The American theatre impresario Sarah Caldwell once said you should "learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can" and that's a great rule for leaders to live by. If we only allow ourselves to learn through formal education routes, and from people that we like, respect or follow, we miss a wealth of daily learning opportunities. Just as we tend to learn more from our failures than we do from our successes, we also have much to learn from some of the people we don't like or agree with.
So... whichever side of the increasingly fierce battle-lines you stand as the US election approaches, perhaps you can use this idea as a prompt to listen to the 'other' candidate for a moment, whoever that might be. And since I've been fairly open about my personal dislike of the Republican presidential nominee, allow me to point to a few things I think that Christan leaders can learn from Donald Trump and his campaign to become the leader of the free world.
1. Aim high, stay confident
Many laughed when Trump first announced he was going to run for president; initially his candidacy was seen as an amusing sideshow among the serious nominees. But as frontrunners fell and campaigns imploded, Trump continued to gather momentum. And even deep into his attempt to win that seat in the Oval Office, Trump has continued to shrug off scandals, allegations of mistruth and the opposition of every significant celebrity on the planet. No-one is laughing now.
For a Church that is seriously lacking confidence, this is a really interesting and strangely inspirational story that suggests if you pursue something unswervingly enough, it can happen even against the odds. Many church leaders have begun to gradually accept a decline narrative as irreversible. Donald Trump would never do that.
2. Refuse to accept 'reality'
The fact that the Trump camp has repeatedly suggested it may not accept the result if Clinton wins might seem shocking, but I also think it demonstrates a kind of tenacity. If you truly believe something is right, then why on earth would you let a setback like losing a democratic election prevent you from continuing to pursue it? Right now, Britain is getting ready to leave the EU despite the fact that the politicians don't want to and most of the voters are wondering whether it's such a good idea. If Trump was a British remain-voter, you can bet that Brexit would now be tied up in decades of red-tape legal battles.
The Church could do with a bit more of the blindly optimistic fight demonstrated by Trump. The big picture might show a general decline in attendance; we might be marred by regular media scandals and a nagging sense that we don't like all people equally, but that shouldn't stop us from being determinedly upbeat about the future. Faith, after all, is being "sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1). We should continue to pursue the Kingdom no matter what. A Reverend Trump would.
3. Admit your mistakes
One of the most fascinating elements of Trump's campaign has been his ability to own up to mistakes, and then brush them off. This is at least half-way to a Christian understanding of grace (just without the repentance and forgiveness bits). He's a man who knows he isn't perfect, and the media's repeated attempts to remind him of the fact has only enhanced his (personally-generated) reputation as a flawed genius.
Sure, Donald isn't exactly Robert De Niro in The Mission, but he is at least prepared to show a bit of fallibility. The fact that some Christian leaders seem so unprepared to do so can lead regular folk in the pews to feel horribly unworthy, and also creates a huge crisis when one of those leaders fails. Perhaps Christian leaders should wear their flaws on their sleeves a little more. You know, like Donald.
4. Understand the power of the Church
For a British Christian observer, the impact and influence of the 'Christian vote', so courted by Team Trump, has been fascinating. In our post-Christian context, we simply can't imagine a Church with such power to influence and shape culture. To this fairly uneducated observer, it seems like the whole race has somewhat pivoted on the moment when various major evangelical leaders decided to withdraw their support from the Republican nominee (although thankfully Stephen Baldwin is still fully engaged). It makes you imagine what the Church in the US might really be able to achieve if it worked together: shatter the racism that haunts the nation, fight prejudice, defeat the evils of gun proliferation, end poverty? The potential is staggering. Since the election has been able to demonstrate just how keenly 'Christian values' are still felt across America, is it time for churches to draw on that goodwill and start working together to bring all sorts of social change?
Gosh, that last one's quite inspiring. And in the context of thinking about Donald Trump – the man who will not give up – I'm suddenly filled with hope and excitement about it. American Church, your time is now. Make yourself great again.
Martin Saunders is a Contributing Editor for Christian Today and the Deputy CEO of Youthscape. Follow him on Twitter @martinsaunders.
