God only knows

The Lord Almighty has just joined the U.S. presidential election. But we don't know whose side He is on.

God is back in American politics. But before we erupt into singing all six stanzas of Amazing Grace, we need to examine the reasons for His sudden appearance, some historical context (where had He been all this time?), and the possible ramifications for America going forward.

President Joe Biden on Friday night (July 5, 2024) defiantly announced to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos and the world that he would not quit:

 “Look, I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I’d get out of the race, but the Lord Almighty’s not coming down.”

There are several issues here. Mr. Biden was talking to Mr. Stephanopoulos, son of a Greek Orthodox priest and as such most certainly familiar with religious rhetoric and the invocation of God’s judgement call in dire circumstances. The same may be said of many Americans who may have abandoned church but not the Lord Almighty. The president’s appeal to an authority higher than his was meant to bolster his claim to a second term – I mean, who could argue with God? But Joe Biden’s call for divine intervention may have achieved the exact opposite and doomed his campaign.  

Why? Aside from the obvious desperation of calling for a sign from above, the President likely inadvertently drew attention to the problem of discerning divine will while banking on the low probability of God making his intentions clear beyond a doubt. Joe Biden was openly challenging God to “come down” (What? On a golden staircase? A pink cloud?) and set things straight. That takes some nerve. It is also quite manipulative. And it does not take God very seriously.

Granted, Americans tend to be utilitarian in their approach to most things visible and invisible. If the shoe fits, put it on. American pragmatism, which may be seen as a direct descendent of secular Protestantism, has to a large degree made America what it is today, both in good and not so admirable terms (though I would hasten to add that, overall, it has been a good thing). When it comes to the Lord Almighty, however, I would suggest that it may be wise to check our bearings and reexamine our true intentions. God will not “come down” to settle anything, neither campaigns nor wars, and challening him to do so turns the Almighty into a mere referee in matters that we ought to take into our own hands.

Which leads us to the real problem for Joe Biden. What I am referring to here, of course, is the President’s thinly guised desire to shun responsibility in matters of far-reaching consequences. Obviously, he would reject any such interpretation and instead refer to his God-fearing upbringing and conduct of life. But those are two separate things. We may love and serve God to pieces but still be unable to decide whether to buy that house, take that new job, quit smoking, and so forth. Indeed, I would argue that to love and serve the Almighty is to assume responsibility in all ways and to do so humbly.

What comes to mind here may serve to illustrate the point. The sign on President Harry S. Truman’s desk famously read: “The BUCK STOPS here” (capital letters in the original). The saying is said to have originated in frontier days when a knife with a buckhorn handle was used to indicate the poker player whose turn it was to deal. Truman referred to the sign, given to him by his friend Fred A. Canfil, numerous times. I think Truman realized that it was useless and deeply inappropriate to appeal to the Lord Almighty when considering dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Indeed, it would have been blasphemous to many American at the time.

It would be wise for Joe Biden to be humble here. Mighty decisions are the ones that call rather for courageous frontier language, not pious clichés. That, too, is part of American pragmatism, the good kind, as we leave God in His place – up there or wherever – and stand firmly on the ground to face bravely all God-given challenges.

I am not arguing to abandon all reference to the Almighty. Ronald Reagan did it; his mantra of “God bless America” is unequalled in United States Presidential rhetoric. Jimmy Carter’s faith in turn was palpable, though part of his belief, I imagine, was to use humble restraint in appealing for God’s direct intervention.

I live in a country whose Constitution in key parts is patterned after that of the United States of America, but instead of “We the people…,” the Swiss in their preamble lay the Federation’s foundation beyond the human self, solemnly declaring at the outset:  “In the name of Almighty God!” The Alpine country, whose towering mountains have instilled both fear and love of God, has chosen language that goes back to at least 1291 when the same phrase appears in Latin on a document asserting its staunch independence from foreign rule.

But the interview Friday was not about foreign rule, dropping bombs, nor even about reducing the budget deficit. It was simply about whether Joe Biden could come to a decision about anything at all by his lonesome self and squarely taking responsibility for it. He should not be afraid, whether he decides to stay in or bow out. But reference to the Lord Almighty is presidential tantrum, not fear of God.