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GUEST WORDS - Does Jesus Christ hold 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 still go on. The Bible is the book that contains it all!
Charlie Kirk –it is undoubtedly a great tragedy that he lost his life– tried, and he succeeded, in entering the American imaginary. Young people are impressionable. Kirk knew how Christ operated, through dialogue, through parables, through character. The patient and 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 people –Protestants or Catholics– and 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 eulogy –especially in the age of television and social media, where short clips are trimmed and shared across accounts–there will always be a few exaggerations. The eulogy for Charlie Kirk could hardly be an exception. Every exaggeration is seen as a strength –even one of ‘the virtues’– of the “MAGA movement.” Many spoke in a packed stadium. I don’t believe their names need to be mentioned. For Trump, “Kirk is a martyr.” But to compare a young man like Kirk to Jesus Christ – that 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 ecstasy –or become “aroused” – at 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 coasts –the East Coast and the rugged, chaotic West– and 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 Kirk’s 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 of two 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 will –just like Trump spoke about workers’ rights– is that the most fervent religious believers and “followers of Christ” now tend to be closer to the Republican Party rather than any other. The very party that Kirk helped secure the electors for in 2024, and thus the presidency of the country.
The ‘Witness Kirk’
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. We’ll leave Latin America out of this for obvious reasons. And the masses tend to follow every deception and madness –or even mass hysteria– but with religious devotion nonetheless.
At the stadium where the eulogies were delivered, there were many Christians and plenty of American flags. There was also a giant wooden cross that 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 around 800,000 Americans to 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, let’s never forget that America –not just today, but always– besides its greatness as a country –a role model country without any doubt– has never ceased to be a kind of “limited version of the Wild West” (Far West) where almost everyone carries a gun. It’s 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 it’s 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 is a New York-based political scientist, writer, and activist. You can contact him at: [email protected].)
