Trumpism's most illuminating and characteristic moments – not its most significant, nor most harsh, nor most dangerous, nor most foolish, but potentially its most enlightening – came earlier this autumn. Over the span of several weeks, the nation's leader started showing everyone his plans for a lavish reception room twice the size of the White House and then commenced solo dismantling the East Wing to build it.
He has committed acts ten thousand times worse – the existing assessment of casualties resulting from his reductions to foreign assistance amounts to 600,000 and growing, and recently an analysis projected his energy policies would result in fatalities 1.3 million more. However nothing as distinctive. No former leader would have attempted – really, no other president would have contemplated – unilaterally destroying major areas of the presidential residence to build a Versailles-style party room, with the active collaboration of numerous America's wealthiest, the majority of whom have business with federal agencies.
We moved from 'the meek shall inherit the planet' to 'the meek shall die to cholera'
As disorienting as it is to observe the leader try to upend the old idea regarding democracy and exchange it with its direct contrary, there is one large group of Americans who might not perceive it entirely new. That encompasses people such as ourselves – in older age cohorts close to half – who were raised within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have watched over the years as rightwing evangelical churches converted the Savior we were raised with into the complete reverse of who we understood him to be. At its most basic, they transformed an image of love into an icon of hostility who approves specifically the brutality that he condemned in the Gospel; this has happened more slowly, through multiple decades instead of months, yet it remains disconcerting via comparable methods, a bewildering emotional blow for many of us.
A Damaging Christianity Gains Ground
Hence I shall explain the Savior from my childhood, as conceptually Christ is the focus of any Christian faith, and given that the fastest-growing cadre of Americans might have little sense regarding him as they consider themselves atheists or agnostics or spiritual independents. I take no issue with these different approaches, nor with different religions; yet I maintain that exist valuable insights of great price in the Christian story.
It is decidedly definitely not the narrative of an authoritative monarch arising; instead, a baby is born to parents without shelter in a storage space, who need to rapidly escape to another nation to avoid undercover officers. The infant develops in simple surroundings, a working carpenter; his doctrine is about love for others, specifically for the poor – not simply tender feelings, but a concrete one, expressed by feeding and protecting. Jesus' answer to aggression is to turn the opposite cheek – not as a gesture of submissive tolerance, but as a way to educate the assailant; his crime policy is that if someone steals your outer garment you should give them your pullover too.
The apparent and straightforward reality that Christ from scripture advocates for a form of profound affection concentrated on the poor has consistently rendered the Christian faith something of a provocative belief system: appealing to the populace, but due to its natural unconventionality demanding to be contained. During the 1950s it was contained by dilution – Protestant Christianity was so prevalent that it essentially baptized the status quo.
A Struggle for the Highest Among Us
Hence I have become inspired to see the determined opposition against Trump arise over the last twelve months. It has served as substantial consolation to help build the campaign that has protested openly in rally after rally, and seems to have inspired citizens to participate in significant amounts during minor elections. We will need to continue it, and with identical determination, featuring US banners throughout each rally and calls to the highest qualities of American history.
We will be questioned ... about how you treated the stranger? Did you receive him and welcome him or not?
The nation is most protected, to put it differently, by reference to the highest about American history, just as Christianity is best defended by reference to elements that cause it to be distinctive and wonderful, specifically the model of Christ. In all circumstances does it imply acting as if the most damaging of both America and Christianity was nonexistent; it represents both modesty and belief, a blend that committed US believers ought to accept.
