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Trump Repentance

This post is not about Donald J. Trump. I mean, it is, but it isn't. I just feel compelled to address something that I find deeply disturbing. Dr. James MacDonald touches on it here, but there is a nuance that I want to discuss from an inconvenient standpoint.

On Friday, October 7th, the world was made privy to a private conversation that Trump had with Access Hollywood host Billy Bush. I will not provide a link the the video because it is disgusting and does not need to be accessed from my blog. Suffice it to say, the statements and claims about reprehensible and illegal conduct made by Trump were truly appalling.

But he made those statements 11 years ago...

He might be a different man today. Who knows? None of us knows his true heart. Only God knows that. So is it fair to judge him by his comments from 11 years ago?

*Please note: For the purposes of this blog, I am addressing his comments in the Access Hollywood video only. I am creating an artificial vacuum to make a point.

Folx are quick to quote the Master Himself, and say that we ought not to judge others, lest we find ourselves being judged (Matthew 7:1). But as my Senior Pastor Dr. Preston Williams II would say, "We need to be fruit inspectors."

This is the fruit that we are inspecting.

Now ask yourselves, other than the use of the actual words "I apologize," does this sound like an apology? First of all, he looks and sounds as if just off-camera someone is standing with a gun pointed at him, forcing him to read the words on the teleprompter. And there there is what he doesn't say. He doesn't truly take ownership of his words. He does not seem even to understand why his words were so offensive. He does not make any specific apologies, namely to his wife, to Nancy O'Dell, to the soap opera star or to women in general. Finally, he begins to point the finger to another individual who engaged in "worse" conduct. How is that an apology?

It's not. But... I digress since Trump has never professed to be a blood-bought, Bible-believing Christian.

The sad and unfortunate thing is the attitude that Trump displayed in that hostage video is the same attitude I have seen displayed by Christians whose sin has been exposed. No real apology. Instead, they point a defiant finger at others who have done worse in their opinion and then double-down on the the "only God can judge me" position.

That is a most convenient attitude and it is NOT genuine. As difficult and inconvenient as it is, true repentance demands much more. True repentance requires taking responsibility for one's actions and this includes refraining from any attempts to minimize or deflect by pointing out the flaws of another. And true repentance means making an about face from the original position and seeking to make amends. Anything short of that is not true repentance; it's Trump repentance.


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