The Trump phenomenon's most illuminating and defining moments – not its most significant, nor cruelest, nor most threatening, nor stupidest, but perhaps its most illuminating – occurred earlier this fall. Over the span of a few weeks, the American president started showing the public his intentions for an ornate dance hall twice the size than the White House and then commenced solo dismantling the East Wing to construct it.
He has committed acts ten thousand times worse – the current estimate of fatalities from his cuts to international aid stands at 600,000 and rising, and recently an analysis forecast his fossil fuel policies would kill 1.3 million more. But nothing as definitional. No former leader would have risked – really, no former commander would have conceived – independently wrecking large sections of the White House to build a palace-inspired entertainment space, with the enthusiastic participation of numerous America's wealthiest, almost all of whom maintain dealings with the government.
We moved from 'the gentle will obtain the Earth' into 'the meek shall die of cholera'
As disorienting as it is to watch the leader attempt to overturn the old idea of democracy and exchange it with its direct contrary, there exists a significant segment of Americans who might not perceive it entirely new. That is those of us – within elder demographics almost a majority – who were brought up within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have witnessed across decades as politically conservative religious groups converted the Savior we grew up with into the total contrary of who we understood him to be. Fundamentally, they transformed an image of compassion into a figure of hate who blesses exactly the harshness that he criticized in the Gospel; this transformation occurred at a slower pace, over decades rather than months, but it is nonetheless disturbing through similar means, a bewildering emotional blow for many of us.
A Toxic Christianity Gains Ground
So let me first describe the Christ from my childhood, since in theory the Savior is the core of Christian religion, and since the fastest-growing cadre of Americans might have little sense regarding him because they identify as skeptics or uncertain individuals or spiritual independents. I have no problem with these different approaches, nor with alternative spiritual paths; but I do think that there are pearls of great price in biblical accounts.
It is unquestionably not the narrative of a powerful ruler emerging; conversely, a child comes into the world to homeless parents in a storage space, who need to rapidly escape to a different country to avoid undercover officers. The infant develops in simple surroundings, an employed craftsman; his message focuses on affection for fellow humans, specifically for the impoverished – and not a sentimental love, but practical compassion, demonstrated through nourishing and protecting. Christ's response to violence is to offer the additional cheek – not as a demonstration of compliant endurance, but as a means to teach the assailant; his approach to wrongdoing is that if an individual takes your jacket you ought to provide him your sweater as well.
The evident and straightforward reality that Christ of the gospels calls for a type of profound affection focused on the poor is what has always made Christian religion rather a scandalous religion: appealing to the masses, but due to its natural unconventionality needing to be restrained. During the 1950s it was contained by dilution – Protestant Christianity was so dominant that it basically sanctified existing conditions.
A Struggle for the Best Within Us
So I have been heartened to witness the steadfast resistance against Trump emerge during the previous year. It has served as great solace to help build the initiative that has taken to the streets via continuous gatherings, and seems to have inspired voters to turn out in numbers in the off-year elections. We must have to persist with it, and with identical determination, featuring US banners at every demonstration and requests to the finest aspects in US history.
We shall be interrogated ... regarding how you welcomed the stranger? Did you accept these individuals and welcome him or not?
America is best defended, in other words, by relationship to the finest in US heritage, similar to Christianity is most protected by relationship to that which renders it unique and beautiful, particularly the pattern of the Savior. In all circumstances does it mean feigning the worst regarding America and Christianity never occurred; it signifies both humility and conviction, a blend that committed national faithful should be comfortable with.
