It is certain that President Trump is something different. Having campaigned as an anti-establishment figure, he behaves as neither a Democrat or a Republican, but independent of all.
Perhaps that is not a bad thing. He wanted to drain the swamp.
But this last week, having watched from afar the character of figures he draws to his team, I wonder: Where are the evangelicals?
(Note: the main individual in this saga has just resigned. Some say his sole purpose was to force out another figure. In any case, I hope the following thoughts are still pertinent and helpful.)
Polls show that white evangelical Christians are the constituency with his highest approval ratings. That’s fine, it is a holdover from the traditional support they have given the Republican Party.
Many evangelical leaders rallied around him before and after the inauguration. That’s fine, it is a privilege and responsibility to advise the president.
Some have questioned the wisdom and Biblical fidelity in wedding the religious identity to the political, and I am sympathetic.
Others posit that a political alliance does not mean all allies share conviction and morality, and I agree.
But for all the energy evangelical Christians have poured into right-wing politics, where are their political operatives, from which Trump might draw?
He has drawn some, certainly. Vice-President Mike Pence. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Evangelical-friendly Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. Perhaps there are others whose faith is not a key part of public profile, who quietly do their jobs.
But others, who are not quiet, seem far from evangelical propriety. Are there no better candidates?
Republicans complain that Trump is not accessing the institutional personnel of the party, of any stripe. And the president has a penchant for reality TV style engagement, something traditional evangelicals may be quite wary of joining, and ill-suited in aptitude.
Maybe evangelicals do populate the rolls of grassroots and upper level Republican party politics in proportionate numbers to their role in the tent.
But politics is hard work. Could it be that in the eight years of Obama many abandoned the effort and criticized only from outside the system?
It used to be that the Republican Party stood for a conservative social morality, limited government, an open economy, and a robust foreign policy. Evangelicals could easily identify with many aspects of this agenda, with respect for the religious left.
What does the Republican Party stand for now? Again, Trump is different.
So I do not wish to lay too much blame on evangelicals, and from Egypt I don’t know the lay of the land.
But while I advise no evangelical toward the Republican Party necessarily, nor even toward politics in general, I ask those inclined to redouble their efforts.
God has given believers much freedom in shaping their engagement with society. The number of God-honoring careers, political orientations, and policy options is nearly as diverse as his church worldwide.
But what he states as reality, which evangelicals must take as maxim, is that they are salt and light in a fallen world.
Better than draining the swamp, is to wade into it. Once there, sweeten.
Engage with the president, and pray for him. Join the alliances most suited to the common good. Be patient with the behavior of those made in God’s image, but not yet reflecting it.
Identify sin, wherever it is found. Take a stand on the issues with humble conviction. Cooperate as much as possible, compromising where appropriate.
In other words, be political.
Despite the common perception, perhaps American evangelicals are not political enough.
I am happy to hear from evangelical Republicans about the state of the faith within their party.
(But also: Consider this article on the Bible Study in the White House.)
Jayson Casper 