Visualize This: What If He Asked For Forgiveness? #2024Election #ChristianNationalism #Repentance

            Some superstitious people adhere to the notion that manifestation of misfortunes or disruptive events happen in threes. Although not among that group, I am playing devil’s (or Holy Ghost’s—I mean, really—take your pick) advocate, thinking about events leading up to the 2024 US presidential election. Two significant events already occurred: 1) the July 13th assassination attempt on Donald Trump and 2) President Joe Biden withdrawing his candidacy on July 21st. I am pondering what might be a 3rd thing.

            What if Donald Trump…

            …publicly repents?

What if, at a large venue campaign event filled to near capacity, he approaches the podium with tears in his eyes, head lowered in a posture of humility—teleprompter be damned—he states that he is deeply grieved by the pain and division he has stirred up across the nation, then publicly begs our collective forgiveness as the nature of his conviction experience comes to mind, listing any or all of the following:

·      Defacing a weather map and suggesting nuking a hurricane

·      Taking credit for price caps on insulin

·      Interfering in peaceful transfer of power, staging a coup and violent insurrection attempt that resulted ultimately in the deaths of 9 people

·      Attempting to obtain more votes through coercion

·      Taking health care away from 20 million Americans and never coming through with an alternative plan promised

·      Teasing us with an infrastructure plan that never manifested

·      Insisting on the untruth that Mexico would pay for his fantasy vanity project border wall

·      Downplaying the seriousness of a global pandemic, discrediting epidemiologists, and suggesting people ingest disinfectant and other ineffective substances

·      Committing fraud resulting in 34 felony convictions

·      Mocking a reporter’s disability

·      Being a philanderer

·      Paying hush money to cover up his philandering for the sake of his electability

·      Promising to be a “dictator on day one” should he be elected again, with sole purpose of enacting vengeance on his political rivals

·      Bragging about sexual conquests as his “personal Vietnam”, and boasting about his sexual assaults

·      Cheating at golf

·      Withholding aid to Ukraine unless he was provided incriminating information about political rival/family

How do you think his supporters would respond to such a confession? Would they be deeply touched, embrace this humble expression, and feel their respect for the man grow stronger? Or would they feel betrayed, completely disoriented, and abandon him? Or even worse—would they seek to visit upon him a fate like that of Muammar Gaddafi's (ok—that’s a stretch, but the first authoritarian that comes to mind) at the hands of the most radical arm of Christian Nationalists?

            Who knows? It’s always good to see people overcome the sin that entangles them, which is the freedom the Gospel tells us about. I had to spend a little minute trying to visualize it, then hope and pray for the best—for a blessed outcome. Not that I am choosing to be delusional. I believe all things are possible, and what Romans 2:4 says, “Or do you despise the riches of kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Of all the 3rd things that could happen, this is the best one I can imagine. Let me know if you’ve got something better.