Trumpism's most telling and characteristic moments – not its most significant, nor most brutal, nor most threatening, nor stupidest, but potentially its most enlightening – occurred earlier this fall. During the period of multiple weeks, the US president started showing everyone his plans for a lavish reception room twice the size compared to the White House and then began solo dismantling the East Wing portion to erect it.
He has done things countless times more severe – the current estimate of deaths due to his slashing to international aid amounts to 600,000 and rising, and this week an analysis projected his petroleum strategies would result in fatalities 1.3 million more. But nothing as definitional. No other president would have dared – genuinely, no former commander would have contemplated – unilaterally destroying large sections of the executive mansion to construct a Versailles-style party room, with the enthusiastic participation of numerous the nation's most affluent, nearly all of which maintain dealings with federal agencies.
We moved from 'the humble will receive the planet' to 'the meek shall die of cholera'
As confusing as it is to watch the leader attempt to overturn the established notion of democracy and replace it with its complete opposite, there remains a substantial portion within America who should not find it completely novel. This includes individuals like us – within elder demographics close to half – who were brought up as mainline Protestant Christians.
We have watched across decades as rightwing evangelical churches transformed the Christ we learned about into the complete reverse of our understanding of him. At its most basic, they converted a persona of affection into an icon of animosity who endorses exactly the harshness that he condemned in scripture; this transformation occurred more gradually, across decades as opposed to months, however it is still disturbing in the same ways, a disorienting gut punch for many of us.
A Toxic Christianity Gains Ground
Therefore allow me to outline the Jesus from my upbringing, since in theory Jesus is the center of any Christian faith, and since the rapidly expanding group within America might have little sense about him as they consider themselves skeptics or agnostics or spiritual independents. I have no problem with any of these traditions, nor with different religions; but I do think that contain precious wisdom of substantial value within Christian narrative.
It is unquestionably definitely not the account of an authoritative monarch arising; rather, a child comes into the world to parents without shelter in a garage, who are forced to hastily depart to another nation to avoid covert authorities. The child matures in simple surroundings, a laboring woodworker; his message focuses on affection for fellow humans, especially for the poor – not merely emotional affection, but a concrete one, shown by providing food and protecting. The Savior's reaction to hostility is to present the additional cheek – not as a demonstration of passive acceptance, but as a way to teach the assailant; his approach to wrongdoing indicates that whenever an individual takes your coat you should give him your sweater too.
The evident and straightforward reality that the Jesus in biblical accounts requests a form of extreme compassion concentrated on the needy is what has always made Christian religion something of a controversial faith: appealing to the general public, but due to its natural unconventionality needing to be controlled. In the 1950s it was restrained through watering down – Protestantism was so widespread that it basically baptized the status quo.
A Conflict for the Best of Us
Hence I have become heartened to witness the steadfast resistance to Trump emerge during the previous year. It has been substantial consolation to help build the initiative that has taken to the streets in rally after rally, and appears to have motivated citizens to turn out in large quantities in interim political contests. We will need to persist with it, and through comparable resolve, displaying national flags at every demonstration and calls to the highest qualities in US history.
We will be questioned ... about how you treated the immigrant? Did you accept these individuals and receive them or reject?
America is best defended, in other words, by reference to the best about American history, similar to Christianity is best defended through connection to what makes it unique and wonderful, specifically the model of the Savior. In neither case does it imply feigning the most negative regarding America and Christian faith did not happen; it means both humility and faith, a mixture that genuine American Christians should be comfortable with.
