There is an empty tomb in Jerusalem, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian quarter of the Old City. It is likely not where where Jesus was buried, any more accurate than – across the church – a cross that marks historical Calvary. This does not matter. Orthodox priests burn candles by it; women fall to their knees; people kiss icons and hold holy basil and weep. The stories of Jerusalem are contradictory and jumbled. People kiss icons everywhere, anyway.
This week, Trump’s victory represents the triumph of another narrative, one no less powerful. As the members of the upper echelons of power close rank, as they inevitably do, we are left with the challenge of contending with an explosive expression of rage: an apocalyptic call to “drain the swamp” that, regardless of what happens in Washington, will echo throughout the next four years.
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