The Trump phenomenon's most illuminating and defining instances – not its most important, nor most brutal, nor most hazardous, nor most foolish, but perhaps its most illuminating – came earlier this autumn. In the course of a few weeks, the nation's leader commenced revealing the public his intentions for a lavish reception room two times larger than the White House and then began unilaterally ripping down the East Wing to construct it.
He has performed deeds 10,000 times as bad – the current estimate of fatalities due to his slashing to foreign assistance stands at 600,000 and growing, and this week research forecast his fossil fuel policies would result in fatalities 1.3 million more. Yet nothing as characteristic. No previous president would have dared – really, no former commander would have contemplated – independently wrecking large sections of the executive mansion to build a Versailles-style party room, with the enthusiastic participation of numerous the richest Americans, nearly all of which have business with the government.
We moved from 'the gentle will obtain the Earth' to 'the gentle will succumb from cholera'
As bewildering as it is to witness the president try to upend the established notion regarding democracy and substitute it with its polar opposite, there exists a significant segment within America who should not find it completely novel. That encompasses people such as ourselves – within elder demographics close to half – who were educated as mainline Protestant Christians.
We have watched over the years as politically conservative religious groups transformed the Christ we were raised with into exactly the opposite of who we understood him to be. Essentially, they converted a persona of love into a figure of hostility who endorses specifically the brutality that he denounced in scripture; this has happened at a slower pace, through multiple decades instead of months, however it is still disconcerting in the same ways, a confusing personal impact for countless people.
A Harmful Christianity Takes Hold
So let me first describe the Jesus that I grew up with, because theoretically Jesus is the center of Christian religion, and since the rapidly expanding group among Americans could have minimal awareness about him because they identify as skeptics or uncertain individuals or nones. I take no issue with these different approaches, nor with different religions; but I do think that there are pearls of significant worth in the Christian story.
It is unquestionably not the story of an authoritative monarch arising; instead, a child comes into the world to displaced parents in a garage, who must quickly flee to another nation to evade undercover officers. The infant develops in humble circumstances, a laboring woodworker; his message focuses on affection for fellow humans, especially for the disadvantaged – not merely emotional affection, but tangible care, demonstrated through nourishing and sheltering. Christ's response to violence is to offer the other cheek – not as a demonstration of submissive tolerance, but as a means to educate the assailant; his method regarding offenses is that if someone steals your outer garment you should give the person your additional clothing as well.
The apparent and clear truth that the Savior from scripture calls for a type of profound affection concentrated on the poor is what has always made the Christian faith something of a controversial faith: attractive to the populace, but due to its natural unconventionality needing to be contained. In the 1950s it was restrained by dilution – Protestantism was so prevalent that it practically sanctified existing conditions.
A Conflict for the Finest of Us
Therefore I have felt inspired to observe the determined opposition to Trump emerge over the last twelve months. It has served as substantial consolation to participate in developing the movement that has taken to the streets in rally after rally, and appears to have motivated citizens to participate in large quantities during minor elections. We shall require to maintain it, and with identical determination, featuring US banners throughout each rally and calls to the highest qualities within national heritage.
We're going to be asked ... how did you receive the immigrant? Did you receive him and receive them or not?
The nation is most protected, in other words, by reference to the finest within national tradition, just as Christianity is most protected by reference to that which renders it unique and beautiful, particularly the pattern of the Savior. In both situations does it suggest feigning the most damaging of both America and Christianity never occurred; it represents both meekness and faith, a mixture that committed national faithful should embrace.
