The Trump phenomenon's most illuminating and characteristic moments – not its most significant, nor cruelest, nor most hazardous, nor most senseless, but perhaps its most illuminating – occurred earlier this fall. Over the span of several weeks, the American president started showing the public his intentions for an ornate dance hall twice the size compared to the White House and then commenced independently demolishing the East Wing portion to erect it.
He has committed acts ten thousand times worse – the present calculation of fatalities resulting from his reductions to USAID amounts to 600,000 and growing, and recently a study projected his energy policies would kill an additional 1.3 million. But nothing as definitional. No other president would have attempted – genuinely, no former commander would have imagined – unilaterally destroying significant portions of the White House to construct a Versailles-style party room, with the direct cooperation of multiple the nation's most affluent, the majority of whom conduct transactions with the government.
We moved from 'the gentle will obtain the world' toward 'the meek shall die from cholera'
As confusing as it is to watch the leader seek to颠覆 the traditional concept regarding democracy and replace it with its complete opposite, there is one large group of Americans who wouldn't consider it entirely new. This includes individuals like us – within elder demographics almost a majority – who were brought up as mainline Protestant Christians.
We have observed over the years while conservative evangelical congregations turned the Jesus we grew up with into the complete reverse of our understanding of him. Fundamentally, they converted a persona of compassion into an icon of hostility who endorses specifically the brutality that he criticized in scripture; this has happened more gradually, across decades rather than months, but it is nonetheless unsettling in the same ways, a confusing personal impact for numerous individuals.
A Harmful Christianity Takes Hold
So let me first describe the Savior from my childhood, because theoretically Jesus is the center of any Christian faith, and given that the quickly increasing segment within America could have minimal awareness regarding him as they consider themselves non-believers or uncertain individuals or religiously unaffiliated. I have no problem with these different approaches, nor with alternative spiritual paths; however I believe that contain precious wisdom of substantial value within Christian narrative.
It is decidedly definitely not the story of a mighty king emerging; instead, a child comes into the world to homeless parents in a garage, who need to rapidly escape to another nation to avoid secret police. The baby grows up in humble circumstances, a laboring woodworker; his teaching is about love for fellow humans, especially for the poor – not merely emotional affection, but tangible care, shown by providing food and protecting. Jesus' answer to hostility is to turn the additional cheek – not as an act of submissive tolerance, but as a means to instruct the assailant; his approach to wrongdoing states that when someone steals your jacket you must offer them your pullover also.
The obvious and clear truth that Christ of the gospels calls for a kind of extreme compassion focused on the impoverished has consistently rendered Christianity somewhat of a scandalous religion: attractive to the masses, but owing to its inherent radicalness needing to be restrained. In the fifties it was restrained by dilution – Protestantism was so dominant that it essentially baptized the status quo.
A Struggle for the Finest Within Us
Therefore I have felt inspired to see the determined opposition against Trump emerge in this past year. It has provided great solace to participate in developing the initiative that has taken to the streets via continuous gatherings, and seems to have inspired voters to participate in numbers in interim political contests. We will need to persist with it, and with identical determination, displaying national flags at every demonstration and calls to the finest aspects within national heritage.
We shall be interrogated ... about how you treated the immigrant? Did you receive him and receive them or refuse?
America is best defended, in other words, by relationship to the best about American history, exactly as the Christian faith is most protected by reference to elements that cause it to be special and beautiful, specifically the model of Christ. In both situations does it suggest pretending the worst of both America and religious tradition did not happen; it signifies both humility and conviction, a blend that serious national faithful should embrace.