The Closet Professor: November 2024

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
—1 Peter 5:8-9

First Peter 5:8-9 is a call for vigilance and spiritual resilience for followers of Christ. Peter urges believers to maintain a clear mind and stay alert. This isn’t just about avoiding distractions but being spiritually and mentally vigilant. Being “sober-minded” means exercising self-control and discernment, especially regarding spiritual matters. Peter compares the devil to a lion on the hunt, emphasizing his predatory nature. The “roaring” indicates an active threat, meant to instill fear or panic. Here, the devil represents anything that draws believers away from God — whether temptation, discouragement, or other trials. Peter encourages believers to actively resist these attacks by standing firm in their faith. This resistance comes not from human strength but from grounding oneself in faith, which provides a foundation against spiritual challenges. Finally, Peter reminds readers that they’re not alone in their struggles. This shared experience is meant to comfort and strengthen believers, reminding them of a global community that faces similar trials. However, too many people who call themselves Christians are not turning against evil and falsehoods but instead are excusing or turning a blind eye to evil and falsehoods.

Norms and civil discourse are no longer common in American politics, which reached a new low point last Sunday with a disgusting racist, sexist, and xenophobic display from former President Donald Trump, the man whom billionaires, bigots, and most Republicans covet through their acquiescence of the MAGA rhetoric and actions. The Bible urges believers to be alert, discerning, and grounded in truth, recognizing that spiritual dangers and deceptions are present in the world. John tells us in 1 John 4:1 that “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” And in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, Paul instructs, “But test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”

Anyone who is a Christian should realize that Donald Trump is not qualified to return to the Oval Office. He was not qualified to be elected in the first place. The health, happiness, and safety of all Americans are under threat in a Trump presidency. The mere fact that Trump allowed more than a million Americans to die of COVID-19 on his watch should be disqualifying enough, but for many, it hasn’t been. In fact, none of “it” has been. And there’s a lot of “it.” The blatant racism; the hatred of immigrants in a country of immigrants; the sexual assault accusations; the mocking and denigration of our military and veterans; the collapse of his COVID economy; the lies and demagoguery that led to the assault on our nation’s Capitol and the loss of life on Jan. 6, 2021; his praise of Adolf Hitler; the list seems neverending. None of these things, plus countless more, have been disqualifying for nearly half the country as the race has remained deadlocked. And they’ve been particularly not disqualifying for those poised to benefit the most from Trump’s return to power: the billionaire elites. We need to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 19:24, “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

The neglect and betrayal from the ultra-wealthy are not for ideological or emotional reasons. This has little to do with policy or lawmaking and everything to do with convenience, cowardice, and quid pro quo. They know of profits — often engineered on the backs of underpaid and under-protected labor. They know of influence — in the form of turning platforms like the social network formerly known as Twitter into megaphones for racists and unfettered hate. Matthew 7:15 warns us, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Second Peter 2:1 also warns, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.”

MAGA followers and the billionaire who enable them know nothing of ethics, specifically the belief in a “separation of church and state.” Jesus and the apostles warn that false teachers can appear harmless or even godly, but their influence can be spiritually destructive. Vigilance requires knowing Scripture well to identify teachings that do not align with it. In 2 Peter 2:1-3, Peter warns, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you… And in their greed, they will exploit you with false words.” The ultra-wealthy are not even thinking of us. Instead, their mind is on their profits, their pockets, their shareholders and their ever-inflated sense of worth. These are not the macho, stalwart champions of the people; they are little children afraid of a feebleminded racist, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic, antisemitic, fascist, deranged megalomaniac bent on “destroying” his enemies with nothing but contempt for our political process, our military, our Constitution, our diverse population and our way of life, which nearly half the country is enabling and encouraging.

It feels like the prophet Jeremiah, who often warned of the consequences of the people's unfaithfulness to God and urged repentance and faithfulness, is speaking to us today. In Jeremiah 23:16, he says, “The Lord says, ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.’” Jeremiah points out that false prophets often tell people what they want to hear, giving false hope and ignoring God’s true message. False teachers may alter core teachings of the faith to make them more appealing or misleadingly persuasive. This can create confusion, division, and lead people away from God’s truth. In Galatians 1:6-7, Paul expresses concern that some are “turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” Paul is very clear that any alteration of the gospel is dangerous and not truly from God. In 2 Timothy 4:3, Paul warns, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching… and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” False teachers often offer messages that appeal to people’s desires rather than challenging them with the truth.

Jesus taught that people could identify false prophets by their actions and the results of their teachings. True teachers of God bear good, lasting fruit, while false ones may lead to confusion, division, or sin. We can clearly see the chaos and confusion created by the actions and rhetoric of Donald Trump. In Matthew 7:16-20, Jesus says, “You will recognize them by their fruits… every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.” Jesus is encouraging discernment and emphasizing that actions and outcomes reveal a teacher’s authenticity. The Bible’s message about false prophets and teachers is clear: they are a serious threat to spiritual health, often appearing convincing but ultimately leading people away from God. Believers are encouraged to be discerning, test teachings against Scripture, and remain grounded in God’s truth. Although they may seem influential or powerful, false prophets and teachers will face God’s judgment, as He defends and preserves His truth.

I hate to sound dire about this election, but our ways of life are on the line Tuesday when we vote. Democracy isn’t dying in darkness; it’s dying in broad daylight. The same is true of Christianity. The hateful, mean-spirited, and unchristian rhetoric of Christian nationalists is not only destroying democracy but also destroying Christianity. More Americans today are non-believers than are believers. Why is that? It’s because most churches in America are teaching hate and prejudice instead of the love and acceptance preached by Christ. America has often been referred to as “A City upon a Hill.” The phrase originated in the parable of Salt and Light in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:14, he tells his listeners, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” The phrase entered the American lexicon early in its history, in the Puritan John Winthrop’s 1630 sermon “A Model of Christian Charity.”

The concept of America as a “city upon a hill” gained traction as the U.S. expanded its borders and developed a sense of national identity. The phrase became associated with the idea of American exceptionalism, the belief that the U.S. has a unique role and destiny to lead and inspire other nations. During the Cold War, the phrase became a rallying point for American leaders who wanted to emphasize the U.S. as a democratic alternative to Soviet communism. President Reagan famously invoked the phrase during his presidency, framing the U.S. as a “shining city upon a hill” in his farewell address. To Reagan, the phrase symbolized a hopeful, optimistic America — a place of liberty, opportunity, and moral clarity. His use of the phrase cemented it as a defining symbol of American values in the late 20th century.

In recent years, the description of “city upon a hill” has been used more critically by some leaders and commentators to question whether America is living up to its ideals. It has become a reminder of the country’s responsibilities and a prompt for introspection on issues like inequality, justice, and America’s role on the global stage. If the United States could have ever been described as in Jesus’s words, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden,” then the Christian right and the Trumpists are exstinguishing that light. The United States in the politics of the Trump era is not a place of liberty, opportunity, and moral clarity. If Trump is elected to a second term, liberty in the United States will die, opportunities for the average person will cease to exist, and moral clarity will continue to fade away. Half the country has forfeited moral clarity for bigotry, sexism, vengeance, xenophobia, and control. It’s not about free thought or liberty, it’s about indoctrination and oppression.

Please, if you are an American and you have not voted already, vote to save our country, not to destroy it. In 1946, the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller spoke about the silence of German intellectuals and clergy following the Nazis' rise to power and subsequent incremental purging of their chosen targets, group after group. The best-known versions of Niemöller’s confession in English are edited versions in poetic form that began circulating by the 1950s which are usually some variations of:

First, they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.

In the era of bigotry emboldened by Trump’s rhetoric, MAGA first came for the Mexicans; then they came for the drag queens; then they came for people who are transgender; then they came for our books; then they came for free speech; then they came for personal freedoms; then they came for democracy itself; and the list goes on and on. Eventually, no matter who you are, they will come for you, and who will be left to speak out for you? If Trump wins, if his supporters gain control of Congress, they will come for us. They will come for immigrants, no matter their race. They’ll come for Christians who follow the Bible and do not twist the Word of God to fit their hateful rhetoric. They’ll come for the LGBTQ+ population of America. They will come for women, our mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, etc. They will not stop until they have destroyed all they do not agree with. As my friend Casey recently said of the Donald Trump and the election, “I think Tuesday will be a dark day either way. If he loses, he's not going away. And if he wins, he's not leaving office.” By never admitting defeat, he will keep his base going, and they will always believe the election was rigged. The sad thing is, they will keep on until they rig the elections in a way to secure their victory. Republican controlled state legislatures are already gerrymandering districts and passing more and more restrictive voting laws to cement their hold on power.

We must be vigilant. We must stop the attack on our very lives. Vote BLUE and save democracy!