I am writing in response to Jim Langley’s Feb. 15 commentary, “God Has Not Been Trumped,” which suggests that God has chosen President Donald Trump to save America.

I am not writing to argue with Langley. I doubt that his mind can be changed.

Rather, I am writing to present an alternative perspective.

I am a Christian. I was raised a Christian and I am a practicing Christian today. I am a member, and regularly attend services, at a local church. I am involved with a “Bible study” Zoom group and have had various leadership roles in my church over the years.

I believe there is God. I believe that God is being rather than a being. Or, in words attributed to St. Paul, “God is where we live and move and have our being.”

God is a mystery beyond human understanding.  Humankind has experienced God since the beginning of recorded history.

Attempts to understand, process and describe the experience of God have developed into various religious traditions.

I believe they are all reactions to the same impetus but have manifested differently. Much as languages manifest differently.

I do not believe any tradition is more right — or wrong — than another. I am a Christian because it is a tradition that is familiar and comfortable to me.

I believe the Bible was written by humans trying to process their understanding of life and God’s role in their lives.

I believe the Bible should be taken seriously but not literally. Biblical stories and messages, particularly the Old Testament, reflect a time and understanding of life that is far removed from that of 21st century America.

They contain some valid lessons but they must be considered in the context of the time and place they were originated.

The New Testament presents a departure from earlier understanding of human relationships with one another and with God.

The stories about Jesus, time and again, reflect an emphasis placed on humility, kindness, compassion and love.

As presented, Jesus exhibited radical inclusiveness. Tax collectors, lepers, the infirm, the disenfranchised — they were all included.

I believe the cliché, “we are all in this together,” represents an ultimate truth. And, as I heard in a recent sermon, “All Means All.”

I believe we are to treat all people with respect, love and compassion. What Langley referred to as a “new commandment” is, in fact, identified as the “First and Great Commandment” in Matthew 22:7-40.

It says we are to “love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soul and with all our mind.” And follows, “… the second commandment is like unto it, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. All the Law and Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Make no mistake, Jesus (in the good Samaritan story) was quite clear as to who our neighbors are: everyone.

As it is stated in Micah 6:8 in response to the question, what is required of us? “We are to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.” It is really not complicated.

Trump won the 2024 election, no question about that. However, I would hardly call it “an overwhelming surge of support for change.” Less than half of voters supported the Trump ticket.

Like many, I do not think Trump embodies anything that comes close to being reflective of Christianity, reflective of the wishes of God.

He is a self-absorbed immoral man. He is dishonest, vindictive and mean. His actions this past month reflect nothing short of a complete disregard for constitutional norms.

Both in domestic and international arenas, chaos reigns.

Clearly, “elections have consequences.” As the duly elected president, Trump has the right to move our government in the direction that he and his advisers desire. But there are laws and precedents that must be respected to assure that our democracy will continue.

I do not believe that God chooses presidents. (Didn’t we dispense with divine right thinking when we rebelled against King George III?)

But, if God did pick a president, I am quite certain it would not have been Donald Trump.