The Trump phenomenon's most telling and defining instances – not its most significant, nor most brutal, nor most dangerous, nor most senseless, but perhaps its most illuminating – occurred earlier this fall. In the course of a few weeks, the nation's leader started showing all observers his plans for a gilded ballroom two times larger than the White House and subsequently started solo dismantling the East Wing portion to build it.
He has done things countless times more severe – the present calculation of casualties from his cuts to foreign assistance is 600,000 and increasing, and recently a study projected his fossil fuel policies would result in fatalities an additional 1.3 million. However nothing as distinctive. No former leader would have dared – really, no former commander would have imagined – unilaterally destroying major areas of the White House in order to erect a Versailles-style party room, with the active collaboration of some of the richest Americans, nearly all of which have business with the government.
We transitioned from 'the humble will receive the Earth' into 'the meek shall die from cholera'
As confusing as it is to observe the president try to upend the established notion of democracy and substitute it with its direct contrary, there exists a significant segment within America who wouldn't consider it completely novel. This includes individuals like us – within elder demographics close to half – who were educated within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have observed across decades while conservative evangelical congregations turned the Jesus we learned about into the complete reverse of our understanding of him. Fundamentally, they turned a figure of compassion into a figure of animosity who endorses exactly the harshness that he criticized in scripture; this transformation occurred more slowly, through multiple decades rather than months, however it is still disconcerting in the same ways, a bewildering emotional blow for many of us.
A Damaging Christianity Establishes Itself
Hence I shall explain the Jesus from my childhood, because theoretically Christ is the focus of Christian religion, and given that the rapidly expanding group of Americans could have minimal awareness about him since they are non-believers or doubters or nones. I raise no objection with these various perspectives, nor with any other faith; however I believe that there are pearls of significant worth within Christian narrative.
It is decidedly definitely not the narrative of a powerful ruler appearing; rather, a child comes into the world to displaced parents in a garage, who must quickly flee to a foreign land to avoid covert authorities. The infant develops in simple surroundings, an employed craftsman; his doctrine focuses on affection for fellow humans, especially for the impoverished – not merely emotional affection, but tangible care, shown by providing food and protecting. Jesus' answer to aggression is to turn the additional cheek – not as a gesture of submissive tolerance, but as a method to teach the aggressor; his method regarding offenses indicates that whenever an individual takes your outer garment you should give the person your additional clothing too.
The apparent and clear reality that Christ of the gospels calls for a form of profound affection concentrated on the needy is what has always made the Christian faith somewhat of a provocative belief system: attractive to the populace, but due to its natural unconventionality requiring to be restrained. In the 1950s it was contained by dilution – Protestant Christianity was so dominant that it essentially baptized the status quo.
A Struggle for the Finest of Us
Therefore I have felt inspired to observe the persistent defiance regarding Trump develop in this past year. It has been substantial consolation to help build the campaign that has taken to the streets through repeated demonstrations, and likely has encouraged electorate to participate in large quantities in interim political contests. We will need to maintain it, and with identical determination, with American flags throughout each rally and appeals to the finest aspects within national heritage.
We shall be interrogated ... how did you receive the immigrant? Did you accept these individuals and embrace them or refuse?
The country is optimally secured, in other words, through connection to the best within national tradition, similar to Christianity is most protected by relationship to that which renders it unique and wonderful, particularly the pattern of Jesus. In neither case does it imply pretending the worst regarding America and religious tradition was nonexistent; it represents both humility and faith, a blend that committed American Christians ought to accept.
