Welcome to Defender’s Voice. I am Dr.Paul. Thank you for joining us today. Send me your questions to info@doctorpaul.org. Please visit www.doctorpaul.org to read my essays and to support this ministry.
Today’s question, ‘Let’s Go Brandon’. Can Christians say it?
Good question. Now a days, wherever we go we hear this phrase, ‘Let’s go Brandon’. It became a code word for expletives directed at US President Joseph Biden.
The phrase originated in a NASCAR race in Alabama in early October. A driver named Brandon Brown won the race. The crowds were chanting F Joe Biden. F Joe Biden. A reporter for NBC Sports, Kelli Stavast was covering the event. After interviewing Brandon Brown, this reporter said, “As you can hear the chants from the crowd, ‘Let’s go Brandon’. Why did this reporter say those words? We do not know whether this reporter intentionally changed the message or misheard what the crowd was saying.
Now it is all over the world. Some people have been singing songs with those words. Some people are wearing T-shirts and hats displaying those words. A Southwest Airlines pilot allegedly said ‘Let’s go Brandon’ over the plane intercom. We heard reports that some people on the board got extremely uncomfortable to hear that and responded with audible gasps.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz has said it’s ‘one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen’. Florida Rep Bill Posey ended a speech on the House floor saying, ‘Let’s Go Brandon’. South Carolina Rep Jeff Duncan wore a mask on the House floor with those words.
When Donald Trump was the President, we have seen people using expletives against him. What goes around, comes around.
How should Christians respond?
First of all, our speech should always be gracious:
As followers of Christ, we should never use expletives. The Bible is clear on this matter. As we read in Colossians 4:6,
‘Let your speech always be gracious’.
Colossians 4:6
Our speech should be gracious. Some people use decent language in a professional setting but in private they use so many expletives. We should not be like that. Whether we are in a public space or private space, our speech should always be decent and gracious.
We read in Ephesians 5:4, ‘Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving’. We should never use filthy words and crude jokes to express ourselves. We should not derive pleasure when people around us use such words. There is nothing funny about profane words because they dishonor human beings created in the image of God. When we use profane words, we devalue ourselves and others towards whom we direct such words.
Secondly, we should respect our leaders:
A President or Prime Minister or any government official deserve our respect. Read Romans chapter 13, a great chapter on how we should treat our government. ‘Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God’.
Apostle Paul says that government officials get their authority from God. We should respect government officials because God instituted the government. Our government might do evil things, yet we should respect them.
You can also find similar advice in Titus chapter 3.
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. Titus 3:1-2
Here Paul says, we should be submissive to authorities, we should not speak evil of them and should show perfect courtesy toward all people.
Apostle Peter says,
in 1 Peter 2:13-17,
‘Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution’. For the Lord’s sake, we should be subject to every human institution. We can criticize their ideas, policies and executive actions. But we should do it graciously.
Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter. Both were unjustly treated by the governments of their day. They were arrested, beaten, charged, prosecuted and sentenced to prisons. They were given death sentences by Emperor Nero. It was all unfair and unjust. Yet, they never resorted to expletives against Roman officials. They practised what they preached in their epistles. Lord Jesus Christ was also so humble as He was arrested, charged, sentenced and executed by the Roman officials. ‘Father, they do not know what they are doing. Please forgive them’ that was his prayer for his persecutors. We should also emulate such behavior.
Thirdly, we should pray for our leaders.
Apostle Paul clearly wrote in his first epistle to Timothy that we should pray for our leaders.
1 Timothy 2:1-2, ‘First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.’
Please note those words. We should be godly and dignified in every way. We should make prayers and intercessions for our leaders. Imagine these young people chanting, ‘Let’s Pray for Biden’ ‘Let’s Pray for Biden’. We can bring more transformation in our leaders by praying for them than by insulting them with our profane words.
So, my answer to your question is, ‘No, we should never use such language directed at President Biden’.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/01/politics/lets-go-brandon-joe-biden/index.html