Trumpism's most illuminating and characteristic moments – not its most significant, nor most brutal, nor most dangerous, nor stupidest, but potentially its most enlightening – emerged earlier this harvest season. In the course of multiple weeks, the nation's leader started showing all observers his designs for a lavish reception room double the dimensions compared to the White House and subsequently started unilaterally ripping down the eastern section to build it.
He has done things countless times more severe – the existing assessment of casualties due to his slashing to international aid is 600,000 and increasing, and this week a study projected his energy policies would result in fatalities another 1.3 million. Yet nothing as characteristic. No previous president would have attempted – genuinely, no previous leader would have contemplated – unilaterally destroying major areas of the presidential residence to build a palace-inspired entertainment space, with the direct cooperation of some of America's wealthiest, the majority of whom have business with the government.
We transitioned from 'the meek shall inherit the Earth' into 'the humble will perish to cholera'
As confusing as it is to observe the chief executive attempt to overturn the established notion about democracy and exchange it with its direct contrary, there remains a substantial portion among Americans who should not find it entirely new. That encompasses people such as ourselves – in older age cohorts almost a majority – who were raised as conventional Protestant believers.
We have witnessed across decades while conservative evangelical congregations turned the Jesus we were raised with into the total contrary of our perception of his character. Essentially, they turned a figure of affection into a symbol of animosity who endorses specifically the brutality that he criticized in scripture; this transformation occurred more slowly, over decades rather than months, however it is still unsettling through similar means, a confusing personal impact for many of us.
A Damaging Christianity Takes Hold
So let me first describe the Christ from my childhood, as conceptually the Savior is the core of Christian religion, and because the fastest-growing cadre within America might have little sense of him as they consider themselves atheists or uncertain individuals or spiritual independents. I raise no objection with these various perspectives, nor with any other faith; but I do think that contain precious wisdom of great price within Christian narrative.
It is unquestionably not the narrative of an authoritative monarch emerging; instead, an infant arrives to displaced parents in a garage, who need to rapidly escape to a foreign land to escape undercover officers. The baby grows up in humble circumstances, a working carpenter; his teaching focuses on affection for fellow humans, especially for the poor – and not a sentimental love, but practical compassion, shown by providing food and housing. The Savior's reaction to aggression is to offer the other cheek – not as a gesture of submissive tolerance, but as a means to educate the assailant; his approach to wrongdoing states that when an individual takes your outer garment you ought to provide the person your additional clothing also.
The evident and clear reality that Christ in biblical accounts advocates for a kind of radical love concentrated on the impoverished is what has always made the Christian faith rather a scandalous religion: appealing to the masses, but due to its intrinsic extremism needing to be contained. During the 1950s it was contained through watering down – Protestantism was so widespread that it practically sanctified existing conditions.
A Struggle for the Highest Among Us
So I have been heartened to observe the persistent defiance regarding Trump develop over the last twelve months. It has served as great solace to help build the movement that has taken to the streets through repeated demonstrations, and appears to have motivated citizens to participate in numbers in the off-year elections. We shall require to maintain it, and through comparable resolve, with American flags throughout each rally and calls to the highest qualities within national heritage.
We shall be interrogated ... how did you receive the foreigner? Did you accept these individuals and embrace them or reject?
The country is optimally secured, essentially, by reference to the finest in US heritage, just as Christianity is optimally secured through connection to what makes it unique and beautiful, particularly the pattern of Jesus. In all circumstances does it suggest pretending the most negative of both America and religious tradition never occurred; it signifies both humility and faith, a combination that committed American Christians ought to accept.
