The Trump phenomenon's most illuminating and characteristic moments – not its most significant, nor most brutal, nor most threatening, nor most senseless, but potentially its most enlightening – occurred earlier this fall. Over the span of several weeks, the nation's leader started showing the public his plans for a lavish reception room double the dimensions compared to the White House and subsequently started independently demolishing the East Wing to erect it.
He has committed acts ten thousand times worse – the present calculation of deaths from his cuts to USAID stands at 600,000 and increasing, and recently research predicted his energy policies would kill another 1.3 million. But nothing as definitional. No other president would have attempted – truly, no other president would have contemplated – independently wrecking large sections of the White House to construct a Versailles-style party room, with the active collaboration of some of the nation's most affluent, almost all of whom have business with public institutions.
We transitioned from 'the gentle will obtain the Earth' to 'the gentle will succumb to cholera'
As confusing as it is to witness the president attempt to overturn the established notion of democracy and replace it with its complete opposite, there remains a substantial portion within America who might not perceive it entirely new. That encompasses people such as ourselves – in older age cohorts almost a majority – who were raised as mainline Protestant Christians.
We have watched throughout the years as rightwing evangelical churches turned the Jesus we grew up with into exactly the opposite of our perception of his character. Fundamentally, they turned a figure of affection into a symbol of hostility who approves exactly the harshness that he criticized in biblical teachings; this change developed more gradually, through multiple decades as opposed to months, yet it remains unsettling via comparable methods, a disorienting gut punch for many of us.
A Toxic Christianity Establishes Itself
So let me first describe the Savior from my upbringing, as conceptually Christ is the focus within Christian belief, and since the quickly increasing segment among Americans could have minimal awareness of him as they consider themselves non-believers or doubters or nones. I raise no objection with these different approaches, nor with different religions; however I believe that there are pearls of substantial value in the Christian story.
It is decidedly not the narrative of a mighty king arising; conversely, a child comes into the world to parents without shelter in an automotive shelter, who need to rapidly escape to a different country to avoid covert authorities. The infant develops in modest conditions, a working carpenter; his message focuses on affection for others, especially for the disadvantaged – not simply tender feelings, but tangible care, expressed by feeding and protecting. Christ's response to hostility is to offer the opposite cheek – not as a gesture of passive acceptance, but as a means to instruct the assailant; his approach to wrongdoing is that if an individual takes your outer garment you must offer them your pullover too.
The obvious and clear truth that the Savior of the gospels advocates for a type of profound affection concentrated on the impoverished has perpetually caused the Christian faith somewhat of a provocative belief system: appealing to the masses, but because of its inherent radicalness requiring to be contained. During the 1950s it was contained via weakening – Protestant Christianity was so dominant that it practically blessed current circumstances.
A Battle for the Highest of Us
So I have been heartened to see the determined opposition to Trump emerge over the last twelve months. It has provided significant comfort to assist in constructing the initiative that has taken to the streets through repeated demonstrations, and likely has encouraged electorate to participate in numbers in interim political contests. We shall require to continue it, and through comparable resolve, featuring US banners throughout each rally and requests to the finest aspects within national heritage.
We will be questioned ... regarding how you welcomed the immigrant? Did you accept these individuals and welcome him or reject?
America is best defended, essentially, by relationship to the highest in US heritage, just as Christianity is most protected through connection to what makes it special and magnificent, specifically the model of Jesus. In all circumstances does it suggest feigning the most negative about the nation and Christianity did not happen; it means both meekness and conviction, a combination that committed national faithful ought to accept.
