David Platt and Donald Trump don’t belong on the same stage. Other than both being humans, I know nothing similar about the two. Platt is one of the best people I’ve ever known. Trump is among the worst I’ve ever seen on the world stage. Platt is pastor of McLean Bible Church in Virginia. He moved to Virginia to be president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board. Before that, he was my pastor at the Church at Brook Hills here in Birmingham, so I feel qualified to offer an opinion about him. He was the most godly and humble pastor I’ve ever known. He loved people and was passionate about personally becoming more like Jesus and teaching others to do the same. On Sunday, he had just finished preaching and he stepped off the stage to prepare for the Lord’s Supper. He got a message that Trump was on the way to the church and wanted for the church to pray for him. In a letter to the church Sunday night, Platt explained that he thought praying for Trump was the right thing — in a very non-political way. Unfortunately, Platt was naive not to recognize that it would be seen in the context of the political support that many religious right Christian ministers have given to Trump. I think Platt made a mistake by allowing Trump onto the stage — because of the appearance of an endorsement — but knowing him as I do, I know it was a naive mistake made by a godly man trying to do the right thing.
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My bad teen poetry suggests I’ve always hungered for missing love
‘This path leads to somewhere I think I can finally say, I’m home’
When love finally dies, it’s like a fever breaks and the pain is gone