The Trump movement's most illuminating and defining moments – not its most crucial, nor cruelest, nor most threatening, nor most senseless, but potentially its most enlightening – emerged earlier this harvest season. Over the span of several weeks, the nation's leader commenced revealing everyone his plans for a lavish reception room two times larger than the White House and then began solo dismantling the East Wing to erect it.
He has performed deeds 10,000 times as bad – the current estimate of casualties resulting from his reductions to USAID stands at 600,000 and rising, and recently an analysis projected his petroleum strategies would cause deaths 1.3 million more. However nothing as distinctive. No other president would have attempted – really, no former commander would have contemplated – independently wrecking large sections of the executive mansion in order to erect a palace-inspired entertainment space, with the direct cooperation of some of the nation's most affluent, nearly all of which have business with the government.
We moved from 'the gentle will obtain the planet' into 'the humble will perish to cholera'
As disorienting as it is to watch the leader attempt to overturn the traditional concept about democracy and replace it with its complete opposite, there exists a significant segment among Americans who might not perceive it totally unfamiliar. That is those of us – in older age cohorts close to half – who were raised as mainline Protestant Christians.
We have watched over the years as politically conservative religious groups converted the Savior we grew up with into the complete reverse of our perception of his character. Essentially, they converted a persona of affection into a figure of hate who endorses specifically the brutality that he condemned in the Gospel; this has happened at a slower pace, over decades rather than months, but it is nonetheless unsettling via comparable methods, a bewildering emotional blow for numerous individuals.
A Damaging Christianity Gains Ground
So let me first describe the Savior from my childhood, since in theory Jesus is the center of any Christian faith, and since the rapidly expanding group among Americans could have minimal awareness of him as they consider themselves non-believers or uncertain individuals or religiously unaffiliated. I raise no objection with these various perspectives, nor with alternative spiritual paths; however I believe that exist valuable insights of substantial value in the Christian story.
It is decidedly not the account of a powerful ruler arising; rather, a baby is born to displaced parents in a garage, who need to rapidly escape to a different country to avoid secret police. The baby grows up in humble circumstances, a laboring woodworker; his doctrine focuses on affection for others, especially for the disadvantaged – not simply tender feelings, but tangible care, demonstrated through nourishing and sheltering. Jesus' answer to violence is to present the other cheek – not as an act of submissive tolerance, but as a means to teach the aggressor; his crime policy indicates that whenever a person pilfers your outer garment you must offer him your sweater as well.
The obvious and direct truth that the Jesus in biblical accounts requests a kind of profound affection concentrated on the needy is what has always made Christianity something of a provocative belief system: attractive to the populace, but because of its natural unconventionality needing to be restrained. In the 1950s it was contained by dilution – The Protestant faith was so widespread that it essentially sanctified existing conditions.
A Conflict for the Best Within Us
Therefore I have felt inspired to witness the steadfast resistance to Trump develop in this past year. It has served as great solace to participate in developing the campaign that has demonstrated publicly via continuous gatherings, and likely has encouraged electorate to show up in numbers in interim political contests. We must have to persist with it, and in the same spirit, featuring US banners at every demonstration and appeals to the finest aspects within national heritage.
We're going to be asked ... about how you treated the foreigner? Did you accept these individuals and embrace them or not?
The nation is most protected, essentially, through connection to the finest about American history, similar to Christianity is optimally secured through connection to elements that cause it to be distinctive and magnificent, which is the example of the Savior. In all circumstances does it mean acting as if the most damaging of both America and religious tradition never occurred; it represents both modesty and belief, a blend that genuine national faithful ought to accept.
