by Tim Isbell, 3/19/2026
A week or two ago, President Trump led the US to attack Iran. A friend sent me an email that led to this question: Is it possible that if we succeed in dumping Trump and Trumpism, we may eventually look back on some of his warmongering positively?
I responded with an email based on my Digest for Psalm 130 for one of the lectionary readings for Year A, 5 Lent. I was somewhat proud of my work, so I sent a copy to my wife, who responded, "Yes, but you didn't answer your friend's question." That led to another email, based on the paragraphs below:
Robin reminded me that we live in a world where good decisions or actions sometimes have unintended, bad consequences, and bad decisions or actions sometimes have unintended, good consequences.
I think she's right; I also think God knew this would be so at the very beginning. Indeed, we see it in the first few chapters of Genesis. A good God created a good creation. I don't think Adam and Eve's fall into sin was due to evil in God's heart or an error in judgment; I think it was what it was (and is what it is) because God intended to use these contradictory consequences along with our free will to play a part in the path to His future New Kingdom. The world we live in is a work in progress. Ultimately, his call to every human is to submit our will to him in faith that he knows what he's doing. Heaven seems built on that premise.
Fortunately, our good God has a history of using something evil to bring about good outcomes. The cross is a prime example.
As we think about such things, it's good to presume that God himself has never sinned and never will. His intentions for his Creation are all good. If I didn't believe this, I couldn't trust God either.
Long ago, I put my trust in this statement: God is in control, despite all appearances to the contrary. That is what I believe, that is what I have seen, and that is what I have to offer the world.