“I am the Way the Truth
and the Life. No One comes to the
Father except through me.”
Jesus in the Gospel John 14:6

When Pope Francis was on a plane going from Mexico back to Rome he was asked about Donald Trump’s remarks about immigrants, building a wall along the border and deporting immigrants here illegally. He said: ““A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel,” Trump, his opponents in the presidential race and leading Christian were quick to criticize the Pope. Even Jed Bush who criticizes Donald Trump and is a Catholic said”: “I don’t question anybody’s Christianity because I honestly believe that’s a relationship you have with your creator and it only enables bad behavior when someone from the outside of our country talks about Donald Trump,” The Catholic Bishops were silent in this difference between the Pope and Donald Trump.

I say wait a minute: Pope Francis was not speaking about Donald Trump’s personal relationship with God but about Gospel values. Is not a Christian a person who follows Gospel values, the Gospel of Jesus Christ who Christians claim is the son or ‘heir” of God. Jesus, was God made human, to show us the way the truth and light of God. The Pope, just like when he condemned arms dealers, was speaking of Gospel values and how someone who only thinks about building walls to keep people out not about building bridges is not a Christian.

When our present President sends killer drones to kill persons, authorizes major arms deals or grows the atomic weapon supply in the USA he is not acting on Gospel values and not acting like a follower of Jesus, a Christian, who follows the Gospel should act. How can a person that does not follow the primary Gospel value of “love your enemies” be a Christian?

What I think has happened in American Christian experience is that we have watered down and rationalized the Gospel so much that it is has little meaning. It is not just Donald Trump or the President who ignores Gospel values yet considers themselves a good Christian. It it is most Americans, including myself. Hypocrisy seems to be the order of the day.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society, a Catholic lay organization would consider itself Christian but when the Society in Milwaukee fails to follow the mission of the Society, to make home visits to people in need practicing the works of mercy, people are afraid to criticize it. Rationalization , ‘like we are going to help the poor by investing millions of dollars in a store in the suburbs so it can day provide money to serve the needy”, even where it true or possible, runs contrary to everything the Society stands for and what the Gospel compels to do toward God’s blessed ones, the poor.

Jesus meant what he said and did in the Gospels. Christianity is a lot more than a personal relationship with God. It is about practicing the Gospel, which show us, in the life of Jesus, the Way of God. Donald Trump, all his Christian supporters, the Catholic Bishops who keep silent and the St. Vincent de Paul Society and all of us need to practice Gospel Values. It may be hard and we cannot always live up to way of Jesus but to be Christian we must try to live the Gospel.

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