Today is the 8th Sunday after Easter, and Christians who use the Revised Common Lectionary may have heard the scripture lesson from the Gospel of John this morning, including these words:
[Jesus said:] I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13: 34-35 NRSV
A group of Lutheran bishops have produce a video titled “Insistent on Love.”
Trump followers promote the narrative that opposition to President Trump is grounded in hate. They, along with Trump himself uses the phrase “Trump hater” often, and his followers have long referred to political opponents as having “TDS” (Trump derangement syndrome). TDS became an almost automatic response for anything. And some who use that term also express a desire to “make liberals cry.” They have succeeded.
And indeed, there are people who resent the super rich, the privileged and the ones who seem to get away with things that would land anyone else in prison.
But Trump really seems to have blown a gasket or something. On Easter, when over a billion Christians worldwide are celebrating new life in Jesus, Trump took to Truth Social and offered an Easter greeting:
Happy Easter to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting and scheming so hard to bring Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, the Mentally Insane, and well known MS-13 Gang Members and Wife Beaters, back into our Country. …
Context: Memorial Day was today (May 6), a national day of remembrance honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. This is Donald Trump’s Memorial Day Message on his social media platform, Truth Social, starting:
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL, INCLUDING THE SCUM THAT SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS TRYING TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY THROUGH WARPED RADICAL LEFT MINDS …
There’s something pathological going on. Normal people can put political differences aside for national observances like Easter and Memorial Day. It sounds either like consuming hate or incitement to hate. Is he really unable to let go for even a few minutes?
Noting good can come of this.