The Trump phenomenon's most revealing and characteristic instances – not its most significant, nor most harsh, nor most dangerous, nor most foolish, but perhaps its most illuminating – occurred earlier this fall. Over the span of several weeks, the US president started showing everyone his plans for a gilded ballroom two times larger compared to the White House and then began unilaterally ripping down the East Wing portion to build it.
He has committed acts ten thousand times worse – the existing assessment of fatalities from his cuts to USAID stands at 600,000 and rising, and recently an analysis forecast his energy policies would kill another 1.3 million. Yet nothing as characteristic. No previous president would have dared – truly, no other president would have imagined – independently wrecking significant portions of the executive mansion to construct a palace-inspired entertainment space, with the active collaboration of multiple the nation's most affluent, the majority of whom conduct transactions with the government.
We moved from 'the humble will receive the Earth' to 'the gentle will succumb to cholera'
As bewildering as it is to observe the chief executive attempt to overturn the established notion of democracy and replace it with its polar opposite, there is one large group among Americans who should not find it entirely new. That is those of us – within elder demographics close to half – who were brought up within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have watched across decades as politically conservative religious groups turned the Jesus we learned about into the total contrary of our perception of his character. At its most basic, they transformed an image of affection into a figure of hostility who approves specifically the brutality that he condemned in the Gospel; this has happened at a slower pace, across decades instead of months, however it is still disconcerting through similar means, a confusing personal impact for countless people.
A Harmful Christianity Takes Hold
So let me first describe the Jesus from my childhood, because theoretically Christ is the focus of Christian religion, and given that the quickly increasing segment of Americans might have little sense about him since they are non-believers or agnostics or religiously unaffiliated. I have no problem with any of these traditions, nor with different religions; however I believe that contain precious wisdom of substantial value in the Christian story.
It is decidedly definitely not the story of a mighty king emerging; conversely, a child comes into the world to displaced parents in an automotive shelter, who must quickly flee to a foreign land to escape undercover officers. The baby grows up in humble circumstances, a working carpenter; his doctrine is about love for fellow humans, specifically for the impoverished – not simply tender feelings, but tangible care, shown by providing food and protecting. The Savior's reaction to violence is to turn the other cheek – not as a gesture of submissive tolerance, but as a means to instruct the assailant; his method regarding offenses is that if a person pilfers your jacket you should give them your pullover too.
The apparent and straightforward reality that Christ of the gospels requests a form of radical love concentrated on the poor is what has always made Christianity somewhat of a scandalous religion: attractive to the general public, but owing to its intrinsic extremism requiring to be restrained. During the 1950s it was restrained by dilution – The Protestant faith was so prevalent that it practically baptized the status quo.
A Struggle for the Finest Among Us
Therefore I have felt encouraged to observe the determined opposition regarding Trump develop over the last twelve months. It has provided significant comfort to assist in constructing the initiative that has protested openly through repeated demonstrations, and appears to have motivated electorate to show up in numbers during minor elections. We will need to persist with it, and through comparable resolve, displaying national flags throughout each rally and calls to the best parts of American history.
We shall be interrogated ... how did you receive the stranger? Did you accept these individuals and welcome him or refuse?
America is best defended, in other words, by relationship to the best in US heritage, similar to Christianity is most protected by relationship to elements that cause it to be unique and wonderful, particularly the pattern of Christ. In all circumstances does it suggest pretending the most negative about the nation and Christianity never occurred; it represents both modesty and conviction, a mixture that genuine national faithful ought to accept.
