The new covenant in Jesus

In our Christian tradition, the new covenant in Jesus celebrates and promotes the common good.  The common good includes everyone.  It is in this sense that the love to which God calls us in this covenant is an inclusive love.  

In recent times, we hear a lot about DEI, diversity, equality, and inclusion.  Donald Trump and his host of sycophant followers are not fans of DEI.  They don’t like diversity (it makes them uneasy and anxious).  They have no interest in equality, and the last thing they want is inclusion.  Indeed, they prefer the exclusion of minorities of all stripes. 

Last week, in the aftermath of the tragic plane/helicopter crash in Washington D.C., when Trump was asked about the crash, his immediate reaction offered no compassion and sympathy for the families of the sixty-plus persons who died.  Right away, he blamed it on DEI–the implication being that in recent years, blacks and Hispanics (who, for Trump, are inferior to whites) are increasingly employed as pilots.  The blatant racism, to say nothing of the transparent insensitivity, is vintage Trump.  

Inclusivity has always been a core value in progressive Christianity.  We’re reminded, for example, of Jesus’ practice of open table commensality.  Radically inclusive, this was a core practice of Jesus’ ministry.  At his table, everyone was welcome.  As Christians, therefore, we are encouraged to do the same.  It is in this way, as we lift up the common good, that the new covenant in Jesus is served.  

Doing our fair share–in church and in country

In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul talks about how:

… there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit … varieties of services, but

the same Lord … varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates

all of them in everyone.  1 Corinthians 12:4-6

He then adds, To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good

(1 Corinthians 12:7).

In the Church, for the common good to be realized, everyone has to appreciate the diversity of the church’s members and friends.  It’s the same way for our nation.  Everyone is different, and everyone has gifts that can serve the common good.  In both church and country, lifting up the common good is imperative.  It’s what we do as good citizens.   

To stress the point of unity, Paul uses the body of Christ image to bolster the point he is making.  He says, “Indeed, the body does not consist of one member, but of many (1 Corinthians 12:14).  The point of the body of Christ imagery is that in the human body, just as in the Church (this also applies to our country), all the body parts (members and citizens) have to work together.  They all have to do their part in lifting up the common good.

Where’s the common good in the Trump/Musk power grab?

Seeking to promote the common good is what the United States government should be doing in all branches and offices of government.  In these early weeks of Trump 2.0, the rise of Elon Musk (who hasn’t been elected to anything) in an apparent attempt to take over the government should be notably alarming to all of us.  Where is the common good in that?  The common good is being trampled upon as Trump and Musk seek to arrogate as much power to themselves as they can.

Apparently, Trump and Musk either have no awareness of our nation’s founding documents–the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution–or they’ve simply chosen to arrogantly disregard them.  In our Constitution, “we the people” are charged with endeavoring to “form a more perfect union” and in the process we are to “promote the general welfare.”

Early on, it’s easy to see Trump’s strategy in all of this.  In his bullying manner, he creates one distraction after another.  First, it’s the 25% tariffs he wants to impose on both Mexico and Canada.  Naively, or in an amazing display of ignorance and inexperience, Trump, apparently, did not anticipate any pushback from the neighbors on our southern and northern borders.  Secondly, he goes on a wild tangent, saying he wants to acquire Greenland and welcome Canada as the 51st state.  And even more recently, he announced that the United States wants to “take over” the Gaza Strip, the home to over two million Palestinians.  None of this, of course, is even remotely realistic.  However, it distracts the media and those who oppose him from paying attention to what he and–mostly–Musk are doing behind the scenes to reshape the government to serve their purposes.  For them, it’s all about power and control.

No easy way to defeat the power grab

To defeat Trump’s authoritarian designs, “we the people” are going to have to fight back with all of the strength, conviction, and organizational skill we can muster.  Trump is already wanting to trash the Constitution and possibly seek a third term.  In other words, like other dictators, he wants to be president for life. 

Although he’s only a little over two weeks into his term, he’s already taken significant measures to arrogate as much control as possible to the executive branch.  However, on the other side of his power grab, if “we the people” are organized and committed, we can hand Trumpism a resounding defeat, restore our democracy, and win our country back.

With this in mind, in the coming weeks and months, “we the people” must be laser-focused on standing up to the power grab.  Where possible, we must use the courts to support our efforts.  We must also appeal to both houses of Congress to honor their oath to the Constitution.  And, lastly, across our nation, “in order to form a more perfect union,” we must take our case to the American people.

As Christians and as Americans, “lifting up the common good” is our hill to die on.  It is where we take our stand that God’s purposes might be realized both in us and through us.  

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The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Frantz is a retired United Church of Christ minister.  He had long-term pastorates in San Diego County and in Miami Lakes, Florida.  His service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama in the late sixties spurred his commitment to social justice ministries and to a spirit of ecumenism as a local church pastor.  He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Pacific School of Religion. He is the author of The Bible You Didn’t Know You Could Believe In, The God You Didn’t Know You Could Believe In, The Jesus You Didn’t Know You Could Believe In. and his newest book: Rediscovering the Authentic Paul.  Dr. Frantz and his wife, Yvette, are now retired and living in Florida.