Mayor Mamdani and the Ungodly Prophet

An Attitude Question

What is my attitude towards Mayor Mamdani? Recently, I was eating dinner with a Jewish friend, and he shared his concern about our new Mayor. He summarized, “On Mamdani’s first day, he redefined antisemitism in New York City.” Really? I didn’t know that at the time. He overturned a policy our former Mayor enacted, which had defined antisemitism more strictly. 

My friend has a point for sure. He went on to share why this concerns him. He described how his own last name is nearly eradicated from Holland and from the earth. In Nazi Germany, they were forced into a theater and bombed to death. Although not yet a Christian, he is concerned with our city’s choice of Mayor and the spread of antisemitism. 

A couple of days later, I was enjoying a slice of pizza with my family at our local pizzeria, as they broadcast the swearing-in ceremony. And so we watched Mamdani put his hand on the Quran to make his promise. For the first time here in NYC, we have a Muslim Mayor (at least Muslim in name).

Over the past few months leading up to the election, I’ve been asked about this repeatedly. “Are you concerned about this?” “What do you think about this democratic socialist, and also a Muslim?” “Socialism historically is no friend to Christianity!”

Most Christians in the world, in church history, and in the Bible lived under political systems that flat out reject, and more often, openly persecute the Christian faith. So, we’ve had to ask this question often. What should our attitude be toward those who lead governments and do not know God or even oppose God’s ways? 

An Ungodly Prophet’s Attitude

One common attitude is, “Get me as far away as possible from this mess.” In Brooklynese—“fuhgeddaboudit.” This attitude is fueled by doomscrolling news stories designed to elicit an emotional reaction against people who disagree with our views.

“Get me as far away from this mess as possible” is Jonah’s attitude toward Nineveh. God told him to go and he responded, “I’m going thousands of miles the opposite way!” In Jonah’s defense, the Assyrians had demolished villages in Israel; they would destroy the Northern Tribes within a generation, and they were an extremely violent and wicked people. Israelites hated the Assyrians, and especially that wicked, capital city, Nineveh. 

I’m embarrassed to share another common attitude. “New York State would be better off if all of New York City sank into the sea.” I’ve heard the same said of Los Angeles and an earthquake. Really? Is the death of millions better? I truly hope those who state these things do so in jest. But Jonah wasn’t jesting. Jonah wanted God to wipe them off the map, and he even grieved that God forgave them.

“Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, so God relented concerning the evil which He had spoken He would bring upon them. And He did not bring it upon them. But this was a great evil to Jonah, and he became angry” (Jonah 3:10-4:2).

He wanted them all dead. He may even have made that little encampment on the hillside to watch it happen. If he had to be close to the mess, he wanted a front row seat to watch it burn.

Jesus confronted this same horrible attitude in James and John. When their political opponent refused to receive Jesus, they wanted to call down fire from heaven as well. “But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, ‘You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’”] (Luke 9:53-56 LSB).

A Servant Girl’s Attitude

Shouldn’t our attitude be different? Consider the attitude of a little girl, a hundred years earlier in Israel’s history. She is a slave to the Syrian military leader, Naaman. Because of this slave-girl position, we can assume that Naaman captured her.

God had given Naaman military power to ransack towns and villages in Israel (2 Kings 5:1). Most likely, Naaman had destroyed everything this young lady knew about peace and prosperity in her political climate.  We would expect that her attitude would be hatred. She might look at his leprosy and respond in bitterness, “serves you right!” But what was her attitude?

“Now the Arameans had gone out in marauding bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said to her mistress, ‘I wish that my master were before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy’” (2 Kings 5:2–3, LSB).

“I wish…” What a beautiful attitude. God’s merciful, powerful hand extended into Naaman’s life because of this girl’s attitude of mercy. I believe she prayed for Naaman. It’s a stretch, but we could surmise that her prayers were answered in the revival of the rebellious prophet Jonah many years later in Assyria. We do know that she did what she could to point people who oppressed her to the God Who changes the leper’s spots and washes away sin.

Betsy Ten Boom exhibited this same attitude. Her sister, Corrie, talks about raging for days when she found out who turned her in, Jan Vogel. How could a Dutchman betray his country! The Ten Boom family hid Jewish people and smuggled them safely from Holland during the German occupation of WWII. And although many knew of her operation, it took a rat to turn them in. Musing on this betrayal turned her attitude into hatred and bitterness.

She asked her sister Betsy about it. “Betsie, don’t you feel anything about Jan Vogel? Doesn’t it bother you?” Betsy responded, “Oh yes, Corrie! Terribly! I’ve felt for him ever since I knew—and pray for him whenever his name comes into my mind. How dreadfully he must be suffering!”

Betsie and the servant girl’s attitude in these extreme cases serves as a great example. Surely the same attitude is necessary in less extreme cases. They exhibit genuine Gospel mercy. The one forgiven by God’s mercy prays for others and longs to be useful in God’s hand, to point others to Him. That heart attitude is willing to be near those furthest from God. And that attitude is how God brings light into all the world’s darkest areas.

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