Which bible do you read, Reverend Meshoe?

Few people know that I studied theology. Believe it or not, I wanted to be a ‘dominee’ in the Dutch Reformed Church. The fact that women couldn’t be ordained at that stage tells you something about my belief in making the impossible possible (or perhaps just my stubbornness).

So, I studied Greek, Hebrew, Theology, Philosophy, and Psychology for three years at the University of Stellenbosch and earned a Bachelor’s degree in theology. In the interim, the synod did declare that women could be ordained, but my journey with the church had reached a dead end by then.

As my political awareness grew, I had increasingly started to argue with my lecturers when they tried to provide a theological justification for Apartheid - as they often did.  So at the end of my first degree, it was clear that I stood no chance of being ordained – not in the Dutch Reformed Church anyway. Not that it bothered me much on a personal level (I went on to get a Master’s degree in Philosophy of Religion).

However, to this day I can’t stand it when religion is (mis)used to defend injustice, intolerance, and evilness by politicians, or to serve some political master or ideology. 

So imagine how my blood boiled when I read a tweet by the honourable Reverend Kenneth Meshoe, Leader of the ACDP, last Monday: “Please pray for peaceful elections in the US tomorrow and specifically for President Donald Trump to be re-elected as the President of the United States of America.”

Forgive me, dear readers, while I have a little side conversation with Reverend Meshoe for a few paragraphs.

Reverend Meshoe, we both studied theology. Please can you show me where in the Bible do you get the justification to promote a man who has been proven to lie at least 25 000 times during his Presidency? Does your Bible not say (as mine does) that “thou shalt not lie” (Ex. 20:16)  or Proverbs 6:12-13,  “Let me describe for you a worthless and a wicked man; first, he is a constant liar”?; “Isn’t it the truth that sets you free?” (John 8:32).

Please show me where in the Bible does it give you the basis to ask for the support for a man who allowed little children to be torn from their arms of the mothers, purely because they had come to America in search of a better life. Does your Bible not also say: “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God”? (Matt 19:14)

And while you search for that, please can you also point me to a section where the Word of God would support a man who boasted that “I don't even wait…You can do anything.... Grab ‘em by the pussy. You can do anything (to women).”

Surely you also believe that we are all made in the likeness of God (Gen 1:26)? So help me to understand how you can agree with a man who regularly mocks people with disabilities?

The Bible I read talks about the responsibilities of leaders to take care of their followers, yet you pray for the support of a man who through his lack of empathy and denial of scientific evidence has permitted the deaths of almost 250 000 people in his country?

Despite Gen 1:25 (and numerous other references), you pray for a man who has denied climate change and thus encouraged the destruction of God’s creation in order to support the greed of men?

In a later tweet, you said that you pray for Trump because of his support for the “natural family”. Would this now be the same Trump who described his daughter as “a piece of ass” and said that if she wasn’t his daughter he would be dating her? 

I could still find some (limited) understanding for your position if Donald Trump was a church-going man or a believer in anything but himself, but of course he is not, unless it is for the purpose of a photo op.

So please explain to me why you would put out such a tweet, Reverend. Why would you not only deny the pain and suffering this man has caused over the last year to millions of people, but in the name of religion want this man to return to the White House for another four years?

Thankfully God in his/her infinite wisdom did not answer the Reverend’s prayers and now, there are only 70 days left of the Donald Trump presidency. I say thankfully because, as CNN commentator Van Jones said: “the world needs to be able to breathe again.”

Jones broke down and wept as he reacted to the news of Biden’s victory:

“Character matters, telling the truth matters, being a good person matters”.

“It’s easier to be a parent this morning. It’s easier to be a dad. It’s easier to tell your kids: ‘Character matters, telling the truth matters, being a good person matters.’ And it’s easier for a whole lot of people. If you’re Muslim in this country, you don’t have to worry that the president doesn’t want you here. If you’re an immigrant, you don’t have to worry if the president is happy your baby has been snatched away or send dreamers back for no reason.

This is vindication for a lot of people who really have suffered. You know the ‘I can’t breathe’ that was not just George Floyd. There were a lot of people who felt like they couldn’t breathe.

Every day you woke up to these tweets. You go into the stores and people who had been afraid to show their racism are getting nastier and nastier to you. And you worry about your kids and your sister – can she just go to Walmart and get back into her car without someone saying something (nasty) to her.

And you spend so much of your life energy just trying to hold it together. This is a big deal for us just to get some peace. For some reset. And (to remember that) the character of the country matters and being a good man matters”.

 Character matters, telling the truth matters, being a good person matters. 

Surely Reverend Meshoe, this would have been a better tweet, because that, I’m very sure, is what the Bible is all about.