Yet, times like this provide unusual opportunity. The ancient Israelites were in fact returned to their homeland, though the redemption was incomplete and came with a cost. The Maccabees won their revolt and threw the Seleucids out, though the system they set up was itself corrupt and they were conquered again a century later by the Romans. The Christians survived Diocletian only to betray Jesus’ gospel by establishing an imperial church. The apocalyptic dream is never fully defeated and never fully realized. We lurch forward, fall back, lurch forward again.

I recently read a book review by Jodi Eichler-Levine on a similar subject, Why Christian nationalists think Trump is heaven-sent.  The reviewed book’s author, Katherine Stewart, has interesting observations about the psychological worldview of today’s political Evangelicals.

Some of the people I know who fall into this category are very nice, well-meaning people. Charitable, kind. They’re just trying to be good people. They want to like God, they want to like life. They’re just not connecting the dots to see how they’re being used to promote an agenda that’s not at all Godly. The most interesting part of the review (and presumably Stewart’s book) was the observation that the Bible has a very monarchist worldview that contributes to current Evangelical politics. The concept of the Old Testament “imperfect vessel” stories lets voters write off atrocious personal behaviors (Trump, Brett Kavanaugh).

William Penn’s introduction to George Fox’s Journal (1691) speaks to something very like community:

“Besides these general doctrines, as the larger branches, there sprang forth several particular doctrines, that did exemplify and farther explain the truth and efficacy of the general doctrine before observed, in their lives and examples: as,

Communion and loving one another. This is anoted mark in the mouth of all sorts of people concerning them: They will meet, they will help and stick one to another. Whence it is common to hear some say: Look how the Quakers love and take care of one another. Others, less moderate, will say: The Quakers live none but themselves: and if loving one another. and having an intimate communion in religion, and constant care to meet to worship God, and help one another, be any mark of primitive Christianity, they had it, blessed be the Lord in ample manner.”

This certainly sounds like community to me.