If Trump Was My Neighbor...

My husband, 11 yr. old son and I live in a cul de sac with just a few homes.  It's a very multicultural street.  We have Asian, Latino, White, Mixed: White & Black and Black - including us, of course.

And, most of us really get along and care about one another - especially the multi-racial kids on our block (girls and boys), ages 7-13.

Galatians 5:14 is just one of the scriptures that admonishes us to love our neighbors: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

I think we do pretty good on our little street.

But lately I've been thinking - what if Donald Trump was my neighbor?

The other day my husband was talking politics with our neighbor Mr. Vazquez and confessed our family's "secret joke" that if Donald Trump becomes President (which he won't), then we're moving to Fiji.  His response was "Well, it wouldn't matter - we'll be deported anyway." ...Also a joke.

But neither is really that funny - because Donald Trump's campaign, behavior and his own public comments have instigated our comments.

But what if Donald Trump was the same person he is, with the same character and personal history - but was also just a regular person living next door to me, and on my street with our other neighbors?

Well...

1.   I would not hesitate to think that "Neighbor Trump" was a prejudice bigot, bordering on racism.  His comments, if stated around the neighborhood would force me to teach my son the difference between racism and prejudice and how he should manage it.  Especially if it meant, treating Mr. Neighbor Trump with respect without giving his comments any credence or respect.

2.  We would probably go to great lengths to avoid having any contact with him - for any reason.

3.  I would be totally offended at his comments about Latinos and hope the 9 and 13 year old Latino neighbors hadn't overheard that Mr. Neighbor Trump thought illegal immigrants were rapists and drug smugglers - or that a Latino lawyer couldn't try his case fairly because of his Mexican Heritage.  True story: Mr. Vasquez was a lawyer in Mexico before coming to America.

4.  I would also be concerned about Mr. Neighbor Trump's behavior towards the really gorgeous black neighbor Mom across the street.  And, my goodness, how would he act with her in front of the 8 & 9 year old girls on the street? Or God forbid - how would he act with them when they are 17 &18 year old beautiful girls!?  Or with the rest of us women who might fit the category of "well, just look at her - I don't think so."  Would we also be accused of being "Miss Piggies" who "love to eat?"  (Sorry Kaleigh from CNN - I would be offended - no matter how big my belly might be!)

5.  Oh and, if he did state his sexist, predatory comments about our beautiful black neighbor... or worse, and act upon them - would her White husband think it was just "locker room talk"?  Or better yet, how do you explain those comments as being "locker room talk" to her 7 year old son, who plays basketball like he could post up on Steph Curry right now?  Unacceptable. Highly offensive. Dismissive and totally, incredibly - jail worthy unacceptable in our out of a locker room!

6.  And, if Donald Trump was my neighbor what would I think about his comments in relation to my Dad who is an African American veteran?

7.  And finally, because of presidential candidate Trump, we are already having a challenging time teaching our son - from a Christian perspective - about his fear of terrorism, gang violence and police brutality against minorities, as well as the responses and retaliations from the Black Lives Matter movement and the heinous violence against law enforcement.  We want him to direct his concerns specifically towards the offending groups or individuals and not on whole people groups, religious beliefs or people from certain geographic regions - whether locally or globally.  I think Mr. Neighbor Trump would make that challenge exponentially worse.  Oh wait, it already has!

Oh, and - let's not get started on what if Mr. Neighbor Trump was as blatant a liar about neighborhood facts, conditions, situations and the people as he is about America!

Now then, let's just say Mr. & Mr. Clinton were our neighbors too - in my opinion Mr. Neighbor Trump's comments towards Mrs. Neighbor Clinton would be legally slanderous and unacceptable - more so than hers against him. And his comments about her husband's history would be nasty, unnecessary and extraordinarily hypocritical!

If Mr. Trump were my neighbor, and our one neighbor who does (or did) support him, then defended him as "politically correct" as his CNN supporters do, I would call it the way they refuse to.

Oh, wait... I did anyway.

Galatians 5:15 says, "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another."

If Donald Trump was my neighbor, I could teach my son how to regard Mr. Neighbor Trump from this verse and avoid being consumed by his vicious behavior and comments.

If Donald Trump was president... I could not.  And, I think America would be consumed.  Just as many Americans already are.

Our little cul de sac of multicultural neighbors is actually pretty great.  And so is our country.  Let's all consider HOW we want to keep it great and make it better for all our neighbors and our children - of every ethnicity.

And as for Mr. Trump... pray for all your neighbors and love them as yourself.

~Pastor D
p.s.  VOTE... not voting at all will only make matters worse.