On Feb. 5, President Donald Trump retweeted a video, originally from Trump’s Truth Social account, which discussed conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

However, near the end of the video, a clip portrayed former President Barak Obama and his wife Michelle as apes. After receiving pushback from various constituents, President Trump removed the video from his account, and later the White House attributed the reception to be “fake outrage.” Later, the administration attributed the remarks to be a mistake, one where “a White House staffer erroneously made the post” and it has been taken down.

The president’s retweet has caused disbelief, frustration and outrage among different people across the political spectrum. However, in Christian circles, the remarks of the president have either been a source of public discussion or ignored in totality. For some, there is a general unawareness to his morally incomprehensible retweet. For others, their algorithms prohibited them from witnessing the grotesque video.

Nevertheless, once a Christian has become aware of the video and its denigrating depiction of Black life, then they must consider their moral response.

Do Christians have a responsibility to advocate for the common good of civilization by sharing remarks on the inexcusable actions of the president of the United States? I believe so. Especially when this video utilizes historic racist depictions of Black people as a means of political gain. 

For Christians, this moment provides an opportunity to clarify our commitment of affirming the human dignity of all people in this nation, but especially Black people. For those who might find sympathy with the White House on significant policy issues, there’s an opportunity to speak directly to the degradation of Black people, especially because the Christian faith compels one to value the innate worth given to our neighbors regardless of their melanin.

Genesis 1:26-28 sets a foundation for the Christian understanding of what it means to be human, and it certainly does not include a beast-like comparison, one which infers an aggressive, violent and unintelligent animal.

As Christians, we have an opportunity to be a prophetic witness that can expose darkness and called people into the marvelous light. We have an opportunity to show through word and deed that racism is unacceptable in our understanding of the Christian faith. Insomuch, Christians should advocate for an apology, and for there to be accountability for irreprehensible actions, whether it was the president or a White House staff.

It is problematic if Christians remain silent after such a fiasco. Genuinely, the silence is deafening, and communicates more than what some may realize to Black people, many of whom are fellow Christians.

In short, the actions of Trump are indefensible. We must be clear and straightforward when addressing racism, regardless of whether racism comes from the president or if it comes from our neighbor next door. 

It is truly tragic that racism exists in our world. America has felt racism’s untenable influence. Yet, the Gospel confronts any vestige of influence. The opportunity is now. Will Christians speak to the silence or allow silence to be deafening to those around us? 

Kelvin J. Washington is lead pastor of New Valley Church in Waynesboro, Virginia.

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