This must be said without equivocation, “I am praying for the success of President-Elect Donald H. Trump’s tenure in office.” Unlike the Republican Congressional leaders who announced publicly on his first Inauguration Day their singular intention to stymie President Barack Obama’s Administration and to stifle each and every initiative he presented, I want to see Mr. Trump perform at the highest level of civility with wise counsel and above average leadership quality. The success of the President-Elect propels the success of the nation.
During the past eight years we witnessed the brutal and insulting performances of members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives who pre-determined their commitment to see President Obama fail in office. Fortunately, Mr. Obama, a professor of the United States Constitution at the University Of Chicago School Of Law, was able to out think, out-wit, and move strategically to blunt some but not all of his opponents’ shenanigans.
Now, with the minority popular vote, Mr. Trump begins his term as the 45th President of the United States at a moment when the nation is polarized and divided along multiple lines. He faces a steep learning curve as he transitions from the business world to the White House.
Mr. Trump’s lack of public service and inexperience as a political leader will require intensive attention to complicated details about vast national and global realities. Whether or not he has the capacity to grasp the depth and seriousness of comprehensive information about technology, climate change, diverse cultures, and sensitive international subtleties will be tested upon arrival on the job.
Challenging his entry into global politics is the very concerning appointees Mr. Trump has named to his Cabinet. In almost every instance, it appears he has surrounded himself with individuals who have as little or less experience than he has in critically important positions. At the same time, the vacancy on the United States Supreme Court which he is expected to fill almost immediately could have lasting ramifications deep into the future and long past his presidency.
Given all the significant issues that truly matter across the country and around the world, I am praying for the President-Elect to be successful for the sake of the nation. I am praying because there is very little doubt that only Divine intervention can lead this country in a direction forward that will benefit all of its peoples peacefully and productively.
The heat of campaign banter now gives way to policies, practices, and priorities that will affect all sectors of society and every individual, family, and community in the nation. Regardless of how we pray, all of us are needed to place the future of the United States in the hands of a merciful God. For a time such as this, humble submission to the Creator is our only hope for a successful presidency that reflects compassion, vision, and respect for humanity’s great potential to do what is right, just, and good…and not for ourselves only but for the world.
— Rev. Dr. Art Cribbs
