[ad_1]
When David Platt finished his sermon at an afternoon service at the McLean Bible Church Sunday in northern Virginia, the pastor thought he'd have a few minutes for a reflection quiet.
Instead, he was taken behind the scenes and received a message: "The President of the United States was going to the church, he would be there in a few minutes and would like us to pray for him."
Unlike other pastors who have fiercely supported President Trump, Platt, known for his nonpartisan approach to preaching, has found himself facing a difficult decision. After finally choosing to bring Trump on stage and following up on the president's request, Platt felt that he owed his congregation a long explanation of his reasoning, even going so far as to recognize "some members of our church. . . are injured that I made this decision. "
In a detailed letter posted on the website of the nondenominational church Sunday evening and sharing By Platt on social media on Monday, the pastor wrote, "My goal was in no way to approve the president, his policy or his party, but to obey God's command to pray for our president and to other leaders. .. "
The letter, which was addressed to the "Platt ecclesial family", comes at a time when the country 's evangelicals are increasingly dividing in support of a president whose personal actions and policies, some critics say, do not stand up. do not align with the fundamental beliefs of Christianity.
For those who know the story of Platt, it was unusual to see him alongside Trump on Sunday. Platt, who has been a pastor at McLean Bible Church for two years, is best known for writing the New York Times best-seller, "Radical: Resuming His Faith of the American Dream," in which he calls for materialism. According to the Christian Post, Platt also preached that churches should not promote nationalism. Before going to the Washington Region church, Platt served as chairman of the International Mission Council of the Southern Baptist Convention.
On Sunday, Trump surprised Platt, the faithful and journalists, with his untimely 15-minute stop on his way back to the White House, after spending the morning at Sterling's Trump National Golf Course.
"Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that we do not see coming and we are faced with a decision at a time when we do not have the freedom to deliberate, so we do our best to glorify God," he said. writes Platt. the letter. "Today, I found myself in one of these situations."
Platt refused to comment on this story.
The Sunday service video shows Platt reappearing in front of his congregation, followed by Trump dressed casually, who still seemed to be wearing his golf shoes. The pastor informed those present that the church had been presented with a "unique opportunity".
"We in this city have a unique opportunity to pray for the leaders who are part of this church and those who stop unexpectedly in this church," he said, drawing laughter from the church. crowd and Trump. "We consider it an honor to be able to pray for any leader in any position. No matter which leader of any party, including our current president.
White House spokeswoman Judd Deere said Sunday in a statement that Trump had gone to the church to "visit the pastor and pray for the victims and the Virginia Beach community" . On Friday, an armed man opened fire on a municipal complex in the coastal city. , killing 12 people and injuring several others.
[Remembering the victims of the Virginia Beach mass shooting]
During the approximately five minutes during which Trump was on stage in the church and in Platt's letter, there was no mention of the shooting or its victims. But before his Sunday remarks, Platt referred to Rev. Franklin Graham's recent statement that June 2 would be a "special day of prayer for President Donald J. Trump".
"Many of you may have seen the call launched, especially this Sunday, to pray for our president," Platt said. "We do not want to do this just this Sunday, we want to do it continuously, day after day."
Platt then went to a smiling Trump and put a hand on the president's back.
"I want to ask us to bow down now and pray for our president," he said.
For the next few minutes, Platt spoke a long prayer in which he asked God to grant mercy, mercy, and wisdom to Trump. Platt also included prayers for other national and state leaders, including those of Congress and the courts.
When Platt finished speaking, the participants began to applaud. Trump did not comment, but shook hands with Platt and said, "Thank you. . . I really like it a lot. As the president stepped out of the scene, he stopped several times to greet the crowd and thank her as well.
Platt wrote in his statement that when he was informed of Trump's plans, he recalled a passage in the Bible where it was written in part: "I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving is addressed to all human beings. . . for kings and all who hold high office, let us live a peaceful and quiet life, pious and dignified in every way. "
"On the basis of this text, I know that it is good and pleasant to pray for the president," he wrote.
Sunday was not the first time Platt struggled to navigate faith and politics in the Trump era. The former White House communications assistant, Cliff Sims, told Christianity Today in February that Platt had been "in conflict" about a speech at a breakfast of pray to the White House.
"I think one of the reasons for this hesitation is that when pastors publicly involve them in the political space, they have disadvantages and can put them in a position where people see them." suddenly through a political lens, "said Sims. "There is just a lot of luggage that comes with such a decision."
White evangelical voters were one of the driving forces behind Trump's victory in the 2016 election and remained devoted supporters of the president despite his tenuous relationship with Christian values. But as Gallup's recent data suggests, this may have more to do with the fact that most white evangelicals identify as Republicans, the Washington Post's Philip Bump reported in April.
[Why are evangelical Americans so loyal to Trump? Because they’re heavily Republican.]
In the largest community of Americans who call themselves evangelicals, a group representing about a quarter of the population, there is a gap that "seems to be widening under Trump," reported FiveThirtyEight last March. In April, Vice President Pence, an evangelical Christian, faced growing protest from students at Taylor University, a religious school in his home state, Indiana. , having been chosen as the main speaker.
[‘Not my Jesus’: Christian students protest Pence, alarming conservatives]
According to FiveThirtyEight, the split can be attributed to two factors: the evangelical community becoming more and more diverse and Trump's actions as president.
"His style of government effectively forces evangelical leaders to choose between embracing white evangelicals who overwhelmingly support the president or distancing themselves from the president – and even from politics in general – as part of a call for the diversification of their congregations, "writes the website. .
In his Sunday service address and in his letter, Platt repeatedly mentioned the diversity represented in the members of his church.
"We have just said that what unites us in this room is not our ethnicity, our past, our politics," he said before the prayer. "What unites us in this room is the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Platt wrote that knowing that some people were not happy with his decision to publicly pray for Trump "weighs heavily on my heart."
"I love all members of this church and I only want to guide us with the Word of God in a way that transcends political parties and positions, heals the suffering of racial division and the world. injustice and honor every man and woman created in the image of God. , "he wrote," I do not want to do anything to undermine the unity we have in Christ. "
[ad_2]
Source link