Brian Zahn "Trumped"

I've been told by many persons that I should read Brian Zahnd's book, Postcards from Babylon since people have said to me:  "It reads like something you would have written."

I haven't read the book.

I have listened to Zahnd's sermon podcasts for years, and have read other books by Zahnd.  I've never knowingly heard him say something I categorically disagree with, and, he is a kindred spirit in theology and perspective on life, for sure!

He shared an excerpt (chapter 9) from his book on his blog - found here.

A few excerpts here:

"For me, Donald Trump was the reality TV embodiment of three of the deadly sins — lust, greed, and pride. I had no reason to think the Donald Trump who openly reveled in lust, greed, and pride in his regular appearances on the Howard Stern Show would disagree with me. I have sermon notes from the 1990s where I cite Donald Trump as an example of a popular public figure who would be a poor role model for Christians in business. That’s why when I saw a young man I had led to Jesus reading Donald Trump’s Think Big, I took him aside and urged him to find some better role models for his business aspirations. Why would I do that? Because I take seriously my pastoral calling. In Think Big, Donald Trump’s win-at-all-cost tough guy persona is on full display as he writes,
“The only way to get rich is to be realistic and brutally honest. … It is tough, and people get hurt. So you have to be as tough as nails and willing to kick ass if you want to win. … My motto is: Always get even. When somebody screws you, screw them back in spades.” . . . Kicking ass and getting even are acceptable if you’re an apprentice of Gordon Gekko but not if you’re an apprentice of Jesus Christ."

. . .

"The presidency of Donald Trump has been a relentless tornado of chaos. The controversies connected with Donald Trump seem to change by the hour — it’s neo-Nazis having “some fine people,” then it’s paying off porn stars, then it’s children in detention camps, then it’s Putin and Russia. As I write this I’m on a flight from Toronto, and for all I know what I’ve written will be out of date by the time I land in Kansas City; I’m certain it will be out of date by the time this is published. But I write it anyway. I write it in memory of my father. I write it so I’ll be on record. I write it so my grandchildren will know that during the Trump era I wasn’t duped, I wasn’t silent, and I didn’t go along for the ride. I want them to know that I saw what was happening, I knew it for what it was, and I spoke out."