Trump: Heaven Sent Healer or Earthly Leader?

I’m so tired of all of it.

From truth post to truth post and outrage to outrage. Back in the same exhausting cycle of “Ugh.” and eyerolls. When we should be discussing other, better, bigger things…like Iran. Or two congressmen resigning. Or the 2nd Coming of Christ lol…no seriously, though.

In case you missed it…

President Trump shared a picture of himself depicted as a celestial healer…cloaked in ancient robes, radiating light and life from his palms.

As one does.

Completing this Thomas “AI” Kinkade potpourri painting of literally every Hobby Lobby wall-hanging, on one canvas…was soaring eagles, possibly angels descending Jacob’s Ladder, puppies, wounded warriors, flags, and fly-overs.

Just tremendous. God bless America…and Florence Trumpingale.

It was a Monday, y’all.

Accusations of blasphemy. Claims of delusion.

The usual lines drawn, quickly and predictably. And me with my trusty red pen.

But I’m not convinced that outrage—at least in its loudest form—is the most accurate reading of what we’re seeing. And y’all—I LOVE to be outraged. But I’m just too tired right now.

Prepare your heart. Not everything is best understood at its most extreme interpretation. But extremes are easy—without all the wrestling or critical thinking—so we gravitate towards them.

I do not think Trump believes he is the Messiah, God’s own Son—Jesus Christ.

But I also do not believe he knows Jesus Christ—God’s own Son, personally. Or at least deeply.

And if Trump were the pastor of my church, a leader in another, or one whom I’m discipling towards Holy Spirit wisdom, I’d be in his office and in-box on this one. And the Easter rant.

Because when confident our identity in Christ, we do not thirst for (or demand) the recognition, affirmation, or applause of others.

Instead, are quite comfortable drinking in their scorn. Gulp.

But he is none of those things.

Calm down. Hear me out on this—how long do you hold up a metric, like “Biblical scholar of mature faith,” to one who falls short before you realize your metric is wrong and graciously adjust it appropriately? Good teachers do that quickly.

Now how many of you would be comfortable with
A: someone depicting you in this “healing our nation” way
B: resharing it later

Gonna be a hard pass for me.

There’s another possibility here.

A more human one.

I’m still annoyed and disappointed with it. But the behaviorist in me, looks for roots and reasons in the fruits and seasons.

I don’t know if Trump intended blasphemy—but he revealed pride and insecurity whether he intended to or not.

That may sound like a defense. It isn’t. It’s an attempt at fair clarity. And in the spirit of clarity, please know I can notice or grieve spiritual immaturity in leaders WHILE not regretting my choice for leader.

Because when you step back from the weird “I thought I was a doctor” pic and look at the broader pattern—the tone of recent posts, the frustration with stalled progress in Iran, the inability to put a “W” on the board for your team—you start to see something less blasphemous and more broken.

A man reaching for affirmation.

A leader who feels the near constant need to remind the public, and perhaps himself, that he is doing good, that he is effective—that he is “winning.”

That doesn’t excuse the imagery.

It’s still foolish, unflattering, and unnecessary.

And more important to the base of “Believers,” it’s offensive. The demands of his vanity require him to bow just low enough to dance on the line of both feigning and mocking divinity. A line we should be running in the opposite direction from.

But we are not well-served by assuming the worst possible motive at every turn. Nor are we served by pretending that missteps don’t exist.

Both can be true at once.

No meme or AI masterpiece is worth the trouble, especially when it was inaccurate, and ill-advised to the point of idolatrous to the devout.

In fact, I’d argue that what we’re seeing is less about theology and more about MEology—leadership and ego.

Success must be visible.
Progress must be immediate.
Victory must be thorough.

Which makes waiting (while the LORD is working) quite difficult. Full disclosure: I myself am deeply convicting just writing that last part out.

Trump tends to over-compensate when frustrated.

To project strength. To reinforce the narrative.

This feels like one of those moments.

At a time when focus and humility are needed most, we are once again pulled into the orbit of something that doesn’t move anything forward.

And that’s the real cost.

AGAIN.

Man, Mr. President, I pray you soon know the freedom that comes when you can stop trying to be Jesus and delight in just being with Jesus.