The Trump movement's most telling and defining moments – not its most crucial, nor most brutal, nor most hazardous, nor most foolish, but perhaps its most illuminating – occurred earlier this fall. During the period of a few weeks, the US president commenced revealing all observers his intentions for a lavish reception room twice the size of the White House and subsequently started solo dismantling the eastern section to erect it.
He has done things countless times more severe – the present calculation of fatalities due to his slashing to international aid stands at 600,000 and rising, and presently research predicted his energy policies would result in fatalities another 1.3 million. But nothing as definitional. No previous president would have attempted – really, no other president would have contemplated – unilaterally destroying large sections of the presidential residence to build a palace-inspired entertainment space, with the active collaboration of multiple the nation's most affluent, the majority of whom maintain dealings with federal agencies.
We moved from 'the humble will receive the Earth' into 'the humble will perish to cholera'
As disorienting as it is to watch the president try to upend the established notion about democracy and substitute it with its direct contrary, there is one large group within America who wouldn't consider it completely novel. That is those of us – in older age cohorts almost a majority – who were brought up as mainline Protestant Christians.
We have observed across decades as rightwing evangelical churches turned the Jesus we were raised with into exactly the opposite of our perception of his character. Fundamentally, they transformed an image of compassion into an icon of hate who blesses exactly the harshness that he denounced in the Gospel; this change developed more gradually, through multiple decades as opposed to months, but it is nonetheless disturbing through similar means, a disorienting gut punch for countless people.
A Harmful Christianity Gains Ground
So let me first describe the Jesus that I grew up with, since in theory the Savior is the core of any Christian faith, and given that the rapidly expanding group within America may possess limited understanding regarding him since they are non-believers or agnostics or nones. I raise no objection with these various perspectives, nor with different religions; but I do think that exist valuable insights of significant worth in biblical accounts.
It is unquestionably definitely not the account of a mighty king emerging; conversely, a baby is born to displaced parents in an automotive shelter, who must quickly flee to a different country to evade covert authorities. The infant develops in modest conditions, a working carpenter; his message concerns compassion for others, especially for the poor – not simply tender feelings, but practical compassion, shown by providing food and sheltering. Christ's response to violence is to turn the opposite cheek – not as a demonstration of compliant endurance, but as a way to teach the aggressor; his method regarding offenses indicates that whenever someone steals your coat you should give the person your additional clothing as well.
The obvious and clear fact that the Jesus in biblical accounts advocates for a kind of extreme compassion centered on the impoverished has consistently rendered Christianity somewhat of a provocative belief system: attractive to the populace, but due to its natural unconventionality demanding to be restrained. During the 1950s it was controlled through watering down – Protestantism was so dominant that it essentially sanctified existing conditions.
A Conflict for the Highest Among Us
Therefore I have felt inspired to witness the persistent defiance to Trump arise during the previous year. It has been substantial consolation to participate in developing the movement that has demonstrated publicly via continuous gatherings, and likely has encouraged citizens to turn out in numbers in the off-year elections. We will need to persist with it, and in the same spirit, displaying national flags during all protests and calls to the finest aspects in US history.
We will be questioned ... about how you treated the foreigner? Did you welcome them and receive them or refuse?
The nation is most protected, in other words, through connection to the finest within national tradition, similar to Christianity is best defended through connection to elements that cause it to be unique and wonderful, specifically the model of Christ. In neither case does it suggest feigning the most damaging about the nation and religious tradition did not happen; it signifies both humility and conviction, a combination that genuine national faithful ought to accept.
