Trumpism's most illuminating and characteristic occasions – not its most significant, nor most brutal, nor most hazardous, nor stupidest, but perhaps its most illuminating – came earlier this autumn. In the course of several weeks, the American president commenced revealing the public his plans for a lavish reception room twice the size than the White House and then began unilaterally ripping down the eastern section to construct it.
He has done things countless times more severe – the existing assessment of casualties from his cuts to international aid stands at 600,000 and growing, and presently an analysis forecast his petroleum strategies would cause deaths 1.3 million more. But nothing as definitional. No other president would have dared – genuinely, no other president would have imagined – solo demolishing significant portions of the executive mansion to construct a palace-inspired entertainment space, with the direct cooperation of some of the richest Americans, the majority of whom have business with the government.
We went from 'the meek shall inherit the Earth' to 'the gentle will succumb to cholera'
As bewildering as it is to observe the chief executive attempt to overturn the traditional concept regarding democracy and replace it with its complete opposite, there exists a significant segment within America who might not perceive it completely novel. That is those of us – among senior generations almost a majority – who were raised within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have witnessed across decades as rightwing evangelical churches transformed the Christ we were raised with into exactly the opposite of our perception of his character. At its most basic, they converted a persona of affection into a symbol of hate who endorses precisely the cruelties that he criticized in scripture; this transformation occurred more slowly, across decades rather than months, however it is still disturbing via comparable methods, a bewildering emotional blow for many of us.
A Harmful Christianity Establishes Itself
Hence I shall explain the Jesus from my upbringing, because theoretically Christ is the focus of Christian religion, and since the rapidly expanding group within America may possess limited understanding of him as they consider themselves atheists or agnostics or spiritual independents. I raise no objection with these various perspectives, nor with alternative spiritual paths; but I do think that there are pearls of great price within Christian narrative.
It is decidedly not the story of a mighty king arising; instead, an infant arrives to displaced parents in a garage, who need to rapidly escape to another nation to escape secret police. The baby grows up in simple surroundings, an employed craftsman; his teaching is about love for other people, especially for the poor – not merely emotional affection, but practical compassion, expressed by feeding and sheltering. Jesus' answer to violence is to present the opposite cheek – not as a gesture of submissive tolerance, but as a method to educate the aggressor; his method regarding offenses states that when someone steals your jacket you ought to provide the person your additional clothing as well.
The evident and clear reality that the Savior of the gospels advocates for a kind of profound affection centered on the poor has consistently rendered Christian religion somewhat of a provocative belief system: appealing to the populace, but due to its inherent radicalness demanding to be controlled. During the 1950s it was restrained via weakening – Protestantism was so prevalent that it essentially baptized the status quo.
A Battle for the Best Within Us
Therefore I have felt inspired to observe the persistent defiance against Trump arise during the previous year. It has served as great solace to assist in constructing the initiative that has taken to the streets via continuous gatherings, and appears to have motivated citizens to participate in large quantities in the off-year elections. We will need to maintain it, and in the same spirit, with American flags during all protests and requests to the best parts of American history.
We will be questioned ... regarding how you welcomed the stranger? Did you welcome them and embrace them or not?
America is best defended, essentially, by reference to the highest within national tradition, just as Christianity is optimally secured by reference to that which renders it special and magnificent, particularly the pattern of the Savior. In both situations does it suggest pretending the most negative regarding America and Christian faith was nonexistent; it signifies both meekness and faith, a blend that committed national faithful ought to accept.
