They're Doing in America What They Executed with Christianity

The Trump phenomenon's most revealing and distinctive moments – not its most crucial, nor most brutal, nor most hazardous, nor stupidest, but potentially its most enlightening – occurred earlier this fall. In the course of several weeks, the US president began displaying everyone his plans for a gilded ballroom double the dimensions than the White House and then commenced unilaterally ripping down the East Wing portion to build it.

He has done things 10,000 times as bad – the present calculation of fatalities resulting from his reductions to international aid stands at 600,000 and growing, and this week a study predicted his energy policies would result in fatalities 1.3 million more. Yet nothing as characteristic. No other president would have attempted – really, no former commander would have contemplated – independently wrecking major areas of the White House in order to erect a royal-themed celebration hall, with the direct cooperation of some of the richest Americans, almost all of whom maintain dealings with public institutions.

We moved from 'the humble will receive the Earth' into 'the meek shall die to cholera'

As bewildering as it is to watch the chief executive try to upend the traditional concept regarding democracy and replace it with its direct contrary, there is one large group among Americans who wouldn't consider it entirely new. That is those of us – within elder demographics close to half – who were brought up within mainstream Protestant traditions.

We have watched over the years while conservative evangelical congregations converted the Savior we grew up with into the total contrary of our perception of his character. At its most basic, they transformed an image of love into a symbol of hostility who approves exactly the harshness that he denounced in biblical teachings; this change developed more gradually, through multiple decades rather than months, but it is nonetheless disconcerting via comparable methods, a confusing personal impact for countless people.

A Harmful Christianity Establishes Itself

Therefore allow me to outline the Jesus from my childhood, since in theory Christ is the focus of any Christian faith, and because the rapidly expanding group of Americans may possess limited understanding regarding him since they are skeptics or doubters or spiritual independents. I raise no objection with any of these traditions, nor with alternative spiritual paths; yet I maintain that contain precious wisdom of substantial value in biblical accounts.

It is unquestionably definitely not the account of a powerful ruler appearing; conversely, a baby is born to displaced parents in a storage space, who need to rapidly escape to a foreign land to evade covert authorities. The infant develops in simple surroundings, an employed craftsman; his teaching is about love for fellow humans, especially for the impoverished – not merely emotional affection, but tangible care, shown by providing food and protecting. Christ's response to aggression is to present the additional cheek – not as a gesture of compliant endurance, but as a method to instruct the attacker; his crime policy states that when someone steals your coat you must offer the person your additional clothing also.

The obvious and clear reality that the Savior in biblical accounts calls for a form of radical love focused on the impoverished is what has always made the Christian faith something of a controversial faith: appealing to the populace, but because of its inherent radicalness needing to be contained. In the 1950s it was contained via weakening – Protestant Christianity was so widespread that it practically baptized the status quo.

A Battle for the Best Among Us

Therefore I have felt inspired to see the steadfast resistance to Trump emerge in this past year. It has provided great solace to assist in constructing the initiative that has protested openly in rally after rally, and seems to have inspired citizens to show up in large quantities in interim political contests. We will need to maintain it, and in the same spirit, with American flags at every demonstration and appeals to the best parts of American history.

We shall be interrogated ... about how you treated the foreigner? Did you receive him and welcome him or not?

The country is optimally secured, to put it differently, by relationship to the finest about American history, similar to Christianity is best defended by reference to elements that cause it to be special and beautiful, which is the example of the Savior. In neither case does it suggest pretending the worst about the nation and Christian faith did not happen; it represents both humility and faith, a blend that genuine American Christians should embrace.