The Struggle These Past Years

I have long debated whether to write a summary of thoughts at the end of the Trump era. It is a post I have written and deleted over and over. But, here at the end when things nearly did get as bad as people feared, it makes sense to explain a little of the struggle that I and other like me—cross-cultural-Christian-workers—have dealt with over the past few years. 

My mission in life is to promote the Gospel to the best of my ability. I am a representative of my denomination, and even more of my Savior, in the world. And everything I do and say is influenced by this. 

In the past, even growing up as a kid in South America, I realized the tension of being a believer AND an American. Once people know who I am, they expect me to act like their version or expectation of a Christian. That can be good and bad. But even before they know who I am, they expect me to be some cartoon version of an American. And THAT influences what they think about Christians and Christianity. 

One thing I almost never have to worry about, is for people to hold me accountable to what the liberal side of American politics wants to accomplish. They know that I am not about abortion, liberal sexuality, the erosion of family, or morality. I don’t have to make an effort to say that I am not in favor of those things. It is assumed. 

But as far as the conservative side of politics, they do expect me (and my faith) to be all about that. So, in the past I have had to make sure that people know I am not a hawk when it comes to international policy, war, or colonialism. I have had to make sure people know that I am in favor of holding corporations and the wealthy to account for how they treat the poor. I have to live and declare a Christianity that is not in lockstep with what one side of the political spectrum espouses. 

And anyone who lives outside the US will let you know, the first thing people have wanted to talk to you about when they find out you are an American, and even more so an American Christian, is Trump. 

If they think you are and American, they ask you, “What do you think of your crazy president?” But if they know you are an American Christian, they ask, “Why are you a fan of that immoral man?” That Christianity and Trumpism have become so synonymous is an oxymoron for everyone around the world. But the fact that Christian Nationalism has indeed embraced him, has made it an assumption. 

So, if you want to represent Jesus in any credible way, you have to make it a point to distance yourself from the attributes of the man. You have to make it clear that you disagree with him on a lot of things: the racism, the misogyny, the selfishness, the lies, the dishonest business practices, the hypocracy, the indecency, etc. etc. And you have to do it in a way that you have never had to do before with other presidents like Obama or Bush. 

The big problem, however, is not with the people for whom you are trying to be an example. They are happy to hear that not all Jesus followers behave like that. Rather, the problem has been with believing friends and family back home. Because in the extreme cultural position we find ourselves, you have to be at one extreme or the other. To disagree with one side is to automatically agree with the other. That is a false dichotomy, and an irrational tenant to espouse, but there you have it. We live in false and irrational times. So, you are labeled a liberal, a heretic, a non-Christian. 

And THAT has been the struggle that one wishes were now behind us.