Our Shadow in the White House

It was during a discussion with other clergy when I blurted what suddenly seemed obvious. Donald Trump is the shadow side of The United States of America. When we speak of our shadow-selves we are talking about the bad parts of ourselves we do not acknowledge. That is what I mean when we say the present occupant of the White House represents our national shadow. I can think of two immediate responses to what I am saying. One would be a knee-jerk reaction that said Trump represents everything good about the country. The other immediate reaction is to claim, “I am not one of those people.” Some other denial can be made and be just as false.

The Nation’s Shadow

Donald Trump represents everything we do not want to know about ourselves, as has been mentioned above. He is our celebrated cruelty to our more vulnerable neighbors. Trump represents our consumption of everything good while replacing it with evil. We call our own works good and safe while thinking our environment is dangerous and bad. Those citizens, of whom I am one, who see him as bad for us often refuse to recognize our part in him. I am not addressing the people I described a year ago in Trumpism Vs. the Gospel.  Today I am speaking to people who think as I do. I believe we need repentance too.

A Few Observations

The contempt the President demonstrates for everything he hates is the same as the contempt we show for those we loathe. Trump’s desperate desire for fame and glory is the same as when we shout that he does not represent us. We are trying to demonstrate our moral worthiness. These are hard words to admit. I do not like it. I do not like saying it. Yet when we describe an enemy as that which is not like us does not stop any evil or heal any wounds. We forget that grace is not mere opposition.

The Rise of the Shadow

Being a Tolkien reader, the image of the shadow rising describes an evil power moving into dominance. Donald Trump’s rise is not good for anyone including himself. Recognizing the shadow present us the opportunity to reflect on who we have become over these 250 years. We consume with neither thought nor enjoyment. We act without compassion by turning off our hearts and move zombie-like through the day. Our judgement is based only on prejudice and preference. Should a thing be considered good or evil based on my favor for it? Our belief that we are the center of the Universe permits us to be indulgent. In short, we are Trump. Are mainline clergy surprised when our parishes seem devoted to him when they have always been self-absorbed?

A Pharisee Speaks

St. Paul makes two remarks that give us a starting point in our concern for Trumpism. “For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion leading them to believe what is false so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done” (Romans 1:28). He claims later in Romans, “Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself because you the judge are doing the very same things” (Romans 2:11).

Is it wrong to condemn the neglect, persecution, and murder committed by the Administration? No! Rather we should ask what have we tolerated and benefitted from that contributed to the moral numbness that led us to Trump? I was born during the Viet Nam War era. The US engaged in war and military actions over 30 times according to my count. Nearly constant warfare and the crises surrounding them has caused the US citizenry to see themselves as being under constant threat and turned us into a culture of violence and death unrivaled in human history. Americans went from admiring Athenian democracy to loving Leonidas of Sparta as the true defender of the ancient West.

Peaceful Living

We as a people need to engage our shadow and begin living a peaceful existence. Christians can begin by letting go of our sense of superiority toward others. We can embrace Truth and the Way and limit our desires for more stuff. Honestly, we should learn to cook, raise food, and use technology as an aid in our work and not our entertainment. We should learn, as a church member reminded me, to play. Then we can begin to have peace by embracing a nonviolent lifestyle. These are the ways of Jesus and the early disciples.