Over the weekend, Donald Trump sent out a series of tweets weighing in on the current Ebola crisis.
The U.S. cannot allow EBOLA infected people back. People that go to far away places to help out are great-but must suffer the consequences!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2014
"@BigBoie7531: To all the liberal do gooders, this is the Plague you idiots! No cure! @ You may have confidence in the CDC, but I don't!"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2014
Suffer the consequences? Liberal do gooders? This is morally outrageous. Mr. Trump would do well to educate himself on the facts concerning Ebola before opening his mouth or striking his keyboard again. Facts aside, the very idea that there should be “consequences” for doing what we all know in our hearts to be right is extremely disturbing.
While Trump’s tweets sadden me, my concern here is not ultimately with this morally bankrupt man. I just prayed while typing this that he would experience the heart transformation that only comes through the gospel of Christ.
My concern is more for Christians who may be led astray by this kind of thinking. This is the kind of Darwinian evolutionary thinking that is completely foreign to the gospel of Christ. This is the kind of thinking that says, “I must focus first and foremost on myself. If I don’t watch out for myself, no one else will.”
The gospel of Christ says…
Matthew 25:40
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
You see, the gospel of Christ is not just something you believe in once and then move on with your life. No, the gospel of Christ IS the way of life. It is one of laying down our lives. It is one of counting others more significant than ourselves.
It is one of following the example of Jesus.
Philippians 2:8
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
The Christian life is difficult. Jesus never promised that it would be easy.
While our flesh calls us to watch out for ourselves, may we walk by the Spirit, and not according to the flesh. And when we fail, may we lean upon the grace and forgiveness available to us in Christ Jesus.