The Trump movement's most revealing and characteristic moments – not its most important, nor most brutal, nor most threatening, nor stupidest, but potentially its most enlightening – came earlier this autumn. Over the span of multiple weeks, the American president began displaying everyone his designs for a lavish reception room twice the size compared to the White House and then commenced independently demolishing the East Wing to construct it.
He has performed deeds countless times more severe – the present calculation of deaths from his cuts to USAID amounts to 600,000 and increasing, and presently research predicted his petroleum strategies would kill an additional 1.3 million. But nothing as definitional. No former leader would have risked – really, no other president would have contemplated – solo demolishing significant portions of the White House to construct a Versailles-style party room, with the enthusiastic participation of numerous the richest Americans, nearly all of which conduct transactions with federal agencies.
We moved from 'the meek shall inherit the Earth' toward 'the humble will perish of cholera'
As disorienting as it is to witness the chief executive attempt to overturn the old idea of democracy and substitute it with its direct contrary, there remains a substantial portion among Americans who might not perceive it completely novel. That encompasses people such as ourselves – among senior generations a near majority – who were raised within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have observed across decades as rightwing evangelical churches converted the Savior we were raised with into the complete reverse of our perception of his character. At its most basic, they converted a persona of love into an icon of animosity who endorses exactly the harshness that he condemned in scripture; this has happened more slowly, over decades instead of months, but it is nonetheless disconcerting via comparable methods, a confusing personal impact for numerous individuals.
A Toxic Christianity Establishes Itself
So let me first describe the Savior that I grew up with, as conceptually Christ is the focus of any Christian faith, and since the fastest-growing cadre within America may possess limited understanding about him because they identify as non-believers or doubters or spiritual independents. I raise no objection with these different approaches, nor with any other faith; however I believe that contain precious wisdom of great price in the Christian story.
It is unquestionably absolutely not the story of an authoritative monarch emerging; instead, a child comes into the world to homeless parents in a garage, who are forced to hastily depart to a different country to avoid undercover officers. The infant develops in simple surroundings, a working carpenter; his teaching concerns compassion for other people, especially for the disadvantaged – and not a sentimental love, but tangible care, shown by providing food and housing. Christ's response to aggression is to turn the additional cheek – not as a gesture of compliant endurance, but as a method to teach the aggressor; his approach to wrongdoing indicates that whenever a person pilfers your jacket you must offer the person your additional clothing as well.
The apparent and clear fact that Christ from scripture requests a type of extreme compassion concentrated on the needy is what has always made Christianity rather a scandalous religion: attractive to the populace, but due to its natural unconventionality needing to be contained. During the 1950s it was contained through watering down – The Protestant faith was so dominant that it basically sanctified existing conditions.
A Conflict for the Best of Us
So I have been inspired to see the steadfast resistance to Trump emerge over the last twelve months. It has provided significant comfort to assist in constructing the initiative that has taken to the streets through repeated demonstrations, and likely has encouraged electorate to participate in significant amounts during minor elections. We will need to continue it, and in the same spirit, featuring US banners at every demonstration and calls to the best parts of American history.
We will be questioned ... regarding how you welcomed the immigrant? Did you receive him and welcome him or reject?
The nation is most protected, in other words, through connection to the finest in US heritage, just as Christianity is optimally secured through connection to elements that cause it to be distinctive and wonderful, particularly the pattern of the Savior. In both situations does it mean acting as if the most negative of both America and Christianity was nonexistent; it represents both meekness and belief, a mixture that genuine US believers ought to accept.
