He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?

Luke 6: 39, NIV

November began with the election of a leader blind with hatred and revenge who lacks concern for long-term consequences—and who expects his cabinet, Congress, and base of voters to blindly follow his demands. Therefore, Thanksgiving is a time for grief at what has already been lost and for even greater losses on the horizon; but grief must not over shadow the gratitude we should feel for the blessings from the vision and compassion of President Joe Biden.

Biden echoed the influence of John Meecham’s book The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels when he said he ran for president because of the racist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Viginia, in August 2017. His view was that the soul of America was at stake because of the flagrant extremism and corruption of the Trump administration.

As president, Biden restored the example and values of George Washington—the ideals that have guided our better presidents. He returned integrity to the presidency and restored the high standards expected of members of the executive branch. Amidst a pandemic costing more lives than the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan, he brought coordination and scientific guidance to a viral outbreak that challenged the best scientists to expand knowledge and constantly adjust tactics to defeat it. At the same time, he sought to unite the country as Republicans used the health crisis to further inflame divisions and undermine national health strategies.

With very narrow majorities in Congress, Biden set out to overhaul the economy to build a stronger middle class that also opens the way for upward movement for lower classes. He achieved remarkable victories that began regenerating industry in the United States while also adapting it to the environmental needs of today and the future. His achievements helped global economies recover and made the American economy the world leader.  By laying the foundations of the future, he set in motion developments over the next decade for which his political opponents are ready to claim credit even though Republicans almost always voted against every long-range program.

Behind these accomplishments was a genuine Christian who was motivated by love. As an Irish Catholic, everyone knew his religious beliefs, but he never paraded them as he lived the Golden Rule. This was often seen through his empathy for grieving families. The fact that empathy was only one component of his Christian love and integrity went unnoticed by conservative evangelicals more intent on their own political agenda than on loving all human beings.

The long term benefits of Biden’s domestic and foreign policies have not brought immediate success that can be promoted—or made to look successful for a public looking mostly at today’s headlines. President Biden realized that it would take time to enshrine the restoration of values along with the economy and thereby lead to a victory of our “better angels” and save the soul of America. Unfortunately, outward signs of aging as his mind remained sharp undermined his ability to gain the continuity that was needed.

As Biden leaves, we see the worst fears George Washington mentioned in his farewell address coming into power. However, like Washington, he leaves an example that can inspire the emergence of new leadership with the vision to return our nation to a path of integrity and true Christian love.

The first cause of grief this Thanksgiving is that voters chose the blindness of delusion and deceit. They claimed that life was better under Trump—ignoring that he inherited a healthy economy and crashed it through incompetence and moral indifference when faced with a real emergency. They believed disinformation and claims that were exposed as lies.

What motivated this bad choice? First, voters turned from truth based on evidence to delusions closer to what they wanted to believe. Second, they wanted to blindly follow falsehoods because they responded to anger and hatred of fellow citizens. They failed to recognize domestic terrorism in the multiple attacks on innocent communities of immigrants—all of whom happened to have dark skin—and those with gender identities they denied were real. Conservative evangelicals joined in the celebration of hate and violence as they presented the leading domestic terrorist as God’s chosen leader in the mold of King David. Underneath all this moral darkness was an endorsement of toxic masculinity that made it easier to reject the virtues of a black female candidate. Any female candidate would have aroused their opposition. The fact that she was black and Asian made the decision easier in their eyes.

The first nominees for cabinet positions show the triumph of toxic masculinity, total disrespect for women, and the intent to destroy any opposition to the Trumpian agenda—characteristics that historians since World War II have demonstrated as being shared by fascist movements centered on a dominant male leader. The separation of powers at the heart of the American constitution hangs in the balance. Whether peace or expanded war take place in Europe and the Middle East also hangs in the balance.

Let us pray that somehow leaders in the right places develop the courage to open their eyes and stand up for integrity and love of all humanity. Let us pray that the public will turn to leaders who are not blind and who begin to reject lies and delusions. May we all pray for an uprising of love and unity to overcome hatred and violence at home and abroad.

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About the Author

  Edward G. Simmons is a Vanderbilt Ph.D. who teaches history at Georgia Gwinnett College. He is a Bible scholar, Unitarian Christian, and veteran Sunday School teacher in Presbyterian Churches. He is the author of Talking Back to the Bible and two chapters in The Spiritual Danger of Donald Trump: 30 Christian Evangelicals on Justice, Truth, and Moral Integrity edited by Ronald J. Sider. His latest book is Values, Truth, and Spiritual Danger: Progressive Christianity in the Age of Trump. Dr. Simmons is an energetic speaker for education, religious, and civic groups of all ages. He may be contacted at the following email address: egsimmons6@gmail.com.