It was heartening to see the frozen tundra of American politics temporarily thaw when the news broke yesterday afternoon that former President Joe Biden had been diagnosed with an advanced, aggressive form of cancer.
Within minutes, partisan firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene released what appeared to be a genuine, heartfelt note of concern for Biden:
President Trump followed, as did a host of other Republican voices. It is a covert blessing amid trials and tragedies that they often help us remember our shared humanity and see one another without the bitterness and rage that defines so much of the public dialogue.
But there's unfortunately a flip side to such an observation: why does it take devastating news for us to see one another sympathetically? Assuming that MTG, Trump, and all the other right-leaning pols actually follow through on praying for Mr. Biden, the question arises: Will this be the first time they have?
Personalize that question. If we truly are praying for the former president as he battles cancer, is this the first time that we have approached God on his behalf? And if so, isn't that kind of embarrassing for us?
For Christians, of course it should be. We are commanded by the Holy Spirit to pray for those in authority over us. We are to ask God to bless our governing authorities, just as we ask Him to prompt those leaders to rule fairly and righteously.
But what if, as many would say of Joe Biden, that president doesn't rule fairly and righteously? What if that president's actions in office offend God's will, His creation, and His people? What if that president persecutes faithful Christians and makes himself an enemy to believers? What if that president isn't a good man at all and seemingly had it in for millions of our countrymen?
Thankfully, with as much as those perspectives muddle our emotions, Jesus was anything but ambiguous: "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).
Will doing so make His followers seem crazy to the world? Yes. That's exactly what He intended. His is a call to reflect God's radical love - a love so at odds with everything we see around us. It's a call to break the destructive cycle of retaliation and retribution, to set a high moral standard, and to be a witness to the world of who God is and who He transforms His people to become.
Yet too often we don't do it because we don't feel like it. It's hard to be mad at someone you're praying for, and when it comes to our political opponents, that takes away all the fun. We'd much rather castigate and condemn than love our enemies. We've gotten so good at the former that it just comes natural to us, but the latter takes years of submitting to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit just to become adequate.
But obeying God and doing things His way is always worth it. For our enemies, and for us.
So maybe this is the moment we need to remind ourselves that praying for our presidents and leaders isn't something that should only start once they are out of office and diagnosed with a dread disease.
It should start today.
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Not the Bee or any of its affiliates.
