The Trump phenomenon's most telling and distinctive instances – not its most significant, nor most brutal, nor most hazardous, nor stupidest, but potentially its most enlightening – occurred earlier this fall. Over the span of several weeks, the American president began displaying the public his intentions for a gilded ballroom two times larger than the White House and subsequently started independently demolishing the eastern section to erect it.
He has performed deeds countless times more severe – the existing assessment of casualties from his cuts to foreign assistance is 600,000 and rising, and this week research projected his energy policies would result in fatalities an additional 1.3 million. But nothing as definitional. No former leader would have dared – really, no former commander would have imagined – solo demolishing large sections of the executive mansion to build a palace-inspired entertainment space, with the enthusiastic participation of numerous the nation's most affluent, the majority of whom have business with public institutions.
We transitioned from 'the gentle will obtain the Earth' into 'the meek shall die from cholera'
As bewildering as it is to observe the leader attempt to overturn the old idea about democracy and substitute it with its complete opposite, there is one large group within America who might not perceive it totally unfamiliar. That encompasses people such as ourselves – within elder demographics close to half – who were raised as conventional Protestant believers.
We have observed over the years as rightwing evangelical churches converted the Savior we learned about into exactly the opposite of our understanding of him. Fundamentally, they converted a persona of affection into a symbol of animosity who endorses exactly the harshness that he criticized in the Gospel; this has happened more gradually, across decades rather than months, however it is still disconcerting through similar means, a bewildering emotional blow for many of us.
A Damaging Christianity Establishes Itself
So let me first describe the Jesus from my upbringing, since in theory the Savior is the core within Christian belief, and because the rapidly expanding group of Americans may possess limited understanding of him as they consider themselves atheists or uncertain individuals or spiritual independents. I take no issue with these various perspectives, nor with alternative spiritual paths; yet I maintain that there are pearls of great price within Christian narrative.
It is decidedly definitely not the story of a mighty king emerging; rather, a baby is born to parents without shelter in an automotive shelter, who are forced to hastily depart to a different country to avoid covert authorities. The infant develops in humble circumstances, an employed craftsman; his doctrine is about love for others, particularly for the disadvantaged – and not a sentimental love, but tangible care, expressed by feeding and housing. Christ's response to violence is to offer the other cheek – not as an act of compliant endurance, but as a means to instruct the assailant; his method regarding offenses states that when a person pilfers your jacket you should give him your sweater as well.
The obvious and clear truth that the Jesus from scripture advocates for a kind of extreme compassion centered on the impoverished has consistently rendered the Christian faith somewhat of a controversial faith: engaging for the masses, but because of its inherent radicalness needing to be controlled. In the 1950s it was contained through watering down – Protestant Christianity was so prevalent that it essentially blessed current circumstances.
A Struggle for the Best Within Us
Hence I have become encouraged to observe the steadfast resistance regarding Trump emerge over the last twelve months. It has served as substantial consolation to participate in developing the movement that has taken to the streets in rally after rally, and likely has encouraged electorate to show up in numbers during minor elections. We shall require to persist with it, and with identical determination, displaying national flags during all protests and appeals to the highest qualities within national heritage.
We're going to be asked ... about how you treated the stranger? Did you welcome them and receive them or reject?
The country is optimally secured, to put it differently, by relationship to the highest about American history, just as Christianity is best defended by reference to that which renders it special and magnificent, which is the example of Jesus. In neither case does it suggest pretending the most damaging of both America and Christian faith did not happen; it represents both humility and conviction, a blend that committed national faithful ought to accept.
