“Why do you love Trump?” I asked my Christian friend. “Because he says it like it is, doesn’t care what anyone thinks” she said. “But you hate Obama, can you tell me why,” I ask, trying to get clarity. “Because Obama, in my opinion, was a snake, saying one thing but secretly believing something else,” she admits.

Hmmm. At that moment I realize I have nowhere to go. The belief is set in the psyche, hardwired and backed up with emotions. But why?

So, I muse.

He declared with his mouth that Jesus Christ was his savior. But some believers who share that same faith – said he was lying and that his declaration of faith was a “ruse” to cover the fact that he was “secretly” a Muslim hell bent on destroying our country and ushering in Sharia law and taking away everyone’s guns.

We’re still here – fully armed – he’s still a Christian, living in faith and loving his family and praying for America.

I watched as he stood up in front of a church in mourning in South Carolina and slowly, with deep emotion began to sing Amazing Grace – some Christians watched and believed he was “acting” and again pronounced that our president was a Muslim and some went so far as to call him the anti-Christ.

We’re still here – Armageddon not yet – and if he is the anti-Christ he must be waiting for a more suitable power appointment than leader of the free world to declare his reign.

A few months ago – on my very own newsfeed – an acquaintance shared a meme filled with so much vile hatred, it shot an arrow of pain through my heart. It read – good riddance to these two despicable people – showing a picture of the Obamas boarding Marine One. The very first comment underneath – a person said he hoped they would hang from a tree. This broke my heart and literally made me sick to my stomach. It is something I will never understand.

On Inauguration Day, we were here – watching him greet the new president and first lady with graciousness and warmth, kissing his wife’s hand as they took their seats and extending a hug and kiss to Senator Dole and his wife. (still acting?)

Still feel hate for him and believe he is not a Christian?

HERE are President Obama’s ACTUAL WORDS from the National Prayer breakfast from Feb. 2016 – he wasn’t reading – he was speaking from his heart. (his speech is available on YouTube)

“For me, and I know for so many of you, faith is a great cure for fear,” he said. “Jesus is a good cure for fear.” “Like every president, like every leader, like every person, I’ve known fear,” Obama said.
“But my faith tells me that I need not fear death, that acceptance of Christ promises everlasting life and the washing away of sins.”
“I pray that our leaders will always act with humility and generosity,” he said.

AND TODAY – I read on a Christian pastor’s FB page – Trump has brought God back into the White House. Apparently insinuating that God took leave for 8 years, was nowhere to be found because that is God’s habit to abandon those who are praying for wisdom and guidance.

AND . . .don’t get me wrong . . .I am hoping God has Trump’s back as I have always prayed for all our Presidents.

So what are we to do? Where do we go from here? What motivates someone to want to believe in hidden deviance? How did we get to this point where voting your conscience and coming together as a people is booed? Why are folks who quote the bible and call themselves Christians filled with so much hatred for a man who has only spoken words of unity and faith and displayed actions of compassion, calm, love for his wife and family and country, for babies, children, furry friends . . etc. who ends every speech even after singing Happy Birthday to his daughter with “God Bless America”. And yet – so many people HATE who he was, who he is, as some have told me . . . the very sight of him. But when I ask why? I get . . .I don’t know . . .I just do. . .or even better “because he hates America”.

These are puzzle pieces I’m convinced I will never be able to connect. I am slowly coming to the realization that WE BELIEVE what we WANT to believe. WE HEAR what we want to hear . . .WE SHUT OUT what we don’t want to see and if we believe that the government was behind 9/11 . . .that man never walked on the moon . . .that Obama was born in Africa and is secretly a Muslim . . .that the illuminati controls powerful people behind the scenes in a hidden dark room somewhere deep in the inner recesses of Washington and no CIA agent or crazy reporter has ever wanted to expose it . . .

I digress.

We’re still here. A nation of immigrants, of many faiths and beliefs, diversity of opinions and experiences, cultures and truths.

Praying that we continue to cling to HOPE, LOVE and believe in the goodness of one another and that we the people always, always LOOK for the positive until someone gives us a reason to believe otherwise.

And in the meantime – I will continue to feel only gratitude for our first African American President and his lovely wife – for serving our country with class, dignity, integrity, graciousness, eloquence and most definitely love.