Brian McLaren’s post election reading list:
“Don’t panic. Don’t be in denial. Do prepare.”
On Donald Trump as demagogue. Yascha Mounk and Daniel Ziblatt, Vox.com
On what has been simmering for a long time in Middle America. Sarah Kendzior, The Correspondent
On the need to take the warning signs seriously. Jeff Schechtman, Who What Why
On the need for Evangelicals of conscience to wake up. Jennifer Rubin, The Washington Post
On Trump’s authoritarianism and use of ‘disgusting’ – and where it could lead. Thomas B. Edsall, The New York Times
How even Glenn Beck is alarmed. Glenn Beck, The New York Times
On why urban people need to understand rural people and stop insulting them (and why movies help us understand what’s going on). David Wong, Cracked
On progressive fundamentalism. Todd VanDerWerff, Vox.com
On why we can’t reason ourselves out of the mess we’re in. Ezra Klein, Vox.com
And this, from a friend:
I continue to see misunderstandings of the protesters of Trump. Again, the protests are not over the legitimacy of the election, they are over what they fear President-elect Trump, his chief strategic advisor Steve Bannon, or any of the hundreds-to-thousands of white nationalists will do — and have already done, especially in recent days — to minorities, immigrants, and others in this country.
What the protesters — and many opponents of President-elect Trump — see themselves as doing is like what the residents of the French village Le Chambon-sur-Lignon did during their nonviolent resistance of the Nazis. The residents of the village, led by their pastors, hid and aided in the escape of 1,000-5,000 Jews during World War II. They did this without firing a shot. They were armed only with their Christian conviction.
One day a Vichy official visited the village and was presented with a letter that read:
“Mr. Minister, we have learned of the frightening scenes which took place three weeks ago in Paris, where the French police, on the orders from the occupying power, arrested in their homes all the Jewish families in Paris [who were then sent to Auschwitz]… We feel obliged to tell you that there are among us a certain number of Jews. But we make no distinction between Jews and non-Jews. It is contrary to the Gospel teaching.” “If our comrades, whose only fault is to be born in another religion, received the order to let themselves be deported, or even examined, they would disobey the order received, and we would hide them as best we could.” “We have Jews. You’re not getting them.”
The protesters today are saying:
“President Trump, we are Americans of good conscience. We feel obliged to tell you…” “We have Jews. We have Mexicans. We have Muslims. We have immigrants. We have black people. We have women and children. We have the forlorn. We have the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” “You’re not getting them.”
You know how to do this. We have done this before in this country. Now is the time to suit up. Now is the time to hit the long ball. Clergy are going to be the ones to lead this thing, win this thing, and end this thing. Ours is a campaign of moral persuasion powered by Christian conviction and American will. The enemy is us. Change us.
People of good faith, America’s soul is in danger, and it needs saving. Don’t panic. Don’t be in denial. Do prepare.
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is an Auburn Senior Fellow, a contributor to We Stand With Love, and a leader in the Convergence Network, through which he is developing an innovative training/mentoring program for pastors and church planters.
