Trumpism's most revealing and characteristic instances – not its most significant, nor most brutal, nor most dangerous, nor most senseless, but possibly its most revealing – occurred earlier this fall. Over the span of multiple weeks, the American president started showing the public his designs for a gilded ballroom double the dimensions of the White House and then began unilaterally ripping down the eastern section to build it.
He has performed deeds countless times more severe – the current estimate of deaths resulting from his reductions to USAID is 600,000 and increasing, and this week an analysis projected his fossil fuel policies would result in fatalities an additional 1.3 million. But nothing as definitional. No former leader would have attempted – truly, no former commander would have conceived – solo demolishing significant portions of the White House to build a Versailles-style party room, with the enthusiastic participation of numerous the nation's most affluent, nearly all of which conduct transactions with federal agencies.
We transitioned from 'the gentle will obtain the planet' toward 'the humble will perish to cholera'
As bewildering as it is to watch the president try to upend the traditional concept regarding democracy and substitute it with its direct contrary, there exists a significant segment within America who might not perceive it totally unfamiliar. That encompasses people such as ourselves – within elder demographics close to half – who were brought up as conventional Protestant believers.
We have watched across decades while conservative evangelical congregations converted the Savior we grew up with into exactly the opposite of our perception of his character. Fundamentally, they transformed an image of love into a figure of animosity who approves exactly the harshness that he condemned in biblical teachings; this transformation occurred more gradually, across decades as opposed to months, but it is nonetheless unsettling through similar means, a bewildering emotional blow for numerous individuals.
A Toxic Christianity Takes Hold
Therefore allow me to outline the Savior that I grew up with, since in theory Jesus is the center of any Christian faith, and since the quickly increasing segment within America may possess limited understanding regarding him since they are non-believers or agnostics or nones. I raise no objection with these different approaches, nor with different religions; but I do think that contain precious wisdom of great price in biblical accounts.
It is decidedly definitely not the narrative of a mighty king appearing; rather, a baby is born to parents without shelter in a garage, who must quickly flee to another nation to escape secret police. The child matures in simple surroundings, a working carpenter; his teaching is about love for other people, particularly for the impoverished – and not a sentimental love, but tangible care, expressed by feeding and housing. Christ's response to violence is to offer the opposite cheek – not as a gesture of compliant endurance, but as a way to teach the aggressor; his crime policy states that when an individual takes your coat you must offer him your sweater as well.
The evident and direct truth that the Savior in biblical accounts advocates for a kind of extreme compassion focused on the needy has perpetually caused Christianity something of a scandalous religion: appealing to the populace, but because of its inherent radicalness needing to be restrained. In the 1950s it was controlled by dilution – The Protestant faith was so dominant that it practically blessed current circumstances.
A Struggle for the Highest of Us
So I have been encouraged to see the persistent defiance to Trump arise in this past year. It has been significant comfort to assist in constructing the campaign that has taken to the streets in rally after rally, and seems to have inspired citizens to turn out in large quantities in the off-year elections. We must have to continue it, and in the same spirit, displaying national flags at every demonstration and requests to the best parts in US history.
We will be questioned ... about how you treated the foreigner? Did you accept these individuals and embrace them or reject?
The nation is most protected, essentially, through connection to the finest in US heritage, exactly as the Christian faith is most protected through connection to what makes it special and beautiful, particularly the pattern of the Savior. In neither case does it suggest feigning the worst about the nation and religious tradition did not happen; it means both meekness and faith, a mixture that genuine US believers ought to accept.
