Trying to keep things light, I chuckled a bit and said, “Boy, it must be wonderful to know the mind of God,” and then I referred him to the prophet Isaiah:
Another man of worldly power chosen by God was Cyrus, the Persian King. Having conquered Babylon, Cyrus brought about the return of God’s People to Jerusalem after decades of exile. Listen to his words:
If we step out of Sacred Scripture and turn to later human history we find many other examples of God working through some of the most unlikely folks. Among my favorites, though, is another king, a man named Canute. If you're not a student of European history, you probably haven't heard of this interesting fellow, so let me tell his story as briefly as possible.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" [Is 55:8-9].
I should have added that if he participated in our parish Bible Study, I wouldn't have to remind him of this, but that would have been rude.
I really didn’t want to get into the politics, but couldn’t help myself: “So you count God among the never-Thumpers and believe He wants Joe Biden to be president?”
He looked at me oddly -- because a mask covered half his face, I really couldn’t read his expression very well. He shook his head, snorted, and said something like, “Trump is an idiot. He’s certainly no Christian. So there’s no way God wants him to lead this country.”
I suppose I could have stayed there and argued for a while, but I really didn’t think I could say anything that would change his mind. So I just smiled and said, “Next time God reveals His will to you, let me know.”
Okay, that was a little snarky, but I’ve already overdosed on politics and really didn’t want to begin another argument that might turn into a quarrel. But you see what worldly politics does to us; it reveals all the nastiness we’d rather keep hidden. I probably should apologize the next time I see him...well, maybe.
But he got me thinking, thinking about God and how He calls on the most unlikely people to carry out His divine will. If we turn to the Old Testament, we can choose almost anyone. Just pick a Patriarch, any Patriarch from Abraham to Joseph, and you encounter weak men with a wide variety of faults and foibles who, through the gift of faith and the grace of God, managed to help God get this whole salvation project going.
And, of course, Moses and his brother, Aaron, were really not the best of men. But they listened to God -- well, most of the time -- and did God's work of turning His Chosen People from an enslaved rabble into the fledgling nation, Israel.
The prophets, too, were not the most impressive of men. Called by God, often enough they had to be dragged to their vocation kicking and screaming along the way. And there were many others. How about David and Bathsheba, their little adulterous affair and subsequent marriage that led to Solomon? As Matthew reminds us in his genealogy, all three were among the human ancestors of Jesus: “And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah...” [Mt 1:6]
But there were others, pagans and other Gentiles, who managed to fulfill God’s plan by doing His will. Some, like the Pharaoh of Exodus, strongly resisted God’s Word, but by doing so, unintentionally did what was necessary to fulfill God’s plan. Yes, indeed, God’s ways are higher than our ways.
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up’” [2 Chron 36:23].
These are the remarkable words of a pagan king who listened to “the Lord, the God of heaven” and did His will. Because of Cyrus, the exiled Jews returned to the Promised Land and, led by Ezra and Nehemiah, began to reform as God’s People in readiness to receive the promised Messiah.
The New Testament, too, offers many similar examples. Much like Pharaoh, the Herods and Pilate each unwittingly fulfilled his role in God’s plan for the salvation of humanity. God moves the powerful to do His will before they crumble into dust. And yet He gathers twelve of the least of men to form His Church, a Church that will remain until the end of days. Our Blessed Mother, Mary, described it beautifully in her Magnificat:
“He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly” [Lk 1:51-52].
The restored Christian kingdom in England had reached its peak under King Edgar (959-975). Sadly, for the English, the good times didn’t last long. Repeated invasions by the barbarous and pagan Vikings drove the country into ruin. For the next quarter-century England was pillaged from one end to the other by Vikings who slaughtered many and left very little of value behind.
But in 1016, something odd happened. Canute, the Viking son of the chief pagan leader, became King of England and formed, in effect, an Anglo-Scandinavian empire. At the time, because of his military victories and their material rewards, Canute was probably one of the wealthiest men of his time. One would expect Canute’s victory to result also in a pagan victory, but inexplicably that didn’t happen. Instead, Canute sent the Viking army home and decided to rule England by following the traditions King Edgar’s earlier Christian kingdom. He supported the Church and built tombs for the saints, even building one for St. Alphange who was killed by Canute’s father. He sent English bishops, priests, and monks to Scandinavia and then made a pilgrimage to Rome where he participated in the coronation of the Emperor in 1027. We can, therefore, say that Scandinavia was brought into Western Christendom through the conquest of England by a pagan barbarian. Go figure! Canute, then, offers us one of those wonderful paradoxes that so often display God’s power working in ways so much higher than our ways.
Today we’re confronted by President Donald Trump, a man who certainly doesn’t project the usual presidential image. His language is the kind heard around the kitchen tables of many, perhaps most, Americans. Although a man of great wealth, he quickly connected with Middle America and focused on what they consider their greatest needs. Unlike Wall Street and Silicon Valley, unlike the movers and shakers among the Fortune 500, unlike the academics in our top business schools, and unlike the “deep state” indwellers of both parties, most Americans are not globalists. They really aren’t concerned with the EU or China or Mexico. They’re concerned with family safety, with jobs, with a good education and a promising future for their children, with their own retirement. They are patriotic Americans who love their country. They believe in a loving God and attend church services regularly. They want political leaders who truly represent them, who share their beliefs, and understand their needs. They want leaders whose actions follow their words, who fulfill their promises. And this is why so many of them like and support Donald Trump.
Personally, Donald Trump has surprised me. Yes, I voted for him in 2016 because the alternative was beyond horrific. Four months before the election I predicted his victory simply because of the obvious strength of his support and the tremendous enthusiasm of his supporters. Clinton lacked both. But I never expected him to become the kind of president he is today. I think he surprised a lot of people, especially his enemies. In 2016 they portrayed him as a buffoon, and they’ve continued to do so even though the facts demonstrate how wrong they are. This cannot help them in November.
What does God think of Donald Trump? The only thing I can say with any certainty is that God loves him, but then God loves all whom He has created. Does God want him to be president? I haven’t a clue. But over the past three plus years, Donald Trump has demonstrated strong support for the pro-life movement. He has done much to strengthen our nation’s longstanding support for religious freedom, both at home and abroad. He has achieved remarkable success in easing tensions in the Middle East and helped establish peaceful relations between Israel and several of its former enemies. He has rebuilt a military that was largely ignored by the previous administration, while at the same time limiting our military involvement overseas. His federal judicial appointments are strong Constitutionalists who will likely support the freedoms spelled out in our Bill of Rights. Economically his efforts have led to remarkably low unemployment levels among all Americans, and significant increases in the wages of lower and middle income earners. All of these things are good.
The U.S. Bishops are unhappy with his policy regarding illegal immigration, but in truth he simply follows the law. If we disagree with federal law, we should lobby Congress to change it. Believe me, though, Congress (even liberal Democrats) won't change it because they fear the reaction of the people. Instead, they use other means -- state and local laws to create sanctuary cities and states, or fund healthcare and education for illegals, etc. -- to achieve their ends. It's all very strange.
Here is an open letter to the U.S. Bishops by a coalition of pro-life leaders asking the Bishops to declare abortion to be the "preeminent priority" when voters decide for whom to vote. The link to the letter: Citizens for a Pro-Life Society
Is President Trump another Canute, or another Cyrus? Again, I haven’t a clue. But to rule it out would be a mistake. Donald Trump might well be another of those most unlikely men chosen by God to show not the power of man but the ineffable power of our God. You and I just have to wait and see. Fortunately, we have front-row seats.
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