Trumpism's most illuminating and distinctive occasions – not its most crucial, nor most harsh, nor most hazardous, nor most foolish, but potentially its most enlightening – occurred earlier this fall. In the course of a few weeks, the US president commenced revealing all observers his plans for a gilded ballroom two times larger than the White House and then began independently demolishing the East Wing portion to construct it.
He has performed deeds ten thousand times worse – the current estimate of fatalities from his cuts to international aid is 600,000 and growing, and recently a study predicted his energy policies would kill an additional 1.3 million. Yet nothing as characteristic. No other president would have dared – really, no former commander would have conceived – solo demolishing significant portions of the White House in order to erect a royal-themed celebration hall, with the active collaboration of some of the nation's most affluent, almost all of whom maintain dealings with public institutions.
We moved from 'the humble will receive the planet' toward 'the humble will perish to cholera'
As confusing as it is to observe the president attempt to overturn the traditional concept regarding democracy and replace it with its polar opposite, there remains a substantial portion among Americans who wouldn't consider it completely novel. That encompasses people such as ourselves – within elder demographics almost a majority – who were educated within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have watched throughout the years while conservative evangelical congregations converted the Savior we learned about into exactly the opposite of who we understood him to be. At its most basic, they transformed an image of love into a symbol of animosity who blesses specifically the brutality that he criticized in the Gospel; this transformation occurred at a slower pace, through multiple decades as opposed to months, yet it remains disconcerting through similar means, a bewildering emotional blow for countless people.
A Toxic Christianity Gains Ground
Therefore allow me to outline the Jesus that I grew up with, because theoretically Jesus is the center of Christian religion, and because the quickly increasing segment of Americans may possess limited understanding of him since they are non-believers or uncertain individuals or religiously unaffiliated. I have no problem with these various perspectives, nor with different religions; however I believe that there are pearls of substantial value in the Christian story.
It is decidedly not the account of a mighty king appearing; rather, a baby is born to displaced parents in an automotive shelter, who need to rapidly escape to a foreign land to avoid covert authorities. The infant develops in humble circumstances, an employed craftsman; his teaching focuses on affection for other people, specifically for the disadvantaged – not merely emotional affection, but practical compassion, shown by providing food and sheltering. Christ's response to violence is to present the other cheek – not as a gesture of submissive tolerance, but as a means to instruct the attacker; his approach to wrongdoing is that if an individual takes your jacket you ought to provide the person your additional clothing too.
The obvious and direct truth that Christ in biblical accounts calls for a form of profound affection concentrated on the poor has consistently rendered Christian religion something of a controversial faith: engaging for the masses, but due to its intrinsic extremism demanding to be controlled. In the fifties it was contained by dilution – Protestant Christianity was so widespread that it basically blessed current circumstances.
A Struggle for the Highest of Us
Therefore I have felt inspired to see the steadfast resistance against Trump develop in this past year. It has provided great solace to help build the campaign that has protested openly through repeated demonstrations, and likely has encouraged voters to participate in large quantities during minor elections. We will need to continue it, and in the same spirit, with American flags during all protests and requests to the best parts of American history.
We shall be interrogated ... regarding how you welcomed the immigrant? Did you welcome them and embrace them or refuse?
America is best defended, in other words, by reference to the highest in US heritage, just as Christianity is most protected by reference to that which renders it distinctive and beautiful, specifically the model of the Savior. In both situations does it suggest feigning the worst regarding America and Christianity never occurred; it signifies both humility and faith, a blend that committed national faithful should be comfortable with.
