The Trump phenomenon's most illuminating and characteristic occasions – not its most important, nor cruelest, nor most hazardous, nor most foolish, but perhaps its most illuminating – occurred earlier this fall. Over the span of multiple weeks, the US president commenced revealing all observers his designs for a gilded ballroom twice the size of the White House and then commenced independently demolishing the East Wing to erect it.
He has committed acts countless times more severe – the existing assessment of casualties from his cuts to USAID amounts to 600,000 and growing, and recently an analysis predicted his fossil fuel policies would cause deaths 1.3 million more. However nothing as distinctive. No former leader would have dared – really, no other president would have imagined – independently wrecking major areas of the White House to construct a royal-themed celebration hall, with the direct cooperation of some of the nation's most affluent, nearly all of which conduct transactions with the government.
We transitioned from 'the meek shall inherit the Earth' toward 'the gentle will succumb to cholera'
As disorienting as it is to witness the president attempt to overturn the old idea of democracy and replace it with its direct contrary, there exists a significant segment among Americans who might not perceive it totally unfamiliar. That is those of us – in older age cohorts a near majority – who were brought up as conventional Protestant believers.
We have observed across decades as rightwing evangelical churches converted the Savior we learned about into the total contrary of our understanding of him. Essentially, they transformed an image of affection into an icon of animosity who blesses specifically the brutality that he denounced in the Gospel; this has happened at a slower pace, over decades instead of months, but it is nonetheless disconcerting in the same ways, a confusing personal impact for many of us.
A Harmful Christianity Establishes Itself
Therefore allow me to outline the Christ from my upbringing, since in theory Christ is the focus within Christian belief, and because the fastest-growing cadre of Americans could have minimal awareness about him since they are non-believers or uncertain individuals or religiously unaffiliated. I raise no objection with these different approaches, nor with different religions; yet I maintain that contain precious wisdom of great price within Christian narrative.
It is unquestionably absolutely not the narrative of a powerful ruler arising; conversely, a baby is born to displaced parents in an automotive shelter, who need to rapidly escape to a different country to evade undercover officers. The baby grows up in simple surroundings, a working carpenter; his teaching focuses on affection for fellow humans, specifically for the disadvantaged – not merely emotional affection, but a concrete one, expressed by feeding and protecting. Christ's response to aggression is to turn the opposite cheek – not as an act of compliant endurance, but as a method to teach the assailant; his crime policy states that when someone steals your coat you should give them your pullover also.
The obvious and direct reality that the Savior of the gospels advocates for a type of profound affection focused on the poor has perpetually caused Christianity something of a controversial faith: engaging for the populace, but because of its intrinsic extremism requiring to be controlled. In the 1950s it was restrained by dilution – Protestant Christianity was so prevalent that it practically baptized the status quo.
A Conflict for the Highest of Us
So I have been encouraged to see the steadfast resistance against Trump develop during the previous year. It has served as significant comfort to participate in developing the movement that has protested openly in rally after rally, and seems to have inspired voters to participate in significant amounts in the off-year elections. We will need to maintain it, and in the same spirit, displaying national flags at every demonstration and calls to the highest qualities of American history.
We shall be interrogated ... how did you receive the immigrant? Did you accept these individuals and embrace them or not?
The nation is most protected, essentially, by relationship to the best within national tradition, exactly as the Christian faith is optimally secured through connection to that which renders it unique and magnificent, specifically the model of Jesus. In both situations does it suggest acting as if the worst regarding America and religious tradition never occurred; it represents both meekness and belief, a combination that genuine national faithful should embrace.
