DoesJesus Christhold more power within the American imaginary (the term is used as the imagination of a people) than he does in the European one? In a way, yes. Christ is a towering historical figure who spoke of love, and people followed him. In his name, churches and cathedrals were built, just as Lenin built the Communist Party on the gospel of Marx. Much has been done from crusades to crimes in the name of Jesus Christ. And perhaps injustices persist. The Bible is the book that contains it all!
Charlie Kirk it is undoubtedly a great tragedy that he lost his life, tried, and succeeded in entering the American imaginary. Young people are impressionable. Kirk knew how Christ operated through dialogue, parables, and character. The patient and the likeable little donkey. He also had a clear, open face that made you want to trust him. (By the way, the donkey is also the symbol of the Democratic Party, though it seems to have forgotten that for the past two decades.) And if we look back a bit, America was founded by deeply religious peopleProtestants or Catholicsand some among them held a sincere admiration for ancient Greece. They had read, and kept writing letters, about their godly, almost messianic mission.
At the same time, I understand that in a eulogyespecially in the age of television and social media, where short clips are trimmed and shared across accountsthere will always be a few exaggerations. The eulogy for Charlie Kirk could hardly be an exception. Every exaggeration is seen as a strengtheven one of the virtuesof the MAGA movement. Many spoke in a packed stadium. I dont believe their names need to be mentioned. For Trump, Kirk is a martyr. But to compare a young man like Kirk to Jesus Christthat is one of those exaggerations. Perhaps even hubris.
Such a comparison is misplaced and might even bring about the opposite of what it intends. But then again, America is hardly unfamiliar with religious fraud, exaggeration, or even collective delusion in all its forms. A disturbed con man with the gift of persuasion can work wonders. New religions are born as if they were startups, and many people fall into ecstasyor become arousedat the sound of this or that preacher, dressed in tailor-made suits, with perfectly combed hair. Because, above all, America is a civilization of the image.HOLLYWOOD!
There are also two Americas. The America of the coaststhe East Coast and the rugged, chaotic Westand then, deep America. The America that grows wheat, potatoes, soy. This is the religious America or, if you prefer, the America of Jesus Christ with its Evangelical pastors. And it was from this America that Charlie Kirks sails caught wind and filled. (Here, picture for a moment Italy or Greece in the 1970s.) And just a few days ago, the Wall Street Journal once again spoke oftwo Americas.
In the first America, this time, are the households earning over $250,000 a year, roughly 10% of the population. The second America in this model is the other 90%, scraping by on crumbs and struggling to make ends meet. And based on this second division of the two Americas, Christ holds power everywhere within the American imaginary. It is here that Charlie Kirk gained influence, power, and a lot of money.
In America, Christ is even a ladder! And the paradox, if you willjust like Trump spoke about workers rightsis that the most fervent religious believers and followers of Christ now tend to be closer to theRepublican Partyrather than any other. The very party that Kirk helpedsecure the electorsfor in 2024, and thus the presidency of the country.
So why do these phenomena of excess happen? Why did the MAGA movement gain such momentum? Simply because Christ has greater resonance in America than in other places, especially Europe. Well leave Latin America out of this for obvious reasons. And the masses tend to follow every deception and madnessor even mass hysteriabut with religious devotion nonetheless.
At the stadium where the eulogies were delivered, there were many Christians and plenty of American flags. There was also agiant wooden crossthat clearly stole the spotlight. And alongside the spirit of many irrational things said, the wife of the tragically lost man said something right, something that demands faith, strength, and courage:I forgive him. That is, she forgives the murderer for this horrific act. Two little children were left orphaned And I imagine many inside the stadium, as good Christians, of course also forgave the oligarchs who impoverish them daily or, through the brutal redistribution of wealth taking place, have driven around800,000 Americansto live on the streets, under bridges, in cars, parks, and forests. Forgiven be capitalism!
Perhaps there are many issues I mention or imply here, and of course, the conclusions are yours to draw. Especially in Europe or other places, lets never forget that Americanot just today, but alwaysbesides its greatness as a countrya role model country without any doubthas never ceased to be a kind of limited version of the Wild West (Far West) where almost everyone carries a gun. Its also the country that has military bases all over the world, but at the same time hosts the headquarters of the United Nations, of which its the big boss, behaving as if it left the Western Saloon at dawn, a little drunk
In conclusion, within the American imaginary, money, power, and the polished image you have to project outward are the dominant ingredients. For someone to gain them, Jesus Christ is extremely useful, because millions of people tend to follow those who claim to represent Him.
Dimitris Eleas
