The Trump phenomenon's most revealing and characteristic instances – not its most important, nor cruelest, nor most threatening, nor most senseless, but perhaps its most illuminating – occurred earlier this fall. During the period of several weeks, the American president began displaying the public his plans for a gilded ballroom two times larger than the White House and then began solo dismantling the East Wing portion to construct it.
He has done things ten thousand times worse – the present calculation of fatalities resulting from his reductions to foreign assistance is 600,000 and rising, and recently a study forecast his fossil fuel policies would cause deaths 1.3 million more. But nothing as definitional. No former leader would have attempted – truly, no other president would have conceived – unilaterally destroying significant portions of the presidential residence to construct a royal-themed celebration hall, with the active collaboration of multiple America's wealthiest, the majority of whom maintain dealings with federal agencies.
We moved from 'the humble will receive the Earth' toward 'the meek shall die from cholera'
As bewildering as it is to watch the leader try to upend the established notion regarding democracy and replace it with its direct contrary, there remains a substantial portion within America who wouldn't consider it entirely new. This includes individuals like us – within elder demographics a near majority – who were educated as conventional Protestant believers.
We have witnessed over the years as rightwing evangelical churches transformed the Christ we grew up with into the total contrary of our understanding of him. Fundamentally, they transformed an image of affection into a figure of animosity who approves specifically the brutality that he criticized in biblical teachings; this transformation occurred more slowly, through multiple decades rather than months, yet it remains unsettling in the same ways, a confusing personal impact for countless people.
A Harmful Christianity Establishes Itself
So let me first describe the Christ from my upbringing, since in theory Christ is the focus of Christian religion, and since the fastest-growing cadre of Americans might have little sense about him because they identify as non-believers or uncertain individuals or spiritual independents. I take no issue with these different approaches, nor with different religions; yet I maintain that contain precious wisdom of substantial value in biblical accounts.
It is unquestionably not the account of a powerful ruler emerging; instead, a child comes into the world to displaced parents in a garage, who are forced to hastily depart to a different country to evade undercover officers. The baby grows up in modest conditions, a laboring woodworker; his message is about love for other people, specifically for the impoverished – not merely emotional affection, but tangible care, demonstrated through nourishing and protecting. Jesus' answer to hostility is to offer the additional cheek – not as a demonstration of compliant endurance, but as a means to teach the aggressor; his crime policy states that when a person pilfers your outer garment you should give them your pullover as well.
The evident and clear reality that the Jesus of the gospels calls for a form of profound affection concentrated on the impoverished has perpetually caused the Christian faith somewhat of a controversial faith: appealing to the masses, but because of its natural unconventionality needing to be controlled. In the 1950s it was restrained through watering down – Protestantism was so prevalent that it practically baptized the status quo.
A Struggle for the Highest Among Us
Hence I have become inspired to observe the determined opposition regarding Trump arise during the previous year. It has served as substantial consolation to participate in developing the initiative that has taken to the streets via continuous gatherings, and seems to have inspired electorate to show up in numbers in interim political contests. We must have to maintain it, and through comparable resolve, displaying national flags throughout each rally and appeals to the highest qualities within national heritage.
We shall be interrogated ... regarding how you welcomed the foreigner? Did you welcome them and receive them or reject?
America is best defended, essentially, by relationship to the highest within national tradition, just as Christianity is most protected by relationship to that which renders it distinctive and wonderful, which is the example of the Savior. In all circumstances does it mean feigning the most damaging about the nation and religious tradition was nonexistent; it means both meekness and belief, a blend that genuine American Christians should embrace.
