A Short Bible Devotion from the Nevada Democratic Party’s Presidential Primary Debate on 19 Feb 2020 by Duke Jeyaraj
The Nevada Democratic Party’s Presidential primary debate was called the greatest debate in human history (by John Podhoretz of New York Post, February 19, 2020). Senator Elizabeth Warren was at her scathing best. “I’d like to talk about who we’re running against — a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians,” Warren said. “No, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.” “Bloomy should feel gloomy after the Dem debate roasting” – someone observed and it was all the work of Elizabeth Warren’s silver tongue! While she was convincingly vicious in her attack of the stunned Mayor Bloomberg, she also offered unexpected support to the other woman on the debate stage, Senator Amy Klobuchar (who is also her opponent as Bloomberg is), who said that she’d made an error by not recalling correctly the name of the president of Mexico in an interview. Elizabeth Warren defended her Democratic primary opponent Sen. Amy Klobuchar saying, “It happens to everybody on this stage…” while Amy was ripped apart by Pete Buttigieg(The Hill’s report). This action of Elizabeth Warren sent this message to her hearers: “I am objective when it comes to criticism/defence of my political opponents! I do not hesitate to hit out against my opponents. I do not shillyshally when I have to praise them as well!”
Apostle Paul was objective as a communicator of the Gospel in the hostile Athens much like Senator Elizabeth Warren was in the Nevada Democratic Party Presidential Primary Debate. He did roast the city’s lack of faith in after-life by talking about a certain judgement day that was soon to come. But Paul was also objective and fair when he chose to agree with one of the famous poets and son of Athens when he spoke thus: “One of your own poets say we are God’s offspring”. Read Acts 17 and gather this for yourselves. When we share the Gospel with friends from other faith, we need not shy away from asserting certain-to-bring-controversy issues like the never-to-be-sacrificed uniqueness of Jesus, the certainty and eternity of hell, etc. But at the same time, we need to seek to appreciate/assert things we can agree with in the world/works (it could be a secular movie, a secular song, etc) of those we are trying to give the Gospel too. Apostle Paul did that in Athens in Acts 17. And we too can follow suit.
