The Trump movement's most telling and distinctive moments – not its most significant, nor most brutal, nor most dangerous, nor most foolish, but perhaps its most illuminating – occurred earlier this fall. During the period of a few weeks, the nation's leader began displaying everyone his intentions for a lavish reception room twice the size than the White House and subsequently started solo dismantling the East Wing to build it.
He has committed acts ten thousand times worse – the present calculation of deaths resulting from his reductions to foreign assistance amounts to 600,000 and growing, and recently an analysis projected his fossil fuel policies would kill an additional 1.3 million. But nothing as definitional. No other president would have attempted – genuinely, no previous leader would have conceived – solo demolishing large sections of the White House in order to erect a palace-inspired entertainment space, with the active collaboration of numerous the nation's most affluent, the majority of whom conduct transactions with public institutions.
We went from 'the gentle will obtain the Earth' into 'the meek shall die to cholera'
As disorienting as it is to witness the chief executive attempt to overturn the established notion of democracy and substitute it with its direct contrary, there remains a substantial portion among Americans who might not perceive it entirely new. That is those of us – in older age cohorts almost a majority – who were educated within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have watched over the years while conservative evangelical congregations transformed the Christ we grew up with into exactly the opposite of our perception of his character. Fundamentally, they transformed an image of love into a figure of hostility who endorses precisely the cruelties that he condemned in scripture; this change developed more gradually, over decades rather than months, yet it remains disconcerting through similar means, a bewildering emotional blow for many of us.
A Harmful Christianity Gains Ground
So let me first describe the Christ from my upbringing, as conceptually the Savior is the core of any Christian faith, and since the rapidly expanding group of Americans might have little sense about him as they consider themselves non-believers or doubters or spiritual independents. I take no issue with these various perspectives, nor with different religions; however I believe that contain precious wisdom of significant worth in the Christian story.
It is unquestionably absolutely not the account of a mighty king arising; rather, a child comes into the world to displaced parents in a garage, who must quickly flee to a foreign land to evade secret police. The infant develops in simple surroundings, a working carpenter; his message focuses on affection for other people, specifically for the impoverished – not merely emotional affection, but practical compassion, shown by providing food and housing. Christ's response to violence is to turn the other cheek – not as a gesture of submissive tolerance, but as a way to teach the assailant; his method regarding offenses states that when someone steals your outer garment you should give the person your additional clothing also.
The evident and straightforward fact that Christ from scripture advocates for a form of extreme compassion focused on the impoverished is what has always made Christian religion rather a provocative belief system: attractive to the general public, but due to its intrinsic extremism demanding to be controlled. During the 1950s it was restrained via weakening – Protestant Christianity was so dominant that it basically sanctified existing conditions.
A Struggle for the Finest of Us
So I have been heartened to observe the persistent defiance to Trump develop in this past year. It has served as substantial consolation to participate in developing the campaign that has taken to the streets via continuous gatherings, and likely has encouraged voters to show up in numbers in interim political contests. We will need to continue it, and with identical determination, with American flags throughout each rally and calls to the best parts within national heritage.
We're going to be asked ... how did you receive the stranger? Did you accept these individuals and receive them or reject?
The nation is most protected, essentially, by reference to the best within national tradition, similar to Christianity is most protected by reference to elements that cause it to be distinctive and wonderful, specifically the model of Jesus. In neither case does it imply pretending the most damaging of both America and Christian faith did not happen; it means both modesty and faith, a combination that genuine national faithful ought to accept.
