The Trump phenomenon's most revealing and defining moments – not its most crucial, nor most harsh, nor most dangerous, nor most foolish, but potentially its most enlightening – occurred earlier this fall. In the course of multiple weeks, the US president commenced revealing all observers his intentions for an ornate dance hall double the dimensions of the White House and then began unilaterally ripping down the East Wing portion to erect it.
He has performed deeds ten thousand times worse – the current estimate of casualties due to his slashing to foreign assistance stands at 600,000 and increasing, and recently a study forecast his fossil fuel policies would kill 1.3 million more. But nothing as definitional. No other president would have risked – truly, no previous leader would have conceived – unilaterally destroying large sections of the executive mansion in order to erect a Versailles-style party room, with the direct cooperation of some of the nation's most affluent, almost all of whom conduct transactions with the government.
We went from 'the humble will receive the Earth' toward 'the meek shall die from cholera'
As bewildering as it is to witness the leader attempt to overturn the established notion of democracy and exchange it with its direct contrary, there exists a significant segment among Americans who wouldn't consider it totally unfamiliar. That encompasses people such as ourselves – in older age cohorts a near majority – who were brought up as mainline Protestant Christians.
We have observed throughout the years as politically conservative religious groups transformed the Christ we grew up with into the complete reverse of who we understood him to be. At its most basic, they turned a figure of love into an icon of animosity who blesses exactly the harshness that he condemned in biblical teachings; this transformation occurred more slowly, across decades rather than months, but it is nonetheless disturbing through similar means, a disorienting gut punch for countless people.
A Harmful Christianity Gains Ground
So let me first describe the Jesus from my upbringing, because theoretically Christ is the focus within Christian belief, and since the quickly increasing segment of Americans might have little sense about him since they are non-believers or uncertain individuals or spiritual independents. I have no problem with these various perspectives, nor with any other faith; yet I maintain that there are pearls of significant worth within Christian narrative.
It is unquestionably definitely not the account of an authoritative monarch appearing; conversely, a baby is born to displaced parents in a garage, who must quickly flee to another nation to avoid secret police. The baby grows up in modest conditions, an employed craftsman; his teaching is about love for others, especially for the disadvantaged – and not a sentimental love, but a concrete one, shown by providing food and sheltering. The Savior's reaction to violence is to offer the additional cheek – not as a gesture of compliant endurance, but as a way to educate the assailant; his approach to wrongdoing states that when a person pilfers your coat you must offer the person your additional clothing as well.
The apparent and straightforward reality that the Jesus of the gospels calls for a type of profound affection focused on the impoverished has perpetually caused the Christian faith rather a scandalous religion: appealing to the general public, but due to its intrinsic extremism requiring to be controlled. During the 1950s it was contained by dilution – Protestant Christianity was so dominant that it essentially sanctified existing conditions.
A Conflict for the Best Within Us
So I have been heartened to witness the determined opposition against Trump develop during the previous year. It has provided significant comfort to assist in constructing the initiative that has taken to the streets through repeated demonstrations, and appears to have motivated citizens to participate in significant amounts during minor elections. We shall require to continue it, and through comparable resolve, displaying national flags during all protests and appeals to the highest qualities within national heritage.
We shall be interrogated ... regarding how you welcomed the foreigner? Did you welcome them and embrace them or refuse?
The nation is most protected, in other words, through connection to the highest within national tradition, similar to Christianity is optimally secured through connection to elements that cause it to be special and magnificent, which is the example of Jesus. In all circumstances does it mean pretending the worst about the nation and Christian faith did not happen; it represents both humility and faith, a blend that committed US believers should embrace.
