The Plight of Christendom in this Unsettled Moment

I have engaged in more political conversations over the last few months than I have ever done in my life. I keep asking myself ‘why?’. I am not really a political creature.

Sadly, I understand more about American politics than I do Canadian politics. I lived in the States for a little while, and I learned a lot more than I expected. People are more political in the States, and I learned by listening to others in discussion. I don’t have as many of these conversations here in Canada.

I confess, as a Canadian, I don’t usually know who or what I am voting for when I vote. My life is spent in other spaces. I do a quick glance at the platforms, and I vote. I often don’t watch any of the debates. Life is overwhelming, and trying to figure out what is happening in politics is often something I would not normally prioritize. I suspect most of my friends function like this too.

So why am I engaging this so much right now? It started because this year I did want to know who I am voting for. It felt more important for this election.

But why did I continue to stay engaged after the Canadian election?

For a while, the simple answer is that I was grieving two friends. I had two funerals, back to back. Politics, in bizarre way, helped to distract me from other kinds of existential questions (ie., “why her, why not me, she deserved to live more than me”). I needed to keep myself from despair. I needed to occupy my mind with something else.

But why did I stay engaged? Another reason is because my daughter goes to an American online school. She is daily confronted with politics in her classes and student forums. She has been shaken by some of the discussions, as they laugh and rejoice over Canadians who get locked up by ICE for a couple of weeks. One boy said they should only be fed bread and water. These comments felt cruel to my daughter. She is scared of visiting the States. Yesterday, on her forum, there was a debate about whether executions should be public again (with the poster advocating for public executions). This felt very bloodthirsty to her, and I had to have a long conversation with her.

But is this the entire reason I have remained engaged in politics when it has never been my interest? As I sit with this question now, I realise it is also because I can feel that things are shifting. In churches, and in the public square. Things are changing quickly. I think I started to see that some of the shift was in part due to politics.

I’ve felt very unmoored in my faith this year. Many things contributed to that. However, as I looked closer at why I was in a bit of faith crisis, I realised it was because I no longer knew the definition of orthodox Christianity. Christendom itself has been shaken. Not Christ! Don’t misunderstand me! He is the Alpha and Omega. There is no shifting with Christ.

I was feeling deep dismay and confusion by greater evangelicalism. It seems to be in a crisis (though not everyone may be aware of this). I’ve been trying to understand why.

It is becoming evident that the things I hold to be true and beautiful are no longer the consensus in the broader evangelical world. Many people are changing what they believe.

Declining Freedom and Equality (on both the left and right):
One area I am seeing a shift in is on freedom. This has long been a beautiful belief held by Christians, and is something that influenced the world. Christianity has been far from perfect, and not all Christians have been marked by this belief! But much of what we now believe about freedom comes from the influence of Scripture.

I’ve been reading The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress and Equality by Glen Scrivener. He shares how the concept of freedom comes from those who studied the Scriptures deeply. What lies behind what is stated so beautifully in the Declaration of Independence? “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

What lies behind Abraham Lincoln saying: “Nothing stamped with the Divine image and likeness was sent into the world to be trodden on, and degraded, and imbruted by its fellows.”

Scrivener quotes Yuval Noah who says:
“The Americans got the idea of equality from Christianity, which argues that every person has a divinely created soul, and that all souls are equal before God. However, if we do not believe in the Christian myths about God, creation and souls, what does it mean that all people are ‘equal’?”

Here are a couple of the Sciptures that are the foundation to our present beliefs about freedom: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:27f

and

“So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

I think the concept of freedom is facing challenges right now. How we are free, who should be free and many other questions are part of the crisis we are facing. Equality is also facing challenges. Identity politics have brought new challenges to this conversation. Some freedoms have been broken. These are difficult times. I don’t know what the answers are.

However, I’ve been dismayed by how some Christians have been trying to answer these challenges. They respond with a spirit of fear. Sadly, they respond with an overreaction. More and more, Christians are abandoning these sweet and beautiful concepts of freedom and equality that have grounded us for centuries. They are afraid of losing their freedom and equality, and are beginning to try and force others to lose their freedom and equality instead. It's become a choice: Us or Them

There is a conflict. I know. It’s messy. These are giant issues in our current Western culture. However, I do not believe Christians will ultimately live for the glory of God (our primary duty) by abandoning what we know to be true. Yes, there could be a cost of freedom, equality, and influence if things go in the direction of the far left. However, the greater cost is our souls if we become hypocrites and oppressors instead.

A great tragedy could befall the church and broader evangelicalism. A tragedy far worse than losing earthly freedom and equality. We could be choosing to be slaves to sin, and turning back to worldly means in order to protect ourselves.

Have we forgotten what spiritual slavery and freedom look like?

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life.” Romans 6:1-4

and

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:20-23

Danger in our Political Leaders:
I do readily acknowledge the danger in our political leaders on the left. I’ve been profoundly impacted by Canada’s introduction of euthanasia. No one knows how profoundly. It has shaken me to the core. It makes me question my existence as a woman who lives with very challenging disabilities and illness. There is certainly a vast problem on the left! I do not support it, or deny it’s impact on wider culture.

However, I have also been deeply dismayed by Christians who refuse to acknowledge any of the dangers in our politics on the right. Instead, there is often an absolute defense of it. I have never been the kind of person willing to ignore the problems within. It’s not in my DNA. I am actually trained to be more concerned about what happens in the church than outside of it. “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12

We have seen the American government send people illegally to an El Salvadorian prison. It is a cruel and tortuous prison. Legally, no one should have been sent there anyway. However, some of those who were sent there were not guilty of being murderous gang members. We have seen the building of Alligator Alcatraz and many gleefully buying merchandise, celebrating the cruel treatment of those who are detained there. It was also declared illegal. We have heard some in the administration pondering whether they can get rid of Habeus Corpus: “a writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person's release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention.” We have seen Trump threaten war on Chicago and disparage the slavery exhibits in the Smithsonian.

Let’s examine a couple of the most recent statements coming from Stephen Miller. 

This weekend, after Charlie Kirk was wrongfully assassinated, Stephen Miller responded by tweeting on X: “There is an ideology that has steadily been growing in this country which hates everything that is good, righteous and beautiful and celebrates everything that is warped, twisted and depraved. It is an ideology at war with family and nature. It is envious, malicious, and soulless. It is an ideology that looks upon the perfect family with bitter rage while embracing the serial criminal with tender warmth. Its adherents organize constantly to tear down and destroy every mark of grace and beauty while lifting up everything monstrous and foul. It is an ideology that leads, always, inevitably and willfully, to violence — violence against those uphold order, who uphold faith, who uphold family, who uphold all that is noble and virtuous in this world. It is an ideology whose one unifying thread is the insatiable thirst for destruction. We see the workings of this ideology in every posting online cheering the evil assassination that cruelly robbed this nation of one of its greatest men. Postings from those in positions of institutional authority — educators, healthcare workers, therapists, government employees — reveling in the vile and the sinister with the most chilling glee. The fate of millions depends upon the defeat of this wicked ideology. The fate of our children, our society, our civilization hinges on it.”

On Sean Hannity, Miller said:
“The last message that Charlie Kirk gave me before he joined his creator in heaven was he said that we have to dismantle and take on the radical left organizations in this country that are fomenting violence, And we are going to do that, under President Trump’s leadership. I don’t care how. It could be a RICO charge, a conspiracy charge, conspiracy against the United States, insurrection. But we are going to do what it takes to dismantle the organizations and the entities that are fomenting riots, that are doxxing, that are trying to inspire terrorism, that are committing acts of wanton violence. The power of law enforcement, under President Trump’s leadership, will be used to find you, will be used to take away your money, take away your power, and, if you’ve broken the law, to take away your freedom.”

I am utterly disgusted by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and condemn it in the strongest terms possible. I am angry at Tyler Robinson. Charlie Kirk’s death has seriously compromised peace in the States. I hear many friends expressing fear of civil war, or outbursts of violence such as was experienced in the Troubles in Northern Ireland. However, I urge Christians to be discerning and on guard. We belong to the Kingdom of Heaven, and our allegiance belongs first and foremost to Jesus Christ. His rule is antithetical to the rule of earthly leaders.  God's way is beautiful and glorious.  

If we examine what Stephen Miller says here, we will find layers and layers of problems.
a) Total depravity: no party has a monopoly on violence (JD Vance once said this, though this is not completely his message anymore). All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The ideologies on both the left and right are "lifting up everything monstrous and foul." Not just the ideology on the left.

b) Hypocrisy: The January 6 rioters received Presidential pardons from this very administration. They assaulted police officers. They ‘fomented violence’. They built a gallows for Mike Pence, and Pence was mere seconds away from murder. Pence is a Christian, and therefore a brother in Christ!  Trump himself encouraged them ‘to fight like hell’. Extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were there. In Stephen Miller’s words, what happened that day was also “envious, malicious, and soulless.” The ideology present on January 6th was ugly, and had nothing to do with what is “good, righteous and beautiful.” There has been an absence of this kind of condemnation for the man with right-wing allegiances who assassinated Melissa Hortman and her husband, and attempted assassination of Senator John Huffman and his wife (along with all the others on his long list of targets). Sadly, doxxing and horrific death threats abide on both the left and right. It grieves me, but Stephen Miller is hypocritical in his condemnation of the radicals on the left. This hypocrisy poisons the message against violence and fuels hatred that blinds people from their own fallibility. 

 
c) Outright Lies: Miller says “It is an ideology that leads, always, inevitably and willfully, to violence — violence against those uphold order, who uphold faith, who uphold family, who uphold all that is noble and virtuous in this world.” This is blatantly untrue. 

i. There are many who fit under the umbrella of the center and the left. There are even conservatives under that umbrella, because their conscience could not allow them to vote for Trump. It is not one ideology. There are many, and they vary.

ii. Even those who are most progressive left in their ideology are not "always, inevitably and willfully" bent towards violence. Many of these are appalled by the violence against Charlie Kirk and are devastated that this happened.

iii. In contrast, the right does not necessarily “…uphold order, who uphold faith, who uphold family, who uphold all that is noble and virtuous in this world.” We saw a failure to do these things on January 6, in Minnesota in June, and tragically, we even see it in the Trump administration. They have separated children from parents as they deport illegal immigrants. All of these things have been a failure to uphold family, and that which is noble and virtuous. There is white supremacy that is growing rapidly on the right. This is in no way virtuous. There was gleeful delight about those held in Alligator Alcatraz rather than sober minds. This was not noble or virtuous. Trump himself has been married several times, been charged with rape, and has had deep ties with Jeffrey Epstein. He recently cruelly called the women who had been victims of Epstein ‘hoaxes’. This is also a failure to uphold family, and that which is noble and virtuous.

The blanket approval among Christians for this administration and other conservative governments that would use this rhetoric and pursue these kinds of actions must end. These are antithetical to God’s kingdom. We cannot embrace the ungodliness on the right because there is ungodliness on the left. We should not abide either! Lord, have mercy on us!

There is grave danger for us in Christendom if we embrace hypocrisy. I pray that Christians will lean into the sanity of Scriptures, and be healed from the fears that haunt and plague us. I pray we will all heed Christ’s words and rebuke, so that we do not face his ultimate judgment:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but the inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white-washed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:25-28

What Happened to Evangelism?
I am seeing much of evangelicalism become so consumed by fear and even hate that there is also failure to love those we fear. We rail against those we view as our enemies instead of drawing near to them, and seeking to be a blessing as we seek to share the gospel of hope. I am deeply distressed by this! We are embracing the attitudes of political parties rather than pressing into our God-given purposes on earth in the New Covenant:
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ ” Matthew 5:18-20

The Apostle Paul gives us an example on how to engage the world. Our aim should be to persuade people of the goodness of God. Love should control us. We have benefited from the grace of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and we are called to teach that grace to others.

“Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but give you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this; that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Corinthians 5:11-15

Our attitude towards outsiders should include both discernment and grace.
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Colossians 4:5-6

The Apostle Paul urges us to live quiet lives, and to live properly before outsiders.
“But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and work with your hands, as we instructed, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” 1 Thessalonian4:10-12

I pray that Christians would return to engaging outsiders with love, wisdom and quiet faith. I pray that hate won’t reign, turning into violence. I pray that God will raise up peacemakers, whose allegiance is to God alone.

Conclusion:
My faith has been unmoored. The more I look at the Christians friends and leaders I once followed and respected, the more I am adrift. I feel detached from the truths I have always been taught. However, I am anchored again when I gaze upon Christ and his beauty. He quiets my heart when the nations rage. He gives me courage, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea. God alone makes wars to cease to the end of the earth. When I am unmoored I need to:

“Be still, and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

I pray that God will be exalted among Christendom. I pray that God will be exalted among the nations. I pray that God will be exalted in the earth! God is with us. He is our mighty fortress. Maranatha.


Helpful Resources:

1. The Air We Breathe by Glen Scrivener

2. The Gospel After Christendom: An Introduction to Cultural Apologetics ed., Collin Hansen, Skyler R. Flowers, and Ivan Mesa

3. https://substack.com/home/post/p-173383430 (hear about the fear Sofia has for her family after Charlie Kirk’s death – they also regularly receive death threats)

4. How to Talk About Jesus (Without Being that Guy): Personal Evangelism in a Skeptical World by Sam Chan

5. The Gospel Way Catechism: 50 Truths that Take on the World by Trevin Wax