Those who have read the blog noted above—and those who choose to read or reread it—will note that the first “setback” to a sense of community that I chose to address was in the realm of religion. I confessed to some discomfort for “edging into the political world yet again” and spent some ink declaring some caveats and disclaimers regarding the religious group I chose to single out and, I admit, to critique—namely, the self-identified conservative, white evangelical coalition that has thrown its support to President Trump.

In that fairly lengthy post—where I tried to be fair but was strongly critical of this movement’s tendency to ignore the generally accepted central tenets of the Christian faith, as well as Trump’s obvious distance from them—I quoted Michael Gerson, a Republican opinion columnist and author of “Heroic Conservatism,” who appears twice weekly in The Washington Post and who wrote in The Atlantic that, “Trump’s background and beliefs could hardly be more incompatible with traditional Christian models of life and leadership.”

And now, to the point of this post, just three days ago I discovered in The Washington Post’s Opinion section an op-ed piece by Michael Gerson that was not only supportive of what I had, with some trepidation, addressed concerning “the white, conservative evangelical coalition,” but was even more critical than I had been of its support of Trump over the past four years, and also heavily condemned its role in the recent riotous invasion of the Capitol Building.

I’m calling your attention to Gerson’s op-ed primarily because it is so well-written and crucially relevant to this unprecedented time. With one caveat, I would note that he is somewhat less careful than I was when I pointed out that I was not speaking of all white and/or conservative evangelicals but of a specific movement or contingent of that self-identified group. That said, I do confess, with an unabashed sense of confirmation, that Gerson alludes to some of the same arguments, evidence, and historical incidents that I had referenced. For that reason I have offered below, without further comment, some excerpts from Gerson’s article, which is available in the Post’s Opinion section and I would encourage you to read in its entirety.

From ”Trump’s evangelicals were complicit in the desecration of our democracy,” Opinion by Michael Gerson, Washington Post, January 7, 2021.

“. . . . Political leaders who sought access and influence over the past four years through a political alliance with insurrectionists and domestic terrorists are responsible for unleashing insurrectionists and domestic terrorists. This is true . . . above all, of Trump evangelicals, who sought to recover lost social influence through the cynical embrace of corrupt power.

“I come back to this group repeatedly, not only because I share an evangelical background and resent those who dishonor it, but because the overwhelming support of evangelicals is the single largest reason that Trump possesses power in the first place. It was their malignant approach to politics that forced our country into its current nightmare. As white nationalists, conspiracy theorists, misogynists, anarchists, criminals and terrorists took hold of the Republican Party, many evangelicals blessed it under the banner “Jesus Saves.”

“. . . .The political and religious costs . . . were easily foreseen. I and many others foresaw and . . .yet Franklin Graham, Jerry Falwell Jr., . . . and the others either shut their eyes or shared in Trumpian hatreds. . . . .

“The collapse of one disastrous form of Christian social engagement should be an opportunity for the emergence of a more faithful one. And here there are plenty of potent, hopeful Christian principles lying around unused by most evangelicals: A consistent and comprehensive concern for the weak and vulnerable . . . the poor, immigrants and refugees. A passion for racial reconciliation and criminal justice reform . . . A deep commitment to public and global health . . . An embrace of political civility . . . A commitment to the liberty of other people’s religions . . . An insistence on public honesty and a belief in the transforming power of unarmed truth.

“What would America be like if these had been the priorities of evangelical Christians over the past four years . . .? It would mean something very different, in that world, to raise the banner ‘Jesus Saves’.”

A Prelude to the Next Post

Just to let you know, in response to the urging of a friend of mine, with further support from another friend—both of whom faithfully read and comment on my blogs—I will be posting soon a fuller exploration of the art and practice of compromise in the context of community, including the way it relates to the principles that each of us hold and that are crucial to our integrity; the importance of our knowing when we will and when we won’t compromise; and the ethical norms that determine that choice. I hope you’ll stay tuned.