Because I make an effort to stay in contact with people of all political stripes, my social media feed has been…especially stripey lately.
One image that keeps turning up is something A.I. churned out in response to Donald Trump’s recent brush with death: It appears to be Mary, blue-eyed and lipsticked and wearing nice little earrings, placidly extending her middle finger to twitch a bullet (still in its shell casing) out of its deadly path. Her manicured thumb and forefinger form a gesture that reminded many viewers of the white supremacy “OK” sign, but which others have argued looks more like a gesture of blessing common in Orthodox icons.
I’m analyzing this insane image in detail because it is so meaningful—not, perhaps, in the way the A.I. prompter intended, but as an illustration of this political, cultural and religious moment.
The image is being passed around by folks who believe it’s clear that God miraculously and directly intervened to save Trump from death. The bullet fired by Thomas Crooks should have hit him square in the skull, but instead it only grazed his ear, sparing his life and freeing him to go on and do whatever he will do.
And maybe that is what God did! I don’t know what God does or does not do. I’m not under the illusion that the Almighty, blessed be he, is carefully calibrating his decisions based on how a chronically online middle-aged swing state double hater like me might react. God’s ways are not my ways, and thank God for that.
Or maybe it was just a meaningless coincidence that the bullet missed. Maybe a blackfly bit that young man on the elbow right at the moment of truth, and he flinched just enough to shoot his shot millimeters astray. Or maybe he just wasn’t a very good marksman. I don’t know.
A good many commenters do believe they know. A priest prayed for his safety right before the speech, so is this not, argued many, clearly an answer to prayer? God clearly did that! But, protested others, why in the world would God spare the life of an adulterous felon who’s poised to wreak unimaginable havoc on our nation for a second time around? God would never do that!
But once we start thinking about what God clearly made happen or clearly didn’t make happen, it opens up a whole world of uncomfortable questions. If God and/or Mary and/or a flag-shaped angel did nudge that bullet aside to spare the former president’s life, then why did he let another bullet hit firefighter Corey Comperatore right in the head? How could that A.I. Mary look so placid while knowing this was about to happen? Is it because Trump is more powerful and therefore more important than ordinary folk? Was it because Our Lady knew people would be inspired by the man’s heroic death, and it would bring out the best in people who heard the story?
But some people who did hear of Mr. Comperatore’s valiant sacrifice said that it doesn’t matter because only fascists would be at a Trump rally, and “fascists aren’t people” (a comment I read with my own eyeballs on Facebook). Several said that he deserves no praise because he said awful things about Palestinians on Twitter, and it’s just as well he’s gone. You have to wonder: If Trump’s survival was God’s will, why doesn’t God care that it brought out the very worst in so many people?
The answer is to refuse to play this game. God isn’t impressed by the power of a political candidate (even the one we favor), and he doesn’t desire the suffering and humiliation of any human (even our political enemies). When we bring these ugly ideas out into the light, we must see how repugnant they are.
And yet, we do pray. We do ask God for things. If we don’t think that God listens to our prayers and responds to them, then why do we bother?
Oddly enough, dwelling on that grotesque A.I. image of Mary gave me some new thoughts about God’s providence.
I saw another image on social media…. Read the rest of my latest for America Magazine.
Im bothered by the fact that Simcha has read Christians saying that fascists aren’t people. (Did I read her comment correctly that “Christians” were declaring some people as non-people?)
Im a nevertrumper and while pleased to vote for Biden in 2020, to me he was a transitional President and not supposed to run this time. While Im regularly horrified at what the Far Right says and does, it is extremely important that we not declare any humans as subhumans… that would cause us all to slide downward on the slope of morality & decency and it would not be true.
Your writing is so thought provoking. You never pretend to have all the answers but make people think. Seems like today everybody knows they are on the side of truth and good…so much so they can’t listen or learn. And only care about preaching to their own choir . I so appreciate your writing. You are a gift in these times
I feel obligated to note that we Democrats never produce nearly-blasphemous art suggesting that God protects our politicians, especially when said politician uses the Seven Deadly Sins as a checklist. I would like to be nonpartisan, but I simply cannot understand why people who take their faith seriously can look at Donald Trump and avoid vomiting. Instead of recoiling in disgust, they make images like this. (Apparently God didn’t care about the retired firefighter or the other two people injured.)
I could respect someone who said that they support Trump for purely transactional reasons, like tax cuts and abortion bans. What I cannot stomach is the idea that Trump is somehow even a marginally decent human, much less a saint Chosen By The Almighty.
no, but they certainly produce blasphemous images suggesting God and Mary do other unthinkable things. I’m definitely a never-Trumper, but let’s not pretend the left is known for showing restraint around religious sensitiblities. I don’t want to link to them, but just google “Mary blasphemous image” and you’ll find plenty.
I am in a state of blind terror that Trump will win and kill me, so I’m going to push back on this. Leftists who produce blasphemous images don’t pretend to be Christians. They are deliberately separating themselves from Christians. The people who made this thing pretend to be Godly and certainly want ME to think that they are more moral and Godly than I am. That is a significant difference.
no, you’re right. There is a big difference between saying “I’m Christian, and this is what it means” and “I don’t like Christians, so ha ha.” (There are, of course, some exceptions, like “Catholics for choice” and such, but they’re not prevalent.) I’m not really convinced that one is worse than the other, though. They both target different victims, so while one may feel especially repugnant, it doesn’t matter much if you’re being the one victimized.
True and so depressing. I get depressed enough thinking about how I mess up and then multiply that by everyone else and it’s enough to make you not want to be a human being after a while! Have to remember we’re all children of God…and engaged in sibling rivalry to the max.
Hi. I am a faithful reader of the blog, but America has a paywall, so I need to unsubscribe. I can understand why you would do that and I wish you the best.
I don’t have a subscription to America either, but it lets me read a few free articles per month. Enough to read most of Simcha’s columns. Plus there are the additional articles on this blog for free.
“ I don’t know what God would do or would not do, and neither do you. Maybe God saved Trump’s life to give him a chance to repent, convert, see his own life clearly for the first time; and if so, then Trump, having free will like anyone else, can decide what to do next, and he will carry his choices with him when he steps into eternal life, as he eventually will. We do not and cannot know.”
Thank you!!! Say it louder for the people in the back!
Another insightful and well written article, I am so glad there are sane Christians like you, and I salute you as a fellow “double hater.”
I feel like “the universe” is telling both these guys not to run and they’re not listening. While watching events Saturday night I thought people are going to say, “The hand of God is on Trump!” Didn’t realize it would be the Blessed Mother sent to save the day…and she looks as good as a cartoon or movie superhero/action figure, too!
I apparently live in an ‘Islamic State’ (I don’t).
But it is good to read Simcha and the comments above as we do worry here.
Aww man, America Magazine didn’t let me read the rest without paying for a subscription. Anyway, I’m glad you addressed this topic, and I’m sure you did so brilliantly. Clearly there is just no limit to how bad the political landscape can get. I sure wish we had real options this November.
I agree with everything that Claire said. Although in regards to the political landscape, I’ve recently been listening to a book about the Andrew Jackson years of our republic, and the toxicity and divisions in that time seems to have been even worse than today.
Thank you, Simcha, for writing this.
Thank you Darren, for the reminder to keep things in perspective.
Yes, ugly elections are nothing new. I was pretty astounded reading about the smear campaigns Thomas Jefferson and John Adams ran against each other–and they were actually friends!
Unfortunately human nature keeps not changing…but we still think we’re better/smarter than previous generations despite evidence to the contrary!