The Trump phenomenon's most illuminating and defining instances – not its most significant, nor cruelest, nor most dangerous, nor stupidest, but perhaps its most illuminating – occurred earlier this fall. During the period of multiple weeks, the nation's leader began displaying all observers his intentions for a lavish reception room two times larger than the White House and then commenced solo dismantling the East Wing to erect it.
He has done things countless times more severe – the existing assessment of deaths resulting from his reductions to foreign assistance amounts to 600,000 and increasing, and recently a study forecast his fossil fuel policies would result in fatalities 1.3 million more. However nothing as distinctive. No other president would have dared – really, no previous leader would have imagined – unilaterally destroying large sections of the presidential residence in order to erect a Versailles-style party room, with the direct cooperation of numerous America's wealthiest, nearly all of which maintain dealings with federal agencies.
We transitioned from 'the meek shall inherit the planet' to 'the humble will perish from cholera'
As bewildering as it is to watch the leader try to upend the old idea regarding democracy and substitute it with its complete opposite, there remains a substantial portion within America who should not find it entirely new. That is those of us – within elder demographics close to half – who were raised within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have watched throughout the years as politically conservative religious groups turned the Jesus we were raised with into the complete reverse of our perception of his character. Essentially, they converted a persona of love into a figure of hate who approves exactly the harshness that he condemned in scripture; this transformation occurred at a slower pace, over decades as opposed to months, but it is nonetheless disconcerting via comparable methods, a confusing personal impact for many of us.
A Toxic Christianity Gains Ground
So let me first describe the Jesus from my upbringing, since in theory Jesus is the center of Christian religion, and because the fastest-growing cadre of Americans might have little sense of him because they identify as atheists or uncertain individuals or religiously unaffiliated. I have no problem with these different approaches, nor with alternative spiritual paths; however I believe that contain precious wisdom of substantial value in biblical accounts.
It is emphatically absolutely not the story of an authoritative monarch arising; rather, a child comes into the world to parents without shelter in a storage space, who are forced to hastily depart to another nation to escape secret police. The infant develops in modest conditions, a laboring woodworker; his doctrine is about love for other people, especially for the disadvantaged – and not a sentimental love, but tangible care, shown by providing food and housing. The Savior's reaction to violence is to present the other cheek – not as a gesture of passive acceptance, but as a means to instruct the assailant; his method regarding offenses states that when someone steals your coat you ought to provide the person your additional clothing also.
The evident and clear reality that Christ from scripture calls for a kind of extreme compassion centered on the needy has perpetually caused the Christian faith something of a controversial faith: engaging for the general public, but owing to its intrinsic extremism needing to be restrained. During the 1950s it was restrained via weakening – The Protestant faith was so widespread that it practically blessed current circumstances.
A Conflict for the Highest Among Us
Therefore I have felt inspired to observe the determined opposition to Trump arise in this past year. It has served as significant comfort to assist in constructing the movement that has taken to the streets in rally after rally, and appears to have motivated voters to participate in large quantities during minor elections. We will need to continue it, and through comparable resolve, with American flags during all protests and calls to the finest aspects in US history.
We will be questioned ... how did you receive the stranger? Did you receive him and embrace them or not?
America is best defended, essentially, through connection to the best about American history, exactly as the Christian faith is best defended by relationship to that which renders it distinctive and beautiful, which is the example of Christ. In both situations does it suggest pretending the worst regarding America and Christianity was nonexistent; it signifies both meekness and belief, a mixture that genuine American Christians should embrace.
