The Trump phenomenon's most telling and characteristic moments – not its most crucial, nor cruelest, nor most threatening, nor most senseless, but potentially its most enlightening – occurred earlier this fall. In the course of multiple weeks, the American president began displaying everyone his designs for a lavish reception room double the dimensions of the White House and subsequently started unilaterally ripping down the East Wing to construct it.
He has performed deeds 10,000 times as bad – the present calculation of deaths due to his slashing to USAID stands at 600,000 and rising, and presently research predicted his energy policies would cause deaths another 1.3 million. But nothing as definitional. No previous president would have attempted – genuinely, no previous leader would have conceived – solo demolishing large sections of the executive mansion to build a royal-themed celebration hall, with the enthusiastic participation of numerous America's wealthiest, almost all of whom conduct transactions with public institutions.
We went from 'the meek shall inherit the world' toward 'the gentle will succumb to cholera'
As confusing as it is to witness the leader attempt to overturn the old idea about democracy and substitute it with its direct contrary, there exists a significant segment within America who might not perceive it totally unfamiliar. That is those of us – among senior generations a near majority – who were raised within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have watched over the years while conservative evangelical congregations turned the Jesus we were raised with into the total contrary of who we understood him to be. Essentially, they converted a persona of love into a figure of animosity who approves exactly the harshness that he denounced in the Gospel; this change developed more gradually, across decades rather than months, but it is nonetheless unsettling through similar means, a disorienting gut punch for numerous individuals.
A Damaging Christianity Establishes Itself
So let me first describe the Jesus that I grew up with, since in theory Jesus is the center of Christian religion, and given that the rapidly expanding group of Americans could have minimal awareness regarding him since they are non-believers or uncertain individuals or nones. I have no problem with these various perspectives, nor with different religions; however I believe that exist valuable insights of substantial value within Christian narrative.
It is unquestionably absolutely not the account of an authoritative monarch appearing; rather, a baby is born to displaced parents in an automotive shelter, who must quickly flee to another nation to avoid undercover officers. The baby grows up in humble circumstances, a laboring woodworker; his doctrine is about love for fellow humans, specifically for the impoverished – not merely emotional affection, but tangible care, expressed by feeding and housing. The Savior's reaction to hostility is to turn the other cheek – not as an act of passive acceptance, but as a means to educate the attacker; his crime policy states that when a person pilfers your jacket you must offer them your pullover as well.
The evident and direct reality that Christ in biblical accounts calls for a kind of profound affection centered on the impoverished is what has always made the Christian faith something of a controversial faith: appealing to the populace, but due to its inherent radicalness requiring to be controlled. In the fifties it was controlled via weakening – Protestantism was so widespread that it practically blessed current circumstances.
A Conflict for the Finest of Us
Therefore I have felt heartened to witness the steadfast resistance against Trump develop over the last twelve months. It has provided significant comfort to assist in constructing the movement that has protested openly through repeated demonstrations, and likely has encouraged citizens to participate in large quantities in the off-year elections. We will need to continue it, and through comparable resolve, with American flags throughout each rally and calls to the best parts in US history.
We're going to be asked ... about how you treated the foreigner? Did you welcome them and embrace them or not?
America is best defended, in other words, by reference to the finest in US heritage, just as Christianity is optimally secured by relationship to elements that cause it to be unique and wonderful, which is the example of Jesus. In neither case does it suggest acting as if the most damaging about the nation and religious tradition never occurred; it means both humility and faith, a blend that serious US believers should be comfortable with.
