I have heard it said, “You do not judge great art—great art judges you.” Now and then great men and women come our way. Perhaps God sends them. The ways we compromised humans evaluate the lives, deeds, and integrity of such individuals judges us, not them. The United States has lost a great man—a giant of integrity, compassion, and courage. Anyone who cherishes freedom, justice, and truth grieves over the death of Elijah E. Cummings. He has been eulogized and honored by Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. He was able to work tirelessly and vigilantly for what he valued while being open to working with those who did not share those values.
I find it hypocritical that those who opposed Cummings with slander and libel while he was alive now praise him in death. Such shameless opportunists are not worthy to speak his name.
However, I find it hypocritical that those who opposed Cummings with slander and libel while he was alive now praise him in death. Such shameless opportunists are not worthy to speak his name. Just two months ago, Trump called Cummings a “brutal bully” and denounced his Congressional district as “rat and rodent infested and the worst run and most dangerous [district} in the United States.” Trump accused the Congressman of doing “nothing but milking Baltimore dry.” These attacks on Cummings came two weeks after Trump told four Democratic Congresswomen of color they should “go back to the countries they came from.” In response to Trump’s attack, Cummings said that though it was his “constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the executive branch,” it was his “moral duty” to fight for his constituents. Cummings also drew attention to the “skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs and the financial hardships that families across the nation, and in Baltimore, are facing.” He invited Trump to work with him on this problem.
At 8:54 a.m. on October 17, 2019 (after Elijah Cummings’ death), Trump tweeted the following: “My warmest condolences to the family and many friends of Congressman Elijah Cummings. I got to see firsthand the strength, passion, and wisdom of this highly respected political leader. His work and voice on many fronts will be hard, if not impossible, to replace.” ??????? So, the man Trump called a “brutal bully” and who was guilty of “milking Baltimore dry” is now praised for his strength, passion and wisdom, will be “hard, if not impossible to replace,” and was a “highly respected political leader.” It’s hard to believe that many U.S. citizens will be fooled by such hypocrisy—but there are still those lockstep admirers who embrace the “fake truth” of this “emperor who wears no clothes.”
Anyone comparing Donald Trump and Elijah will see a gigantic difference. Elijah Cummings was born to sharecroppers. Donald Trump was born to wealthy parents who gave him many unfair advantages in life. Cummings’ father had to struggle to support his family. Trump’s father was a racist who taught his son that winning matters above everything and everyone else. Cummings was told by a counselor that because of his speech impediment, he could never be a lawyer. Trump was mentored by such despicable men as the lawyer Roy Cohn who advised Trump to lie and lie and lie until enough people believed his lies. Cummings labored all his adult years to make life better for all people, especially children. Trump has never demonstrated any concern for anyone beyond himself. His legacy regarding children is tearing them from the arms of their mothers and putting them in cages. Cummings always acted from a sincere faith in the God revealed in Jesus who incarnated love, truth, and justice. Trump and his toadies have co-opted religion as they seek to justify their racist and greedy agendas. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:16) Jesus said, “You shall know them by their fruits.” It would be difficult to find anything about Elijah Cummings which did not reflect the character, devotion, and love of Jesus. Tragically, it would also be difficult to find anything about Donald Trump that remotely resembles our Lord.
Within Cherokee culture there is a story in which a grandfather teaches his grandson an important lesson in life. The grandfather tells his grandson that there is a battle going on within all of us. He says, “My son, the battle is between two wolves that live inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.” The grandson thinks about what his grandfather has said and asks, “Which wolf wins?” The grandfather replies, “The one you feed.”
If Jesus is correct in saying that we will know people by their fruits, I think we know what fed Elijah Cummings’ soul.
Freshman Congress members who wanted to serve on Congressman Cummings’ committees as well as those potential aides hoping to serve on his staff were all interviewed personally by Cummings. The last question he asked each of these people as he looked deeply into their eyes was this: “What feeds your soul?” If Jesus is correct in saying that we will know people by their fruits, I think we know what fed Elijah Cummings’ soul. And tragically, we can also see what feeds Trump’s soul. One thing Trump said about Cummings after his death was spot on. Cummings will be “hard, if not impossible, to replace.” As with each of us, it will all depend on what feeds the soul of his replacement.
