Trump, Harris, and Divine Providence

Examining what God is doing in the rearview.

This summer, I read a book by historian Mark Noll entitled The Civil War as a Theological Crisis. In the book, Noll examines the pre-war polarization found in the United States surrounding slavery and the movement to abolish it.

Noll avoids overtly political concerns and centers his study within the churches and seminaries at the time. As he describes, some Christians argued for slavery (using the Bible), while others (also using the Bible) argued against it.

For a people who otherwise united themselves around Jesus, how could they become so militantly opposed? In Noll’s estimation, the crisis was not merely political, but theological.

Noll frames the theological crisis according to a handful of doctrinal categories. If I’m reading Noll correctly, the issue boiled down to differences over:

1) the continuity between the OT and the NT
2) race and humanity, and
3) divine providence.

The emphasis on God’s providence struck me the most.

According to Noll, theologians and pastors who favored slavery justified the practice by claiming God had sovereignly ordained it. That sentiment shouldn’t sit well with us, but the follow-up is the real kicker.

For those pro-slavery religious leaders, the logic is something like this: “Since God allowed (ordained) slavery, then the Almighty must want it to continue.”

That’s a peculiar stance on divine providence.

---

Fast forward 160ish years.

A rooftop gunman attempts to assassinate former President Trump while speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Since that day, we’ve seen no shortage of commentary on the event. Let’s set aside the political ramifications for a moment. Instead, let’s look at the theological response—specifically, the invocation of Noll’s third point above—divine providence.

Within minutes of the assassination attempt, religious leaders were taking to the internet to celebrate God’s protection of Donald Trump’s life—and rightfully so. But, from there, I noticed a common theme in much of the rhetoric surrounding the event.

If I may summarize, the comments sounded something like this:

“God spared Trump’s life so that the former President could save this nation.”¹

Notice the purpose clause; the cause and effect being assumed.

Even more recently, as we have learned of Kamala Harris’ nomination to the Democratic ticket, one pastor tweeted the following:

“And for my God, who may have chosen this election and Kamala Harris to symbolically & representatively receive the recompense & reward for all women of all colors of all political parties, to break the glass ceiling before the whole world, I feel compelled as a citizen to publicly support Madam Vice President …” (italics mine)

This pastor is theorizing how God might be architecting global politics.

Again, I’m choosing to sidestep politics for the moment. The comments we see about Trump and Harris are not merely political. They are markedly theological.

Here is my concern. We should be very hesitant to speculate about divine providence in real-time.

As observers of history, we see the unfolding of divine providence with every passing second. What God has decreed is made instantaneously real with every tick on the clock.

But we can never understand why God does something in a forward-looking manner.

It may be that God spared President Trump to bring some later benefit to the U.S.A. and its citizens. However, it’s equally possible that God preserved Trump to bring about a less-than-desirable effect for the nation.

As a result of the assassination attempt, …

Will Trump be re-elected?
Will Harris break the glass ceiling?
Will God use these events to draw either Trump or Harris to submit to Christ?

To be sure, the possibilities move beyond the central players in our minds and far past the immediate future.

In the YEARS and CENTURIES to come, …

Will American politics become more civilized OR more controversial?
Will the two-party system run its course?
Will America run its course?

We just don’t know.

And we can’t know what God is doing until it’s far in the rearview.

Divining God’s Will

Trying to discern what God is doing at the moment or what will result is a near-impossible task.

The Bible demonstrates that God is always playing the long game. Thousands of years passed between the moment God promised to redeem humanity through Eve’s offspring (Genesis 3:15) and the eventual arrival of the Son. During that time, there was no shortage of speculation surrounding God’s intentions for Israel or this world.

Since then, human guesswork has only increased, and the spectrum is broad. Religious fanatics will market their best “end-of-the-world” predictions for as long as there is a profit to be made. Even everyday Christians have become well-versed in the art of the “armchair quarterback” as we watch our news feeds and hurry to declare our expert analysis on the internet.

But, if we’re honest, any “expert analysis” is simply reaching for a false sense of control. And when we take up the task of discerning God’s intentions, we’re doing nothing more than boasting in our own shortsighted wisdom.

Apart from the way of Christ (which is well-detailed in the Scriptures), we’re not meant to have an expert analysis of God’s dealings in the world. Isaiah 55:8 reminds us that His ways are not our ways. His plans go beyond our understanding. His purposes may not accord with our best attempts at reason.

No man or woman can know what the Most High is doing behind the scenes.

The only exception is redemption.

Though the details of God’s redemptive plan are unclear, the aim is certain. God is working all things for His glory and the redemption of this broken humanity through the Risen Son.

When We Need an Explanation

It’s messy business to declare God’s intentions.

During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln penned the following lines:

“The will of God prevails … I am almost ready to say that this is probably true -- that God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet. By his mere great power, on the minds of the now contestants, He could have either saved or destroyed the Union without a human contest. Yet the contest began. And, having begun He could give the final victory to either side any day.

Yet the contest proceeds.” (September, 1862)²

Historians disagree on the legitimacy of Lincoln’s faith, but Sixteen understood that God is sovereign over the nations.

He understood that God works all things for a particular, divine purpose. And he knew we could only observe the unfolding plan one step at a time, as God provided more details according to His prerogative.

The Old Testament provides a commentary on God’s reasoning for exiling the people: discipline for sin, which would lead to repentance and devotion.

But what about Job? Unlike Israel, Job didn’t receive suffering as a means of discipline. He deserved hell like the rest of us, but according to the book, his hell-on-earth experience wasn’t a cause-and-effect consequence of sinful action.

Take, as another example, Nineveh. Why did God save Ninevah? They didn’t deserve mercy. But God said yes.

God sits enthroned and does whatever he pleases. Period.

We want answers. He gives assurances.

We want to know the plans. Instead, He graciously reminds us of lasting promises.

Our comfort is in this: His ways are perfect.

He is in complete control of the entire universe, and He is the epitome of goodness and righteousness.

We are in safe hands. We don’t need an explanation.

We have a cross, an empty tomb, and the promise of an encore.

1. While I was beginning to think about this topic, I came across a podcast episode on the Holy Post. The hosts are overtly political, but the front part of their conversation is pertinent. They document more of what I’ve been seeing. You can listen to it here: 627: Heritage Americans & Palestinian Christians with Munther Isaac

2. For more references like this, check out Jon Meacham’s biography of Lincoln, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle.