The Trump phenomenon's most illuminating and defining moments – not its most important, nor most brutal, nor most dangerous, nor most foolish, but potentially its most enlightening – came earlier this autumn. During the period of a few weeks, the American president began displaying everyone his plans for an ornate dance hall twice the size than the White House and then began solo dismantling the East Wing portion to build it.
He has committed acts 10,000 times as bad – the present calculation of fatalities resulting from his reductions to foreign assistance is 600,000 and rising, and recently research projected his fossil fuel policies would kill another 1.3 million. But nothing as definitional. No former leader would have dared – truly, no other president would have imagined – independently wrecking large sections of the presidential residence in order to erect a palace-inspired entertainment space, with the enthusiastic participation of some of the nation's most affluent, almost all of whom conduct transactions with public institutions.
We transitioned from 'the humble will receive the Earth' to 'the humble will perish from cholera'
As confusing as it is to witness the chief executive try to upend the traditional concept regarding democracy and exchange it with its polar opposite, there is one large group of Americans who should not find it entirely new. That is those of us – among senior generations close to half – who were educated as mainline Protestant Christians.
We have watched throughout the years as politically conservative religious groups transformed the Christ we grew up with into the complete reverse of our understanding of him. Essentially, they turned a figure of compassion into an icon of animosity who blesses exactly the harshness that he denounced in biblical teachings; this change developed at a slower pace, through multiple decades rather than months, but it is nonetheless disturbing through similar means, a confusing personal impact for countless people.
A Damaging Christianity Establishes Itself
So let me first describe the Savior from my childhood, since in theory the Savior is the core of any Christian faith, and because the fastest-growing cadre of Americans could have minimal awareness of him since they are non-believers or doubters or nones. I raise no objection with these various perspectives, nor with any other faith; but I do think that contain precious wisdom of great price within Christian narrative.
It is decidedly absolutely not the account of a powerful ruler arising; instead, a baby is born to displaced parents in a storage space, who must quickly flee to a foreign land to avoid undercover officers. The infant develops in humble circumstances, a working carpenter; his doctrine concerns compassion for fellow humans, specifically for the impoverished – and not a sentimental love, but a concrete one, demonstrated through nourishing and protecting. Jesus' answer to violence is to offer the other cheek – not as an act of submissive tolerance, but as a way to teach the aggressor; his crime policy indicates that whenever an individual takes your jacket you should give the person your additional clothing too.
The obvious and straightforward truth that Christ from scripture advocates for a kind of extreme compassion centered on the poor has perpetually caused Christian religion somewhat of a controversial faith: appealing to the populace, but owing to its natural unconventionality needing to be restrained. In the 1950s it was controlled via weakening – The Protestant faith was so widespread that it essentially blessed current circumstances.
A Conflict for the Best Among Us
So I have been heartened to see the persistent defiance regarding Trump arise over the last twelve months. It has served as substantial consolation to help build the initiative that has protested openly through repeated demonstrations, and seems to have inspired electorate to show up in large quantities in the off-year elections. We will need to continue it, and in the same spirit, with American flags during all protests and appeals to the highest qualities within national heritage.
We will be questioned ... how did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him and receive them or not?
America is best defended, in other words, by relationship to the best about American history, just as Christianity is most protected through connection to that which renders it special and beautiful, particularly the pattern of Jesus. In neither case does it mean feigning the worst regarding America and religious tradition never occurred; it means both humility and faith, a mixture that genuine US believers ought to accept.
