The Golden Calf in Miami | S2E12

This week on the Dear God, Lettuce Pray podcast, Santana discusses the viral controversy surrounding Pastor Mark Burns, Donald Trump's 22-foot gold statue in Miami, political idolatry, corrupted spiritual leadership, and why so many people feel disconnected from modern American Christianity.

After Pastor Mark Burns defended the massive gold Trump statue unveiled at Trump National Doral, comparisons to the golden calf in Exodus 32 immediately exploded across social media. But this episode goes far beyond internet outrage or political talking points.

What happens when pastors begin spiritually protecting political power? When does patriotism become unhealthy allegiance? Why are so many people walking away from Christianity after constantly watching Scripture weaponized to defend systems that harm vulnerable communities?

Through Exodus 32, Daniel 3, Matthew 7, Matthew 23, Ezekiel 34, Jeremiah 23, and 1 John5, Santana explores false prophets, perversion of priesthood, Christian nationalism, political devotion, celebrity pastors, and the dangerous merging of faith with empire.

This conversation also examines the emotional reality Black people face while watching political rhetoric, racial history, nationalism, and modern Christianity collide publicly in ways that feel spiritually disorienting. This is not an episode about mocking or attacking people for political beliefs. This is a conversation about discernment, corrupted shepherds, biblical accountability, and whether parts of American Christianity still reflect the character of Christ at all.

Scriptures Referenced:

Exodus 32:5, Matthew 7:15, Matthew 23:4, Daniel 3:1-2, Ezekiel 34:2-4, Jeremiah 23:1, 1 John 5:21

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Transcript

Santana 0:00

Before I get into Pastor Mark Burns and this whole gold statue situation, I need to be honest about something that has been sitting heavy on me for the last few weeks. Um, it has become increasingly difficult to keep getting on this mic, pretending the condition of this country is not bothering me. And, you know, or like it's not affecting others in real time. And I say this for myself and for the communities that I'm a part of. And as a black woman, I do not have the privilege of treating politics like some entertaining team sport where everybody argues online for fun and then logs off unaffected afterward. Like policies and leadership affects real people. So when I speak about this administration, I'm not speaking from some detached political debate perspective. I'm speaking as somebody watching decisions, language, and systems continue to impact my communities, communities that already carry generations of racial, economic, and social strain. And honestly, one of the most frustrating parts has not only been Donald Trump himself. What has disturbed me deeply is watching certain Christians, especially pastors, preachers, you know, spiritual leaders work over time trying to spiritually sanitize the behavior and rhetoric and policies that clearly harm vulnerable communities while still claiming moral authority from the pulpit. Because this conversation, this conversation did not start with the gold statue. It started long before this moment. Like seriously, Donald Trump publicly pushed the false conspiracy theory questioning whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States, which many critics identified as racist birther rhetoric. Back in 73, the Trump Management Corporation was sued by the US Department of Justice over allegations of racial discrimination against black renters. Now Trump denied any wrongdoing, and the case was later settled without admission of guilt. In 1989, Trump publicly called for the death penalty in connection to the Central Park V case. The five black and Latino teenagers were later exonerated through DNA evidence. Even after the exoneration, Trump continued publicly maintaining they were guilty. And even beyond specific incidents, even beyond specific incidents, so many people, particularly, so many people have expressed concern over policies and rhetoric connected to voting rights, policing, immigration, of course, racial tensions, and white nationalist support that appeared emboldened during his presidency back then and now. And of course, we can see with our own eyes that now is even worse. So when black people express frustration, grief, fear, exhaustion of really all the things surrounding Trump, people need to stop acting like those emotions appeared out of nowhere. Like there is historical context attached to that reaction. Pastor Mark Burns is a black televangelist and pastor from South Carolina. He founded the Noun Television Network and became nationally known as one of Donald Trump's most visible black evangelical supporters during the twenty sixteen election cycle. He later served on Trump's Evangelical Faith Advisory Council during Trump's presidency. Now over the years, Burns has positioned himself publicly as a conservative Christian voice pushing back against movements like Black Lives Matter, Critical Race Theory, and DEI initiatives. He also gave an all lives matter speech connected to the Republican National Convention and has consistently framed Trump-era conservative politics as beneficial for black Americans. And honestly, we have to be mindful that all of that context matters in this episode because this is not simply some random pastor standing beside political power. Like this is a black pastor publicly aligning himself with a political movement that many of us feel has directly harmed our communities. Because Burns has also faced public controversies over the years. Like back in 2016, CNN investigated claims listed in his professional biography and reported that several details were false or exaggerated. Burns had publicly claimed he graduated from North Greenville University with a bachelor's degree and served six years in the Army Reserve. Reporting later showed he attended the university briefly without graduating and served in the South Carolina Army Guard rather than the Army Reserve. During a CNN interview with Victor Blackwell, Burns initially blamed the inaccuracies on the hackers, altering his website before later admitting he had overstated parts of his background. Oh my gosh, when I say birds of a feather. But anyway. Now there was also backlash after Burns shared an image depicting Hillary Clinton in blackface before later apologizing publicly. I am bringing this up because credibility matters when somebody presents themselves as spiritual authority guiding people both politically and biblically. Because once pastors become celebrities, influencers, uh political operatives, and cultural war personalities at the same time, discernment becomes even more necessary. I saw these screenshots of Pastor Mark Byrne standing in front of this massive gold statue of Donald Trump, and he also was the pastor that did the dedication of, you know, the reveal of the statue, blah blah blah. And the moment I saw it, like the moment I saw the statue, like it immediately made my mind go to scripture. Like Pastor Burns literally got on Facebook and made a post like, oh, this is not idolatry, you know, all that stuff. And that's the problem because I mean he is as a pastor, he is a shepherd of the people. But once shepherds start making political power feel spiritually protected, Christians need to start paying attention. Exodus thirty two, five says, When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord. Aaron used the Lord's name while introducing an image created by human hands. The people connected divine identity to a visible symbol that offered emotional reassurance and something tangible that they could rally around while Moses was absent. Now remember, this part is when Moses went up on the mountain and talked to God and get the laws of the land. So while Moses is up there busy, Aaron down here at the bottom with the Israelites making a golden statue. Now, most of the time, idolatry enters through fear or nationalism, anxiety, power, comfort, or even just misplaced loyalty, but still will be using religious language. The deeper issue is watching people attach the name of Jesus to things that look nothing like the heart of Christ. And that is what pushes so many people away from Christianity entirely. Like people watch believers passionately defend political power while showing very little concern for the poor, the vulnerable, immigrants, struggling families, hungry children, or communities already suffering. Like the president even said himself that he does not think about the financial situation of Americans. And then these same believers, these same quote unquote believers, these same people will turn around quoting scripture as justification for cruelty or indifference, greed, nationalism, or even the worship of influence. Because once Christianity starts looking more committed to protecting billionaires than protecting human beings, the people that God mentions in the Word, the oppressed, then people begin questioning whether the church still resembles Jesus at all. Matthew 23 4 says they tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. And I think people are exhausted watching Scripture become weaponized to defend systems that produce suffering while ignoring the actual teachings of Jesus. Because Christianity was never supposed to be about protecting an empire, it has always been about reflecting the character of Christ, and that is the true character of Christ, which can only be done through love and kindness, not continuously oppressing people. Now, one thing scripture makes painfully clear is that God takes corrupt spiritual leadership extremely seriously. I don't hear many spiritual leaders talk about it, many pastors and preachers talk about it, but that is one thing that I have frequently came across as I, you know, have been making my way through the Bible the last few years, is you know how God feels about corrupt spiritual leadership. Matthew 17 says, Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Most dangerous spiritual leaders do not arrive looking demonic. They don't arrive looking like a bad spirit. They usually sound charismatic, persuasive, passionate, and they are extremely convincing, especially when pastors start emotionally attaching believers to political power in ways that compete with an allegiance to Christ. Ezekiel thirty four two through four says Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves, should not shepherds feed the sheep? The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up. Because some pastors today spend more energy protecting political movements than protecting the vulnerable people harmed by those movements. Jeremiah 23 1. Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, declares the Lord. And honestly, one of the most clearest signs of corrupted priesthood is when pastors become more committed to access and influence and nationalism than truth. Because eventually the pulpit stops sounding so prophetic and starts sounding like exactly what it is, and that's campaign messaging with some Bible verses sprinkled on it. Who does that sound like? I'm certain right now you can think of somebody, if not Pastor, if not Pastor Burns himself. Daniel 3, verses 1 through 2 says, King Nebu made an image of gold. Then King Nebu sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebu had set up. Come on, y'all. Nothing is new up under the sun. History is often repeating itself. And look at this right here. This was in Daniel 3. This also was just what a week or so ago. So I would like for you to visit that chapter, Daniel 3, really the entire book of Daniel. But that chapter exposes how political systems seek reverence, emotional intelligence, and unquestioned loyalty, if we're being honest. First John 5 21 says, Little children, keep yourselves from idols. And maybe the most dangerous idols are the ones surrounded by worship language where people insist worship is not happening. I am your host, Santana, and honestly, I appreciate everybody who keeps showing up for these conversations, especially the uncomfortable ones. Because these are not easy topics to discuss, and I know some people are going to disagree with me strongly on certain episodes, but still, I believe conversations like this matter because faith should challenge us and not simply comfort us. If you are listening on Apple Podcasts, I do want to ask for a huge, huge, huge favor. We are currently trying to reach our first 100 followers on Apple Podcasts within the next 30 days. So if these episodes have helped you, challenged you, taught you something, or simply kept you company during difficult moments or even in traffic. Make sure you follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, leave a review, and share this episode with at least three people you think would genuinely connect with this conversation. And for those who've been asking how to support the show financially, first and foremost, thank you. I truly appreciate you. This podcast is still growing independently, and a lot of the costs behind the scenes come directly out of pocket right now. From audio equipment, which I need more of, and editing tools to annual subscriptions for distribution, hosting, and production software. Y'all know how this goes. So if you would like to contribute a one-time gift, monthly support, or by joining the Bible study-ish community over on school. All of that information can be found through the link on my Instagram bio at HelloSantana Co. and also on the Dear God Let Us Pray podcast. Because you know, my goal with this platform has never been shallow Christian content or performative outrage. Like I genuinely want people to wrestle with scripture honestly and ask difficult questions, heal spiritually, and see the character of Christ more clearly beneath all the noise. As always, spread kindness, everyone. And I love you, but I know someone who loves you even more than that. Again, this is the Dear God Let Us Pray podcast. I am your host, Santana. Alright, see you next time.