How did we get here?

How did we get here? It’s been so long since I’ve been comfortable admitting my Christian faith to anyone because it’s as if I’m simultaneously admitting that I belong to this white nationalist tribalism that hates poor people and fears all lifestyles, religions, sexual orientations and even genders that are not my own.

And, inexplicably, it’s only become worse since my time at Moody.

And then today I learn about the President of the United States referring to other nations as “shitholes” because they have more poor brown people than they do rich white people, unlike Norway.

Today I also learned that Moody Bible Institute fired a woman from her job because she tried to question and expose deeply unethical and immoral behavior relating to financial impropriety amongst many other instances of grotesque, self-serving, and manipulative conduct by President Paul Nyquist, the Provost, the COO, and members of the board. The President and COO have since resigned, and the Provost has since retired.

In a letter from the Interim President, these three men were labeled as, “godly, ethical, and moral leaders,” which felt like one final knockout blow to any semblance of perspective I was clinging to.

Yet tonight I know that millions of evangelicals will go to bed, confident in the leadership of Donald Trump, likely quoting their favorite bible verse as they fall asleep: “God helps those who help themselves.” A troubling translation of Matthew 5.

Still, I take comfort in knowing that the light exposes darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. I still look back at my time at Moody with such gratitude, because of a careful few who embodied the things I learned about in the beatitudes.

Like Peter & Kelli Worrall. My professors who, when they found out my parents were getting a divorce, invited me into their home for as long as I wanted, acknowledging that Moody can be a difficult bubble to endure at times.

Or like Tim Downey, my professor who taught me what servant leadership is. And exhibited such wisdom, patience, and perspective that I still think of his leadership nearly every single day.

Or like Bob MacRae, my professor who once called my father and counseled and prayed with him for over an hour because that's they type of person he was.

Or like Rosalie de Rosset, my professor who taught me more about the grace of God than anyone else before or since.

These Godly men & women were and are servants. They were and are the ethical, moral, and spiritual leaders that are desperately needed in Moody’s senior administration.

Just as we desperately need other Godly, moral, and ethical leaders to reject the gross hypocrisy of the evangelicals’ embracement of the Trump alt-right nationalism.

To call racism, racism. Sexism, sexism. Violence, violence. Homophobia, homophobia. Sexual assault, sexual assault. Rape, rape. Sex with a minor, rape. Xenophobia, xenophobia. Nationalism, nationalism. Tribalism, tribalism. Pedophilia, pedophilia. Bigotry, bigotry. Discrimination, discrimination. Prejudice, prejudice. Banning entire people groups and religions from entering a democratic republic founded on the idea that everyone is created equal, actual religious persecution.

And to call someone a Christian only when that person is confessing that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit.