The Trump phenomenon's most illuminating and characteristic moments – not its most significant, nor most harsh, nor most hazardous, nor most foolish, but possibly its most revealing – occurred earlier this fall. Over the span of multiple weeks, the US president began displaying everyone his plans for a lavish reception room double the dimensions compared to the White House and then began unilaterally ripping down the East Wing portion to build it.
He has performed deeds countless times more severe – the existing assessment of deaths due to his slashing to USAID is 600,000 and growing, and presently an analysis projected his energy policies would result in fatalities 1.3 million more. But nothing as definitional. No former leader would have dared – really, no former commander would have contemplated – unilaterally destroying large sections of the White House to construct a royal-themed celebration hall, with the active collaboration of some of America's wealthiest, the majority of whom have business with public institutions.
We went from 'the meek shall inherit the world' into 'the humble will perish of cholera'
As bewildering as it is to witness the leader try to upend the established notion about democracy and replace it with its direct contrary, there is one large group of Americans who wouldn't consider it completely novel. This includes individuals like us – among senior generations close to half – who were raised as mainline Protestant Christians.
We have watched over the years as rightwing evangelical churches converted the Savior we grew up with into exactly the opposite of our perception of his character. Essentially, they transformed an image of love into a symbol of animosity who approves exactly the harshness that he denounced in the Gospel; this has happened at a slower pace, across decades instead of months, but it is nonetheless disconcerting in the same ways, a disorienting gut punch for numerous individuals.
A Damaging Christianity Takes Hold
Therefore allow me to outline the Jesus from my childhood, as conceptually the Savior is the core within Christian belief, and given that the rapidly expanding group of Americans might have little sense about him as they consider themselves non-believers or uncertain individuals or spiritual independents. I have no problem with any of these traditions, nor with any other faith; yet I maintain that there are pearls of great price in biblical accounts.
It is emphatically absolutely not the account of an authoritative monarch appearing; conversely, a baby is born to parents without shelter in a storage space, who are forced to hastily depart to a different country to avoid undercover officers. The child matures in modest conditions, an employed craftsman; his teaching focuses on affection for other people, especially for the poor – not merely emotional affection, but tangible care, shown by providing food and housing. Christ's response to violence is to turn the opposite cheek – not as a gesture of passive acceptance, but as a means to educate the attacker; his approach to wrongdoing states that when a person pilfers your jacket you should give him your sweater as well.
The apparent and straightforward fact that the Jesus in biblical accounts advocates for a form of profound affection centered on the needy has consistently rendered Christianity rather a controversial faith: appealing to the general public, but owing to its intrinsic extremism requiring to be controlled. In the fifties it was contained through watering down – Protestantism was so prevalent that it essentially blessed current circumstances.
A Conflict for the Best Within Us
Hence I have become heartened to see the persistent defiance to Trump arise in this past year. It has served as great solace to assist in constructing the initiative that has taken to the streets in rally after rally, and likely has encouraged citizens to participate in numbers in interim political contests. We must have to maintain it, and through comparable resolve, with American flags at every demonstration and appeals to the best parts within national heritage.
We will be questioned ... regarding how you welcomed the foreigner? Did you welcome them and welcome him or refuse?
America is best defended, essentially, by reference to the highest in US heritage, similar to Christianity is optimally secured by relationship to elements that cause it to be special and wonderful, particularly the pattern of Jesus. In neither case does it mean feigning the most damaging regarding America and Christian faith was nonexistent; it represents both modesty and belief, a mixture that committed national faithful ought to accept.
