Trumpism's most illuminating and characteristic moments – not its most important, nor most harsh, nor most threatening, nor most foolish, but perhaps its most illuminating – occurred earlier this fall. Over the span of a few weeks, the US president commenced revealing everyone his designs for a gilded ballroom double the dimensions compared to the White House and then commenced unilaterally ripping down the East Wing portion to construct it.
He has done things 10,000 times as bad – the current estimate of casualties resulting from his reductions to international aid stands at 600,000 and increasing, and presently research predicted his petroleum strategies would kill another 1.3 million. Yet nothing as characteristic. No previous president would have attempted – truly, no previous leader would have imagined – solo demolishing major areas of the executive mansion in order to erect a palace-inspired entertainment space, with the active collaboration of some of the richest Americans, nearly all of which maintain dealings with the government.
We transitioned from 'the meek shall inherit the world' toward 'the meek shall die to cholera'
As disorienting as it is to witness the president attempt to overturn the established notion about democracy and substitute it with its direct contrary, there remains a substantial portion within America who wouldn't consider it totally unfamiliar. This includes individuals like us – within elder demographics a near majority – who were brought up as conventional Protestant believers.
We have witnessed across decades as rightwing evangelical churches turned the Jesus we learned about into the complete reverse of our understanding of him. Essentially, they turned a figure of love into an icon of hostility who blesses exactly the harshness that he condemned in the Gospel; this change developed at a slower pace, across decades rather than months, yet it remains disturbing through similar means, a confusing personal impact for numerous individuals.
A Toxic Christianity Gains Ground
Hence I shall explain the Jesus that I grew up with, because theoretically Christ is the focus within Christian belief, and because the fastest-growing cadre within America may possess limited understanding of him because they identify as non-believers or uncertain individuals or spiritual independents. I have no problem with these different approaches, nor with any other faith; yet I maintain that exist valuable insights of great price in the Christian story.
It is decidedly not the account of a mighty king arising; conversely, a child comes into the world to displaced parents in an automotive shelter, who must quickly flee to another nation to evade covert authorities. The infant develops in modest conditions, an employed craftsman; his doctrine is about love for other people, especially for the impoverished – not simply tender feelings, but practical compassion, expressed by feeding and sheltering. The Savior's reaction to hostility is to present the other cheek – not as an act of passive acceptance, but as a method to teach the attacker; his method regarding offenses indicates that whenever an individual takes your jacket you ought to provide them your pullover as well.
The apparent and straightforward fact that the Jesus of the gospels requests a kind of profound affection focused on the needy has perpetually caused Christianity something of a controversial faith: attractive to the masses, but owing to its natural unconventionality demanding to be restrained. In the fifties it was contained by dilution – Protestant Christianity was so widespread that it basically sanctified existing conditions.
A Battle for the Best of Us
Therefore I have felt encouraged to observe the persistent defiance to Trump arise during the previous year. It has been great solace to assist in constructing the campaign that has protested openly in rally after rally, and seems to have inspired electorate to turn out in large quantities during minor elections. We will need to maintain it, and with identical determination, with American flags throughout each rally and requests to the finest aspects within national heritage.
We shall be interrogated ... about how you treated the immigrant? Did you receive him and welcome him or reject?
America is best defended, essentially, by relationship to the finest within national tradition, similar to Christianity is most protected by relationship to that which renders it unique and beautiful, which is the example of Christ. In all circumstances does it imply acting as if the most damaging of both America and Christianity never occurred; it signifies both modesty and faith, a blend that serious US believers ought to accept.
