U.S. President Donald Trump on the 29th, as the war with Iran entered its second month (local time), posted a pastor's letter on his social media.
The letter is dated Oct. 15 last year and is said to have been sent to President Trump by Franklin Graham, a well-known evangelical pastor in North Carolina. Evangelical conservative Christians are Trump's core base.
In the letter, Pastor Graham said, "The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas (the Palestinian militant faction), and the hostages returning home are remarkable achievements," adding, "Your leadership is historic."
Quoting a verse from the New Testament Gospel of Matthew that says "Blessed are the peacemakers," Pastor Graham wrote, "Mr. President, that is you."
He went on, "You said you might not go to heaven," adding, "You may have answered jokingly, but it is a very important matter to be certain that your soul is safe in the presence of God and that you will spend eternity there."
In October last year, in response to reporters' questions about mediating the Gaza Strip cease-fire, President Trump said, "I probably won't go to heaven." In August of the same year, he also said, "If possible, I want to try to go to heaven."
In the letter, Pastor Graham stressed repentance of sin and faith in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, adding, "If you accept that by faith, you will surely go to heaven."
Pastor Graham is the son of the late Billy Graham, who led large-scale evangelistic rallies in Korea. During the 2020 presidential election, he was cautious about accepting the results, then went on to acknowledge Trump's defeat.
Attention is focusing on why President Trump made public a letter themed on "peace" as uncertainty over the Iran war grows. The day also coincides with Christianity's "Lent," which commemorates Jesus' suffering on the cross, death, and resurrection, as mentioned in the letter.