It is with sadness as well as bewilderment we view the current Presidential campaign in the US. Not to mention anguish about the possible outcome. Much has been made of Donald Trump's misogyny, racism, and egotism. In a way, he makes himself an easy target for criticism from many quarters. What should concern us, however, is the character of a would-be leader: the person that stands behind the words and actions. In the case of Trump, it is not just the misogyny, for example, but his infidelity to his wives. It is not just the racism, it is the attitude of superiority he assumes both about himself and about his country. ('Making America Great - again.') This is not to say that Hillary Clinton is whiter than white (forgive the pun): indeed, some American evangelicals support Trump because at least with him you know what you are getting, whereas with Clinton there is suspicion and mistrust. Either way, America will not be getting someone with the integrity and humility of Obama. Whilst he is apparently not regarded as a great President, at least his character seems to be above reproach.
Imagine Trump and Clinton arrive on the stage for a Presidential debate, and he greets her with the words, '...to see your face is like seeing the face of God'! Unimaginable! Two bitter rivals would not be expected to see in each other anything but an enemy. Yet these words are used by Jacob as he greets his twin brother Esau, after years of separation. Jacob is a trickster, a deceiver, who has robbed his (very slightly) older brother of their father's blessing years before. He has been on the run, and now a day of reckoning has arrived.
The night before, Jacob wrestles with an unknown man. Perhaps this man represents his own guilty conscience, or his fear. By the end of the night he is a changed man, with a new name ('Israel' - God struggles) and a limp, after his hip is put out in the struggle. Thus transformed, and weakened, he faces his brother with a wealth of goods to 'buy' his favour. To his surprise - like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son - Esau rushes to greet and embrace him, completely disarming him of any ability to manipulate the situation. And this prompts these words, to see your face...
The world is full of rivalries, with Trump/Clinton being but one obvious example. What we reflect on this week is God's power to transform the hardest heart, to dissolve the bitterness of years. If we want to reflect the image of God, we will choose grace over hostility, reconciliation over revenge, equality over rivalry (McLaren p42)
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