“Courage is grace under fire. It’s not the absence of fear; it’s being able to do what you have to do while you’re afraid.”

–Sir Winston Churchill

 

The events of last Saturday, July 13, compelled me to shelve a blog on two feel-good stories and opine on more important matters for us to ponder.

Never could I have imagined the scenario that would unfold just four days after my last post (https://timeichenbrenner.com/tuesday-thoughts-why-i-dont-care/). Our country came within a fraction of an inch of learning how it would respond to the likely death of one of the two major candidates in this year’s presidential campaign.*

I’m confident we would have survived and even thrived, and then moved forward, just as we did when President Kennedy was assassinated. I’m thankful we didn’t have to find out, and I would have been equally grateful had it been a failed attack on President Biden’s life rather than Mr. Trump’s.

Most people within my social circle and those I heard on television, conservative or liberal, were appropriately horrified. A few twisted minds joked that the shooter should have taken lessons, or actually rued that he missed his target. Seriously? There’s no place for that in our culture today–in the political arena or elsewhere.

As Melania Trump so eloquently stated following the shooting, “… differing opinions, policies, and political games are inferior to love.” Regardless of what one may think of Mr. Trump or Mr. Biden, there’s one compelling reason to never wish either of them harm: There are young people and children in this world who call them “Grandpa.” Who pulls for a child to lose a grandfather?

Now to the deeper, more theologic issue. Following the shooting, people were quick to invoke God’s providence in protecting Mr. Trump. Maybe, but I’m not convinced. Because, if that’s true, then it follows that Corey Comperatore, the man killed in the shooting, did not have God watching over him. How do you square that circle?

Far be it from me to read God’s “tea leaves.” We’re admonished in Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (NIV). In this world, things happen that we are humanly unable to explain.

Why do innocent children die of cancer while most of us live into our eighties? Why does a drunk driver walk away from an accident, while someone in the other car is killed? Why do bad things happen to good people? Such questions are what drive some folks to theodicy, the notion of how a good God would allow evil in the world.

As is often said, “When we get to Heaven, God’s got some explaining to do.” Well, get in line with me for that. Maybe then, what we see now as a blurred image in a mirror, then will be fully and clearly seen, (1 Cor 13:12, paraphrased).

Finally, the question remains, “Will his brush with death change Mr. Trump’s faith?” I am not one to judge another’s faith, but there’s never been much said or written about his. In his nomination acceptance speech, he said God’s hand was in the events of July 13th.

A near-death experience can change one’s perspective on life, humbling them and making them grateful to God for another day and a second chance. As a believer, I hope the former president’s faith was emboldened. I don’t know. We’ll see. Certainly that would be a silver lining to what was a terrible event for our country.

But I do know this: an injured Donald Trump, like him or not, had the courage to stand and defiantly raise his fist to that heinous attack, while Corey Comperatore had the courage to shield his wife and child from harm, losing his life in the process.

And evil lay dead and defeated.

 

*This blog was written prior to President Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 Presidential race.