020 election (including January 6, 2021) or the refusal to return classified documents (including hiding them and lying about them).
• The majority of those in jail for federal offenses related to the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol will have their sentences commuted or be pardoned for their crimes. 
• Working with the likely majorities in both House & Senate, the tax cuts from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will be extended. 
• This will result in increasing the federal debt load.
• While the wildest numbers that Mr. Trump floated seem unlikely, he is primed to lean into increasing tariffs against China as well as any country who does not build production facilities in the U.S. 
• I wrote extensively about Mr. Trump's inability to understand and/or explain how tariffs work - and the potential fallout of these kind of decisions.
• Some attempt will be made to begin mass deportation/"remigration" of illegal immigrants.
• The combination of tariff/trade war behaviors and increased efforts to deport large numbers of individuals will have an negative economic impact - including the raising of prices on food and construction.
• Both pro-life and pro-choice folks will be frustrated by the lack of federal action on the issue of abortion.
• If RFK Jr is given a health care role with power in the Trump administration, there will be serious damage to the FDA and CDC. The biggest question will be how vast the negative effect of his leadership on vaccination and the subsequent health crises (measles, polio, etc.) from the loss of herd immunity, esp. among school age children.
• At some point during the Trump administration, the President will attempt to pressure Ukraine into negotiating a deal for peace with Russia that gives Russia pretty much everything it wants. Ukraine will refuse that deal, even if it means a complete loss of U.S. financial and weapons support.
• This is based on the proposed deal floated by Mr. Vance, suggesting that Russia would keep all of the territory it has gained from the unprovoked attack as well as receive a promise that Ukraine would not join NATO. This offers literally no security to Ukraine and will be rejected outright.
• The Trump administration will vacillate between loud support for Israel in its battles with Hamas & Hezbollah and peace-making attempts in order to placate Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern nations with whom the President-elect and his family are attempting to do business.
• China will continue to increase pressure on Taiwan - and that situation will grow increasingly difficult if/when the Trump administration acquiesces to Russia regarding Ukraine.
• Mr. Trump will continue to denigrate those who oppose him in wildly inappropriate ways - and evangelicals in particular will continue to excuse these behaviors by likening him to Old Testament biblical leaders like David, Cyrus, or Jehu.
• The Trump administration will slow roll or outright deny aid/assistance to those states whose governors and/or legislatures do not support his agenda.
• The President-elect will test the boundaries of the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision.

A plea to everyone who supports Trump.

He won.

• If he tries to say he can run for a 3rd term, please stand up and say no.
• If he attacks Americans with the military because they’re “the enemy from within”, please stand up and say no.
• If he lets RFK discourage vaccines that have eradicated diseases like polio, please stand up and say no.
• If he tries to hurt journalists, please stand up and say no.
• If he tries to seize control of the media, please stand up and say no.
• If he tries to jail his political enemies, please stand up and say no.

We’ve debated if he would do those things, you’ve been certain he wouldn’t. If you’re proven wrong, your fellow Americans need you to care about their wellbeing more than winning.

Taylor Dartt

Vox populi, vox Dei?!

In Latin, it means "The voice of the people is the voice of God" - and though that sounds pretty darn pro-democracy, it was actually first used negatively by Alcuin of York in a letter to Emperor Charlemagne in 800 A.D.:

“And those people should not be listened to who keep saying the voice of the people is the voice of God, since the riotousness of the crowd is always close to insanity.”

In our current political situation, it's the tendency to defer to "the wisdom of crowds" - or to ascribe deep political meaning to the number of people you can turn out for a political rally.

Here's the deal: the voice of the people can be wrong. Richard Nixon was elected in a landslide in 1972 (60.7% of the popular vote, 520 electoral votes out of 538)... and yet resigned as president less than two years later to avoid being impeached.

I am not suggesting that the results of the 2024 election are incorrect - Donald Trump was elected president. What I am suggesting is that I can both assert the fairness of our election system and question the wisdom of choosing such a flawed candidate to lead our country.

Even in a well-established and long-functioning democracy, even in the exceptional United States of America, even in the enlightened 21st century, the majority can be wrong.

This shouldn’t be a controversial or startling statement. It’s self-evidently true...

In a democracy, the people rule. Which is good! And the majority decides. Which is right! But we don’t therefore surrender to the majority our right, our duty, to make our own judgments about the wisdom of their decisions...

We need to be able to say that it was foolish and short-sighted, and maybe worse, to judge that Joe Biden’s economy was so terrible that Donald Trump’s bigotry and demagoguery counted for nothing. We need to be able to say it was wrong to embrace change if change means the deportation of millions of residents living here peacefully, or abandoning tens of millions of Ukrainians fighting for the survival of their nation and their liberty...

...it is worth being reminded that respecting the decision of the people doesn’t mean surrendering one’s judgment to them.

William Kristol

Stop Bashing Democracy

In all of this, I find Jonah Goldberg's take on the demonization of the other side to be both thought-provoking and convicting:

I completely understand why some folks are so upset about Donald Trump winning. But that’s really no reason to trash-talk democracy, America, or the Americans who democratically voted for Trump. I am not backsliding or changing course here; I still think Trump is unfit for office. That doesn’t mean, though, that everyone who voted for the guy is a fascist, sexist, racist, or idiot. 

There are many reasons this kind of talk is objectionable and ill-advised, but I’m going to focus on the one that matters the most: It’s not true.  

Let’s start with the claim that everyone who voted for Trump is an idiot.

Did some idiots vote for Trump? Of course. But I guarantee you that Harris got her share of the idiot vote, too. Idiots are pretty well distributed across the political spectrum. And you know what? So are smart people. Lots of smart people voted for Trump. And lots of smart people voted for Harris. I find the tendency of people—smart and dumb ones alike—to think that “smart” and “right” and “dumb” and “wrong” are interchangeable terms to be one of the most exhausting analytical errors out there. 

In fact, it’s almost as exhausting as thinking that “wrong” is synonymous with “fascist” or “bigot.” Fascism and bigotry are wrong, but not all wrong people are fascists and bigots. Are some Trump voters fascists and bigots? Yeah, sure. But I don’t think he cornered that market either.  

More importantly, for every voter who wants Trump to be a “fascist”—or racist, or authoritarian, etc. the labels here really don’t matter—there are probably dozens, or hundreds, or, most likely, tens of thousands of Trump voters who think it’s unfair to call him an authoritarian, never mind a fascist. Why? Because they don’t think he is one and don’t want him to be one. Those people might be wrong (I have opinions!), but that doesn’t mean they’re idiots or fascists themselves. It just means they’re wrong. And convincing them they’re wrong doesn’t get easier by calling them idiots and fascists. 

There are people who voted for Trump believing that he was lying about some things just to get elected. There are other people who voted for him believing that he was telling the truth about that stuff but definitely lying about other stuff. Now that he’ll be president, we’ll find out which things were lies and which weren’t. If he pardons all of the January 6 rioters, some people who voted for him will be very happy, others will be disgusted, and many others will fall somewhere in between. If he puts RFK Jr. in charge of health care, some will be horrified, some will be happy, and others just won’t care—at least not until their kids start getting measles. We’ll just have to wait and see.  

But treating fellow Americans like they are “enemies within” is wrong and destructive when Donald Trump does it. And it’s wrong and destructive when his enemies do it. Wait for the facts. Have arguments over the facts. That’s what politics and democracy are for, no matter who wins an election. And if you win the argument, you’ll win the next election.  

Jonah Goldberg

God Is In Control (And Other Things That Aren't Very Comforting)

Finally, a theological musing.

I understand that many of my fellow followers of Christ who voted for Mr. Trump intend their words to be a consolation - or at least a statement of theological truth. For some, they are a barely concealed "get over it already", wrapped in pious theological language.

The effect, regardless of intent, is to dismiss the feelings of frustration, anger, and sadness of those of us who've opposed the return to the presidency of Mr. Trump. I'll point out that the Bible is filled with laments... and even an entire section entitled the "Book of Lamentations". 

Equally tone deaf are the attempts to police reactions to this loss - making fun of folks (both famous and obscure) for the way they are processing their grief in public. This is not the way of Christ - this is not the fruit of the Spirit ("love, joy, peace, patience, kindheartedness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" - Galatians 522-23).

I'll close with a thoughtful take on this from pastor Jeb Barr:

“GOD IS ON HIS THRONE”

I’ve seen many people post to this the last couple of days.

“God is on His throne” is a true statement, but it is an incomplete theology.

“God is on His throne” does not mean all is ok or that His perfect will is being accomplished.

God is on His throne during every evil even in human history.

God is on His throne, and genocide still happened.

God is on His throne, and clergy sex abuse still occurred and was covered up by His followers.

God is on His throne, and Hitler still sent millions to gas chambers after rising to power with the support of most German Christians.

God is on His throne, and still millions of Africans were kidnapped and brought to the Americas as slaves, and many Christians used Scripture to justify and defend the practice.

God is on His throne, and our nation still tore itself apart as North fought South, both sides believing God was on their side.

God is on His throne, and in His sovereignty He allows evil, sin and suffering to take place, and He rarely stops us from hurting one another.

God is on His throne, and one day He will return to see all things right and enact perfect justice, but today is not that day.

“God is on His throne” too easily becomes the platitude of the privileged who believe they will benefit from the current circumstances. All is ok because they are ok.

“God is on His throne” can quickly become an abdication of our responsibility to be His stewards over creation and His hands and feet to the hurting.

God is on His throne, and He’s commanded us to hear the cries of the poor, to advocate the cause of the oppressed, to welcome the stranger, to visit the prisoner, and to feed the hungry.

God is on His throne, but are we carrying out the commands and the priorities of the King?

Jeb Barr

How To Get Tossed Out of a Gaming Group - Actually a Post About Politics (Classic)

This post was originally written for Election Day in 2008... and I present it again with some edits because it still applies. 

I know that some of you have been thinking, "Hey, I get to game on a regular basis with folks who put up with my foibles & quirks... I wonder if there's a good way to make sure they hate my guts & either boot my rear end out of the group and/or change meeting places & times so that I can never find them again?"  

Well, I'm planning to answer the question for you. In fact, I'm so concerned that you not overly tax your mental faculties (seeing as how many of you spent last night watching pundits & posers pontificate & predict - hopefully with less alliteration than I'm using), I've broken the way to get tossed into bullet points: 

• When you win a game, gloat.
• When you lose a game, whine & accuse the other player of cheating.

That's it. A steady diet of this behavior will have you on the outs in no time - and if they choose not to kick you out, they'll secretly detest your presence. Trust me on this one.

So, how did this pithy bit of wisdom end up here? Come on, if you're reading this blog, you have enough sense to come in out of the rain & enough smarts to figure out a metaphor when it bites you on the hind end.

Yesterday, a number of candidates & propositions won or lost. Some of you have been victorious in a battles you've fought with your keyboards & your hearts... others of you know the stale taste of defeat - and you've fought just as hard as those who win.

Regardless (or is that "irregardless"?), you have the opportunity now to respond with grace & dignity.

• If your side/candidate wins, don't gloat.
• If your side/candidate loses, don't whine. Don't accuse others of cheating without real & obvious cause... using an actual standard of proof, not "the guy on TikTok said it" or "somebody posted this on Facebook."

I want to speak specifically to those who declare themselves as followers of Christ. We have a huge responsibility tonight - if we're gonna call ourselves "biblical Christians", then we better live like it when it comes to election results.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6, NIV)

if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. (1 Peter 3:15-16, NLT)

The most important thing today is not the election of a particular candidate - no one person will usher in the Kingdom of God. (Well, one will, but He's not running this year.) Nor is it the passing of a proposition - law can compel moral behavior but it has no power over the heart. It is far more important that the world around us see followers of Jesus living in the grace & power of Jesus Christ.

Note: I am preaching this sermon to myself most of all.

Why Not?: When I Grow Up, I Want to Be...

This is the ninth in a series of posts on the reasons I will not be voting to return the former president to the White House. My focus here is not to support his opponent but instead to explain why I believe that Donald Trump is manifestly unqualified for the role.

...well, for me, the first job I remember wanting was as a construction worker. That is, until I watched my uncles rebuilding a barn destroyed by a tornado, walking the beam 2-3 stories in the air as if it was no big deal. (I have mild acrophobia - it's a big deal for me.)

Then I wanted to be a lawyer - probably because I'd read a whole bunch of Perry Mason novels from the used bookstore. That dream lasted a couple of years until I realized that (a) lots of lawyers don't do criminal law, and (b) if you're a defense attorney, not all of your clients are innocent. 

For most of junior high & high school, I planned to be an actor - in fact, that even lived on for a semester or so of college before I realized that a B.A. in Theater would doom me to life inside the theater building with almost no escape. Instead, I majored in English literature (so much more practical - ha!) and participated in & ran Baptist Student Union drama groups that performed at churches and campus events.

Looking back nearly forty years later, 20 year old Mark would have been stunned to see the list of jobs in his future: grill cook at McDonald's, clerk at a Christian bookstore, selling men's furnishings (underwear & ties) at Dillard's, youth pastor, church planter, customer service rep for JC Penney's phone bank, shrink-wrapping & packing Tae Bo videos, senior pastor, temporary IT guy for the TN State Legislature, and finally (for the last ten years) working for the TN Department of Education.

With that trip down memory lane done, let's take a look at what Mr. Trump aspires to be.

The Former President: "When I Grow Up, I Want to Be A Dictator"

Yes, I know how harsh that sounds. But...

“He [Sean Hannity] says, ‘You’re not going to be a dictator, are you?’ I said: ‘No, no, no, other than day one. We’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator.’”

(Donald Trump in Iowa, December 2023)

Eric Cortellessa: Do you see why so many Americans see language like that, you know, dictator for a day, suspending the Constitution—

Donald Trump: I think a lot of people like it.

(Time magazine interview, April 2024)

Now, as you can see if you follow the links, the former president plays these statements off as "sarcastic" or "said as a joke". On the other hand...

Like a madman who hurls flaming spears and shoots deadly arrows,

So is anyone who deceives a neighbor

and then says, “But I was only joking with you.”

(Proverbs 26:18-19 VOICE)

The Former President: "Sleeping on a dragon’s hoard with greedy, dragonish thoughts in his heart, he had become a dragon himself."

The quotes is from C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia (specifically, from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) and actually leads to one of the most profound scenes in the book. (I won't spoil it for you - go read the book for yourself!)

But it's the first thing that came to mind when thinking about the "to-do" list that Mr. Trump has hinted at during his campaign - dragonish thoughts lead to dragon behavior.

“Now that the ‘seal’ is broken, in addition to closing the border & removing all of the ‘criminal’ elements that have illegally invaded our country, making America energy independent & even dominant again, & immediately ending the war between Russia & Ukraine, I will appoint a real special ‘prosecutor’ to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden, the entire Biden crime family, & all others involved with the destruction of our elections, borders, & country itself!"

(Donald Trump on Truth Social, June 2023)

“The unAmerican Weaponization of our Law Enforcement has reached levels of Illegality never thought possible before... INDICT THE UNSELECT J6 COMMITTEE FOR ILLEGALLY DELETING AND DESTROYING ALL OF THEIR ‘FINDINGS!'”

(Donald Trump on Truth Social, June 2024)

"It's so easy. I would fire him within two seconds."

"No, I don't think they would impeach me if I fired Jack Smith."

(Donald Trump on Hugh Hewitt's show, October 2024)

"Jack Smith should be considered mentally deranged and he should be thrown out of the country." 

(Donald Trump in a radio interview, October 2024)

"They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-side and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its “Country Threatening Treason.” Their endless coverage of the now fully debunked SCAM known as Russia, Russia, Russia, and much else, is one big Campaign Contribution to the Radical Left Democrat Party. I say up front, openly, and proudly, that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States, they and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events. Why should NBC, or any other of the corrupt & dishonest media companies, be entitled to use the very valuable Airwaves of the USA, FREE? They are a true threat to Democracy and are, in fact, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! The Fake News Media should pay a big price for what they have done to our once great Country!"

(Donald Trump on Truth Social, September 2023)

"A giant Fake News Scam by CBS & 60 Minutes. Her REAL ANSWER WAS CRAZY, OR DUMB, so they actually REPLACED it with another answer in order to save her or, at least, make her look better. A FAKE NEWS SCAM, which is totally illegal. TAKE AWAY THE CBS LICENSE. Election Interference. She is a Moron, and the Fake News Media wants to hide that fact. An UNPRECEDENTED SCANDAL!!!"

(Donald Trump on Truth Social, October 2024)

“We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think they’re the—and it should be easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”

(Donald Trump on Fox News, October 2024)

“A massive, crooked, vicious radical left machine that runs the Democratic Party. They’re just vessels. And when I say the ‘enemy from within,’ the other side goes crazy. Becomes a soundb—‘Ohh, how can he say?’ No, they’ve done very bad things to this country. They are indeed the enemy from within.”

(Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, October 2024)

The Former President: Authoritarian Fanboy

If Tad Callister is correct and "we become like those things we habitually love and admire", then it's a good idea to take a look at the kinds of leaders that the former president praises.

Kim Jong Un (North Korea)

REPORTER: Mr. President, what surprised you the most about Kim Jong Un?

TRUMP: A great personality and very smart. Good combination. He’s a worthy negotiator, negotiating on behalf of his people. A very worthy, a very smart negotiator. We had a terrific day. We learnt a lot about each other and about our countries, so.

REPORTER: What did you learn about him?

TRUMP: I learned that he’s a very talented man. I also learned that he loves his country very much.

(press briefing following summit in Singapore, June 2018)

"I was really being tough - and so was he. And we would go back and forth. And then we fell in love, okay? No, really - he wrote me beautiful letters, and they're great letters."

(Donald Trump at West Virginia rally, September 2018)

“He’s the head of a country and I mean he is the strong head. Don’t let anyone think anything different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.”

(Donald Trump on Fox, June 2018)

"I think he misses me, if you want to know the truth."

(Donald Trump at the Republican Convention, July 2024)

Other Republicans have a clearer view of the North Korean dictator.

“Kim Jong Un is a thug and a tyrant, and he has tested ballistic missiles against our allies. He’s threatened us. There’s nothing to congratulate him about. I mean, he’s been terrible to his people. He’s been terrible to America, and we need to stop being nice to countries that hate America.” (Nikki Haley)

“Whether it's my former running mate or anyone else, nobody should be praising the dictator in North Korea or praising the leader in Russia, who has launched an unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine. This is a time when we ought to make it clear to the world that we stand for freedom and we stand with those who stand for freedom.” (Mike Pence)

"Kim Jong-Un, the tyrant dictator in North Korea should not be praised by Donald Trump for a leadership role in the World Health Organization. We sanction leaders who oppress their people. We do not elevate them on the world stage.” (Asa Hutchinson)

(NBC News, June 2023)

As of this past week, North Korea is sending approximately 10,000 troops to Russia to assist in the invasion of Ukraine. And, evidently, Kim Jong Un is missing the former president.

Xi Jinping (China)

“Think of President Xi: central casting, a brilliant guy. You know, when I say he’s brilliant, everyone says, ‘Oh that’s terrible.' Well, he runs 1.4 billion people with an iron fist. Smart, brilliant, everything perfect. There’s nobody in Hollywood like this guy.”

(Donald Trump on Fox News town hall, July 2023)

"Our relationship with China has now probably never, ever been better...He's for China, I'm for the U.S., but other than that, we love each other."

(Donald Trump at Davos, January 2020)

"You have a lot of misinformation spread about China, and you have a lot of misinformation spread about a lot of different places. I think I'm going to get along great with China. President Xi of China and I are very good friends, we met right here, right there. [referring to where reporters are sitting] We had a beautiful sofa there. As opposed to what we have right now. Right now we have you."

(Donald Trump at press conference, August 2024)

“He’s now president for life. President for life. No, he’s great. And look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot some day.”

(Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago, speech to donors, March 2018)

TRUMP: “They hate when I say, you know, when the press — when I called President Xi, [the press] said, ‘Well, he called President Xi brilliant.’ Well, he’s a brilliant guy. He controls 1.4 billion people with an iron fist. I mean, he’s a brilliant guy, whether you like it or not. And they go crazy.”

JOE ROGAN: “Right, it doesn’t mean he’s not evil, or it doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous."

TRUMP: “Yeah, of course not. But, actually, we have evil people in our country.”

(Donald Trump on Joe Rogan's podcast, October 2024)

Reminder: the former president was very positive about how well President Xi was dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak... until he wasn't. 

Vladimir Putin (Russia)

“The smartest one gets to the top. That didn’t work so well recently in our country. But they ask me, ‘Is Putin smart?’ Yes, Putin was smart. And I actually thought he was going to be negotiating. I said, ‘That’s a hell of a way to negotiate, put 200,000 soldiers on the border.’”

(Donald Trump at campaign rally in Georgia, March 2022)

BUCK: Mr. President, in the last 24 hours we know Russia has said that they are recognizing two breakaway regions of Ukraine, and now this White House is stating that this is an “invasion.” That’s a strong word. What went wrong here? What has the current occupant of the Oval Office done that he could have done differently?

TRUMP: "Well, what went wrong was a rigged election and what went wrong is a candidate that shouldn’t be there and a man that has no concept of what he’s doing. I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, “This is genius.” Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine. Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful. So, Putin is now saying, “It’s independent,” a large section of Ukraine. I said, “How smart is that?” And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s strongest peace force… We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re gonna keep peace all right. No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy… I know him very well. Very, very well."

(Donald Trump on Clay & Buck radio interview, February 2022)

"Have they found him guilty? I don't think they've found him guilty. If he did it, fine. But I don’t know that he did it. You know, people are saying they think it was him, it might have been him, it could have been him. But Maria, in all fairness to Putin—I don’t know. You know, and I’m not saying this because he says, ‘Trump is brilliant and leading everybody’ —the fact is that, you know, he hasn’t been convicted of anything.”

(Donald Trump in interview about murder of Alexander Litvinenko on Fox Business, January 2016)

For a more extensive series of clips, you can watch this video collection from CNN in 2020. (The text version is linked here.)

Two Final Words

"He certainly prefers the dictator approach to government. Certainly the former president is in the far-right area, he's certainly an authoritarian, admires people who are dictators - he has said that. So he certainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure."

(General John Kelly, retired U.S. Marine Corps general and Trump's White House chief of staff from 2017-2019)

Show me a righteous ruler and I will show you a happy people. Show me a wicked ruler and I will show you a miserable people.

(Proverbs 29:2 GNT)

Important reminder: I am not attempting to defend the Biden administration or the Harris candidacy. I am simply pointing out that Donald Trump's obsession with dictators does not deserve and will not receive my support.

The first post in this series focuses on tariff policy - at this point, Mr. Trump's belief that tariffs are a "magic wand" that can cure all sorts of problems - child care, grocery prices, bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., etc. They're not.

The second post in this series focuses on immigration policy - the dehumanizing language, the abject lies, and the unbelievably foolish promises of mass deportation.

The third post in this series focuses on Mr. Trump's narcissism and potential cognitive decline.

The fourth post in this series focuses on the unbelievable record of lying by Mr. Trump.

The fifth post in this series focuses on the former president's support for those who brutally attacked police officers during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The sixth post in this series focuses on the extraordinarily odd decisions on the part of so many voters to support Mr. Trump despite his obvious disdain for their opinions and needs.

The seventh post in this series focuses on the opposition of many of his former staff to his re-election as well as his possible choices for government positions of unqualified (at best) individuals. (This post was written prior to the release of more extensive reporting of John Kelly's rejection of Mr. Trump.) 

The eighth post in this series focuses on the former president's desire for harsh laws and law enforcement against others but extreme leniency for himself.