Trumpism's most illuminating and distinctive instances – not its most crucial, nor most brutal, nor most threatening, nor most foolish, but perhaps its most illuminating – emerged earlier this harvest season. In the course of a few weeks, the nation's leader started showing all observers his plans for a gilded ballroom two times larger compared to the White House and subsequently started solo dismantling the East Wing portion to erect it.
He has done things 10,000 times as bad – the current estimate of deaths from his cuts to USAID stands at 600,000 and growing, and this week a study forecast his petroleum strategies would result in fatalities an additional 1.3 million. However nothing as distinctive. No previous president would have risked – really, no other president would have conceived – solo demolishing significant portions of the presidential residence to construct a royal-themed celebration hall, with the enthusiastic participation of numerous the richest Americans, almost all of whom conduct transactions with federal agencies.
We transitioned from 'the meek shall inherit the world' into 'the humble will perish of cholera'
As confusing as it is to witness the president attempt to overturn the old idea of democracy and exchange it with its complete opposite, there remains a substantial portion of Americans who might not perceive it completely novel. This includes individuals like us – in older age cohorts a near majority – who were raised within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have witnessed throughout the years as politically conservative religious groups turned the Jesus we learned about into the complete reverse of our perception of his character. Essentially, they turned a figure of affection into an icon of hate who endorses exactly the harshness that he condemned in scripture; this change developed more slowly, across decades instead of months, but it is nonetheless disturbing in the same ways, a confusing personal impact for many of us.
A Harmful Christianity Gains Ground
Therefore allow me to outline the Christ from my childhood, because theoretically the Savior is the core of any Christian faith, and since the fastest-growing cadre among Americans could have minimal awareness regarding him since they are skeptics or agnostics or spiritual independents. I take no issue with these various perspectives, nor with alternative spiritual paths; but I do think that there are pearls of substantial value in the Christian story.
It is decidedly definitely not the account of a powerful ruler arising; rather, a baby is born to parents without shelter in a storage space, who need to rapidly escape to a different country to escape secret police. The baby grows up in modest conditions, an employed craftsman; his message concerns compassion for fellow humans, specifically for the disadvantaged – not simply tender feelings, but practical compassion, demonstrated through nourishing and housing. Jesus' answer to aggression is to present the other cheek – not as a demonstration of submissive tolerance, but as a means to teach the attacker; his crime policy is that if someone steals your outer garment you should give them your pullover as well.
The obvious and straightforward reality that the Jesus of the gospels advocates for a kind of extreme compassion centered on the impoverished has consistently rendered Christian religion somewhat of a scandalous religion: engaging for the masses, but owing to its intrinsic extremism demanding to be contained. In the 1950s it was restrained by dilution – Protestantism was so prevalent that it essentially blessed current circumstances.
A Conflict for the Highest of Us
Hence I have become heartened to observe the steadfast resistance to Trump arise in this past year. It has served as great solace to participate in developing the initiative that has protested openly through repeated demonstrations, and likely has encouraged electorate to participate in numbers during minor elections. We must have to persist with it, and in the same spirit, featuring US banners at every demonstration and appeals to the finest aspects of American history.
We shall be interrogated ... about how you treated the stranger? Did you accept these individuals and receive them or refuse?
America is best defended, essentially, through connection to the best about American history, similar to Christianity is most protected by reference to what makes it unique and beautiful, which is the example of Christ. In all circumstances does it mean pretending the worst regarding America and Christianity never occurred; it signifies both meekness and conviction, a combination that genuine American Christians should be comfortable with.
