Voice of the Disregarded

In the weeks during the US presidential election campaign, the name Donald Trump became a common sight in the web – be it in news portals or on social media. And, just as news that seem to always be brought into the spotlight, they were not exactly of the most commendable sort. In almost every piece I happened across during that period, Trump was condemned, criticised and mocked for his stances. These stances seem to be mainly centered on clamping down immigration, building a wall between US and Mexico, banning Muslims from the country, abolishing environmental protection, his scandals, sexism, etc.

The major secular media I came across portrayed Trump in a negative light, highlighting the outrageous comments made by him (though currently this seems to be balancing slightly more evenly during the time of writing). Yet, to a man (or in this case, a portal) they seemingly ignore other issues he addressed, for instance securing jobs for local American citizens. I cannot help but compare this to a similar situation occurring at the opposite end of the world – in Malaysia. On one hand you have its local newspapers portraying the reigning government as the one shining beacon of the country, with the opposition seeking to incite division and rebellion among the citizens. In contrast, the international media and internet websites project the opposition as champions for clean politics, a light that shines amidst a corrupt and oppressive government.

Now I am not saying I support Trump – or Hillary for that matter. Each has their own shortcomings, and this is beside the point of this article. Each has their faults, but what many tend overlook is that each has their strengths as well.

People are inclined to hear only what they want to hear. To a modern day educated urban citizen, perhaps his/her interests lean toward environmental conservation, gender equality, freedom of expression and openness to novel ideas. As long as I and those close to me are safe and doing fine, shouldn’t I be free to pursue what interests me? To a poor barely-schooled resident in a rural district however, he/she is more likely to be concerned with bread and butter issues and having a steady source of income to support themselves or their family. Who really cares about the environment or have the leisure creative expression if I cannot secure the basic necessities of life?

This is thus my conjecture. When the Democrats lost to the Republicans, many of these “moderate progressive” liberals refuse to accept this outcome – some going as far as to push for a secession from the US (eg: Calexit). This group is made up of middle to upper-class income earners: those who have access to proper education, tech-savvy and leading a more-or-less comfortable lives. Their exposure and formal credentials/achievements cause them to see themselves as well-informed, wiser and more intelligent than those living in the countryside. And it is precisely because of this that they cannot understand nor accept the reasons of the people who voted contrary to their ideals. A quick tour on MSN featured articles seem to prove this: those who voted for Trump are sexist, racist, Islamophobic or just plain stupid. But they cannot – or perhaps would not – see it in the eyes of those who behold a bleak future, who are struggling to make ends meet, simply because they have never tasted its unadulterated bitterness.

The situation above inevitably led me to compare it with the plight Christians are facing. In similar fashion, Jesus and His Apostles who lived by the Gospel are persecuted and derided by people of the supposedly educated and progressive lot. Because the latter are intelligent they declare their refusal to believe in “some fairy tale story of an almighty creator watching over everything.” The relevance of 1 Corinthians 1:22:23 remains strong even after over 2000 years.

Even if someone manages to provide a rational/logical explanation, they will refuse to accept it – just as the Jews in Acts 6:10-11, and just as the Americans now who refuse to accept the results of the presidential election. This made me recall a line from a piece I read many years ago: when an atheist was invited to debate with a pastor, he declined saying that it is impossible to hold a logical discussion over a fictional storybook. They cannot empathise with them, simply because they refuse the first step of acknowledging the possibility that He exist. Meanwhile those people beyond the convenience of city life are similar to those who make up the Body of Christ. Not in the sense of their spirituality perhaps, but on their emphasis on the fundamental necessities of life. Much like the latter half of Psalms 131:1, “…I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me.”

Perhaps in an environment where everything is placed on fast track, those in the city – myself included – have forgotten to cherish the simple things in life. So caught up are we in our own endeavours we sometimes tend to discount the issues of those close us, what more of others living a few hundred miles away from our district in some backcountry.

Yet, just as the democrats living in the major cities of US learned, to sideline them is to sideline a great number of hopes and dreams of her people. Like the upper-class Jews in Jesus’ day, the Pharisees, scribes and priests who scorned the lower-class society treated Jesus with the same contempt on the Cross. Ultimately, it is the poor, maimed, blind, lame, those on the highways and hedges (Luke 24:21,23), even the tax collectors and harlots (Matthew 21:31) that made their way into the Kingdom of Heaven. Those who are not trapped by the snares of the world (Luke 8:7,14), who have little/nothing to lose, and thus decided to put their faith into the untested water.

This case serves as a solemn reminder that the media-fed contemporary wisdom and intelligence does not necessarily portray/cover an entire story in an even light. In the end, one must consider the subject/views from all angles, and then exercise discretion based on his/her consciousness and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Never discard a person’s hopes especially for their desire on the basic necessities of life, for one day this may return to bite us in our heels.

RFG always.