The Trump movement's most illuminating and characteristic moments – not its most crucial, nor most brutal, nor most hazardous, nor most senseless, but perhaps its most illuminating – came earlier this autumn. During the period of several weeks, the American president began displaying everyone his designs for a gilded ballroom double the dimensions of the White House and subsequently started unilaterally ripping down the East Wing to erect it.
He has done things ten thousand times worse – the existing assessment of deaths from his cuts to USAID amounts to 600,000 and rising, and presently a study projected his petroleum strategies would result in fatalities an additional 1.3 million. Yet nothing as characteristic. No previous president would have attempted – truly, no other president would have contemplated – unilaterally destroying large sections of the presidential residence in order to erect a royal-themed celebration hall, with the enthusiastic participation of some of the richest Americans, almost all of whom maintain dealings with the government.
We went from 'the meek shall inherit the planet' toward 'the gentle will succumb of cholera'
As bewildering as it is to watch the leader try to upend the traditional concept regarding democracy and exchange it with its polar opposite, there remains a substantial portion among Americans who might not perceive it completely novel. That is those of us – within elder demographics a near majority – who were educated within mainstream Protestant traditions.
We have observed across decades as politically conservative religious groups transformed the Christ we grew up with into the total contrary of our perception of his character. Essentially, they converted a persona of compassion into a figure of hate who endorses precisely the cruelties that he criticized in biblical teachings; this transformation occurred more gradually, through multiple decades instead of months, yet it remains disconcerting through similar means, a confusing personal impact for many of us.
A Toxic Christianity Gains Ground
Hence I shall explain the Savior from my upbringing, since in theory the Savior is the core of Christian religion, and since the rapidly expanding group of Americans might have little sense of him since they are non-believers or agnostics or spiritual independents. I take no issue with these various perspectives, nor with alternative spiritual paths; yet I maintain that there are pearls of significant worth in biblical accounts.
It is decidedly absolutely not the account of a mighty king emerging; rather, a child comes into the world to homeless parents in an automotive shelter, who must quickly flee to a different country to avoid undercover officers. The baby grows up in simple surroundings, a working carpenter; his teaching concerns compassion for others, especially for the poor – not merely emotional affection, but practical compassion, demonstrated through nourishing and protecting. Christ's response to aggression is to offer the additional cheek – not as a demonstration of passive acceptance, but as a means to teach the aggressor; his crime policy indicates that whenever an individual takes your coat you should give them your pullover too.
The evident and direct truth that the Jesus in biblical accounts calls for a form of extreme compassion concentrated on the poor is what has always made Christian religion something of a scandalous religion: engaging for the general public, but because of its intrinsic extremism demanding to be restrained. In the fifties it was controlled via weakening – The Protestant faith was so dominant that it basically blessed current circumstances.
A Battle for the Best Among Us
Therefore I have felt inspired to observe the determined opposition to Trump develop over the last twelve months. It has served as great solace to help build the initiative that has taken to the streets through repeated demonstrations, and likely has encouraged citizens to turn out in large quantities during minor elections. We will need to maintain it, and through comparable resolve, displaying national flags during all protests and requests to the highest qualities within national heritage.
We will be questioned ... about how you treated the immigrant? Did you receive him and welcome him or not?
The nation is most protected, essentially, by reference to the finest about American history, just as Christianity is most protected by reference to that which renders it special and magnificent, specifically the model of Christ. In neither case does it mean feigning the worst about the nation and Christian faith was nonexistent; it represents both meekness and faith, a combination that committed US believers should embrace.
