The Trump movement's most telling and defining instances – not its most important, nor most brutal, nor most threatening, nor stupidest, but possibly its most revealing – occurred earlier this fall. Over the span of a few weeks, the US president started showing everyone his designs for a lavish reception room two times larger of the White House and subsequently started unilaterally ripping down the East Wing to construct it.
He has performed deeds countless times more severe – the current estimate of casualties due to his slashing to international aid stands at 600,000 and growing, and recently research predicted his energy policies would cause deaths an additional 1.3 million. But nothing as definitional. No other president would have attempted – really, no other president would have conceived – independently wrecking significant portions of the presidential residence to construct a palace-inspired entertainment space, with the active collaboration of some of the richest Americans, almost all of whom conduct transactions with federal agencies.
We went from 'the humble will receive the Earth' to 'the humble will perish to cholera'
As confusing as it is to witness the chief executive try to upend the old idea of democracy and replace it with its complete opposite, there exists a significant segment among Americans who should not find it totally unfamiliar. This includes individuals like us – among senior generations close to half – who were brought up as mainline Protestant Christians.
We have observed over the years as rightwing evangelical churches transformed the Christ we were raised with into exactly the opposite of our perception of his character. At its most basic, they transformed an image of love into an icon of hate who endorses precisely the cruelties that he condemned in scripture; this change developed at a slower pace, through multiple decades as opposed to months, but it is nonetheless disconcerting via comparable methods, a confusing personal impact for countless people.
A Damaging Christianity Gains Ground
Hence I shall explain the Jesus from my upbringing, since in theory Christ is the focus within Christian belief, and given that the quickly increasing segment among Americans could have minimal awareness regarding him as they consider themselves skeptics or doubters or religiously unaffiliated. I have no problem with these various perspectives, nor with different religions; but I do think that exist valuable insights of substantial value in biblical accounts.
It is decidedly not the account of a mighty king appearing; rather, a child comes into the world to displaced parents in a garage, who must quickly flee to a foreign land to escape undercover officers. The baby grows up in simple surroundings, an employed craftsman; his message focuses on affection for fellow humans, specifically for the disadvantaged – not merely emotional affection, but a concrete one, shown by providing food and protecting. The Savior's reaction to violence is to present the opposite cheek – not as a gesture of passive acceptance, but as a method to educate the attacker; his crime policy states that when someone steals your outer garment you ought to provide the person your additional clothing as well.
The evident and straightforward truth that Christ from scripture calls for a form of radical love concentrated on the needy is what has always made the Christian faith rather a scandalous religion: appealing to the populace, but owing to its natural unconventionality demanding to be restrained. In the 1950s it was contained through watering down – Protestantism was so prevalent that it practically sanctified existing conditions.
A Battle for the Finest Within Us
So I have been encouraged to witness the determined opposition against Trump arise over the last twelve months. It has been significant comfort to assist in constructing the initiative that has demonstrated publicly via continuous gatherings, and likely has encouraged citizens to show up in large quantities in interim political contests. We must have to persist with it, and through comparable resolve, featuring US banners during all protests and calls to the best parts of American history.
We will be questioned ... about how you treated the immigrant? Did you welcome them and welcome him or not?
America is best defended, essentially, by reference to the highest about American history, just as Christianity is optimally secured by relationship to what makes it distinctive and wonderful, which is the example of the Savior. In both situations does it mean pretending the most damaging regarding America and Christianity was nonexistent; it represents both modesty and belief, a mixture that committed national faithful should be comfortable with.
