The Trump phenomenon's most illuminating and defining moments – not its most crucial, nor most harsh, nor most threatening, nor stupidest, but possibly its most revealing – occurred earlier this fall. Over the span of several weeks, the nation's leader started showing all observers his intentions for a gilded ballroom twice the size than the White House and then commenced solo dismantling the East Wing portion to erect it.
He has done things countless times more severe – the current estimate of casualties due to his slashing to international aid amounts to 600,000 and rising, and this week a study predicted his petroleum strategies would result in fatalities 1.3 million more. However nothing as distinctive. No previous president would have attempted – really, no former commander would have conceived – independently wrecking large sections of the executive mansion in order to erect a royal-themed celebration hall, with the enthusiastic participation of some of America's wealthiest, the majority of whom maintain dealings with the government.
We moved from 'the meek shall inherit the Earth' into 'the gentle will succumb to cholera'
As disorienting as it is to observe the leader try to upend the traditional concept of democracy and substitute it with its polar opposite, there is one large group among Americans who might not perceive it totally unfamiliar. This includes individuals like us – among senior generations a near majority – who were raised within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have watched across decades as politically conservative religious groups transformed the Christ we were raised with into exactly the opposite of our understanding of him. At its most basic, they converted a persona of compassion into a figure of animosity who endorses exactly the harshness that he condemned in the Gospel; this has happened more slowly, over decades rather than months, but it is nonetheless disturbing via comparable methods, a confusing personal impact for numerous individuals.
A Toxic Christianity Takes Hold
Therefore allow me to outline the Christ from my childhood, since in theory the Savior is the core of any Christian faith, and since the quickly increasing segment of Americans may possess limited understanding of him as they consider themselves atheists or agnostics or religiously unaffiliated. I raise no objection with these different approaches, nor with any other faith; but I do think that there are pearls of substantial value in biblical accounts.
It is unquestionably absolutely not the narrative of a powerful ruler appearing; conversely, a child comes into the world to homeless parents in an automotive shelter, who must quickly flee to a foreign land to escape undercover officers. The child matures in humble circumstances, a laboring woodworker; his teaching focuses on affection for others, specifically for the poor – and not a sentimental love, but practical compassion, shown by providing food and protecting. Christ's response to aggression is to offer the opposite cheek – not as an act of submissive tolerance, but as a way to instruct the assailant; his approach to wrongdoing states that when an individual takes your outer garment you should give them your pullover too.
The apparent and direct fact that the Savior of the gospels advocates for a type of extreme compassion focused on the needy has consistently rendered the Christian faith rather a provocative belief system: appealing to the general public, but due to its intrinsic extremism needing to be controlled. During the 1950s it was controlled by dilution – The Protestant faith was so dominant that it practically baptized the status quo.
A Battle for the Finest Among Us
Hence I have become inspired to see the persistent defiance against Trump arise in this past year. It has served as great solace to help build the initiative that has protested openly through repeated demonstrations, and seems to have inspired voters to participate in large quantities in the off-year elections. We must have to continue it, and with identical determination, displaying national flags throughout each rally and appeals to the highest qualities in US history.
We're going to be asked ... how did you receive the foreigner? Did you accept these individuals and embrace them or not?
The nation is most protected, essentially, by reference to the highest within national tradition, similar to Christianity is most protected by relationship to what makes it distinctive and beautiful, which is the example of Christ. In both situations does it imply feigning the worst about the nation and Christian faith never occurred; it signifies both modesty and conviction, a blend that committed US believers should be comfortable with.
