Student explores what America’s (dis)trust in Hillary & Donald might mean for the church
Growing up in Kansas, it was virtually impossible to learn about American politics free of a certain partisan slant. Bob Dole was ever-present: I remember voting for him in our kindergarten mock election in 1996 (Yes, they had the kindergartners voting—I’m still unsure why). And even into the early 2000s in classrooms and dinner conversations alike, Ronald Reagan was a mainstay.
I still remember my dad teaching me Reagan’s famous quote: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” As far back as I can remember, distrust in government was almost a given. Fast-forward to my middle school years of watching foreign policy play out in Iraq, or my high school years witnessing the collapse of the economy, and perhaps it becomes apparent why my generation sees little reason to put trust in Washington, or Topeka, or government in general.
Owen Gray is a final level Master of Divinity student at the Richmond campus of Union Presbyterian Seminary.
