Trumpism's most revealing and distinctive moments – not its most crucial, nor most harsh, nor most threatening, nor most foolish, but potentially its most enlightening – occurred earlier this fall. During the period of a few weeks, the nation's leader 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 East Wing portion to erect it.
He has committed acts countless times more severe – the existing assessment of casualties due to his slashing to USAID amounts to 600,000 and growing, and presently a study forecast his fossil fuel policies would kill an additional 1.3 million. However nothing as distinctive. No previous president would have dared – really, no former commander would have imagined – solo demolishing major areas of the White House to build a royal-themed celebration hall, with the active collaboration of numerous the richest Americans, almost all of whom conduct transactions with the government.
We transitioned from 'the humble will receive the world' into 'the meek shall die from cholera'
As bewildering as it is to witness the leader attempt to overturn the established notion regarding democracy and replace it with its direct contrary, there remains a substantial portion within America who wouldn't consider it totally unfamiliar. That encompasses people such as ourselves – within elder demographics almost a majority – who were brought up within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have watched over the years as rightwing evangelical churches converted the Savior we grew up with into the complete reverse of our understanding of him. Essentially, they converted a persona of affection into an icon of animosity who blesses specifically the brutality that he criticized in biblical teachings; this transformation occurred at a slower pace, through multiple decades rather than months, yet it remains unsettling via comparable methods, a disorienting gut punch for many of us.
A Harmful Christianity Gains Ground
So let me first describe the Savior from my upbringing, because theoretically the Savior is the core of any Christian faith, and since the rapidly expanding group within America may possess limited understanding about him because they identify as atheists or doubters or nones. I take no issue with these different approaches, nor with alternative spiritual paths; but I do think that exist valuable insights of great price in the Christian story.
It is decidedly not the story of an authoritative monarch arising; instead, a child comes into the world to homeless parents in a storage space, who must quickly flee to another nation to escape secret police. The infant develops in modest conditions, a laboring woodworker; his doctrine concerns compassion for others, especially for the disadvantaged – not simply tender feelings, but tangible care, shown by providing food and housing. Jesus' answer to hostility is to turn the other cheek – not as a gesture of submissive tolerance, but as a means to educate the assailant; his crime policy indicates that whenever a person pilfers your coat you must offer them your pullover as well.
The obvious and clear truth that the Jesus from scripture calls for a kind of radical love concentrated on the poor has perpetually caused Christian religion something of a scandalous religion: appealing to the masses, but because of its inherent radicalness requiring to be contained. In the 1950s it was restrained through watering down – The Protestant faith was so prevalent that it basically baptized the status quo.
A Conflict for the Highest of Us
Therefore I have felt heartened to see the steadfast resistance against Trump emerge over the last twelve months. It has provided great solace to assist in constructing the campaign that has taken to the streets through repeated demonstrations, and likely has encouraged electorate to participate in large quantities during minor elections. We will need to maintain it, and through comparable resolve, featuring US banners at every demonstration and appeals to the best parts of American history.
We shall be interrogated ... regarding how you welcomed the stranger? Did you welcome them and embrace them or not?
The nation is most protected, essentially, through connection to the finest about American history, exactly as the Christian faith is most protected by reference to what makes it special and beautiful, specifically the model of the Savior. In neither case does it suggest acting as if the worst regarding America and Christian faith never occurred; it represents both modesty and conviction, a mixture that serious national faithful should be comfortable with.
