Jonathan McReynolds revealed that he received an invite to president elect Donald Trump’s Inauguration that happens this week ( yes it really happens this week, Friday to be exact) anyway, McReynolds declined the invitation, but also used it as a teaching moment for all of us. The singer took to his blog to share that he declined because he simply didn’t believe the opportunity was for him, and went on to say that he believes God’s people need to be there. Check it out
Over the weekend, I was invited to sing at an Inaugural Ball in D.C. celebrating the nation’s new president.
Let’s marinate on that for a second. I grew up a straight up nerd heading toward meteorology or computer engineering but now as a Christian singer/songwriter, regardless of how it happened and who the PEOTUS is, I WAS INVITED TO THE INAUGURAL BALL.
But, I respectfully declined. “Respectfully” because Donald Trump is, in fact, soon to be the president of the United States. Regardless of his history, his quotes, and even his disrespect of President Obama and others, as a man, as a man of God, you must respect the position of even those you don’t agree with. We bless those that curse us. Sucks sometimes, but it’s our challenge.
I declined because I simply don’t believe this opportunity was for ME. God’s people absolutely need to be there though, whether they are praying, speaking, or singing. I pray the Body of Christ NEVER gets comfortable publicly rebuking ITSELF, it’s own people, when they take meetings, take opportunities, to affect and touch leaders, especially the ones we don’t agree with.
There was a leader much worse than anyone America has elected and his term was longer than four years, King Nebuchadnezzer. History, our redemption history, would have changed dramatically if Daniel and the three Hebrew boys didn’t toe the line between serving and bowing so well. They didn’t eat everything the King tried to feed them and they didn’t bow when it opposed what they knew was true, but they were definitely in the building. The unique power and potency in their gifts actually made the King bow and bend to them. I’m sure their fellow Hebrews were suspicious of their closeness to the King, but the King was made better because of that closeness.
All that being said, the Bible also tells us, together, to “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose…” When you submit yourself to God, just like any working body, different people, different parts of the body, have different roles. We have different perspectives and convictions to “work out” with God, different burdens, different reasons to wake up in the morning and different reasons to want to stay in bed. We work together well to do more because of those small differences. I’m sure you can agree, your left and right hand are very similar, but those things see and do almost EVERYTHING from an opposite “point of view.”
Every personal conviction shouldn’t necessarily be every Christian’s convictions. Our faith in Christ is what binds us, but those little different convictions are what will allow us to impact the world in an incredible way. They’re also what make us very vulnerable to external attack and internal implosion.
MY convictions concerning politics and President-Elect Donald Trump, would have made me miserable on the flight to Washington. I wouldn’t feel good honoring the office of a man who (I feel) hasn’t honored it yet. Often times, honoring is not agreeing, it’s disagreeing in a respectful manner. That’s what I hope the Trump administration will do, that’s what I am doing here by respectfully declining, and that’s what I hope my community, the Church, can do as well.
