There is God! As I may know this and you may know this, there are many in this world who do not. They look around them at what the world presents as Christianity and reject it without ever hearing the actual Gospel. The stumbling block for many is how we seem to live in a time when we allow politicians to set the bar of righteousness, and that bar is at a point where it couldn’t get much lower. So many within the church today seem to have chosen some form of Christian Nationalism and many have chosen a path of hatred rather than love. So many live in fear of others and extol their need for automatic weapons for protection, all the while professing to follow Jesus who taught, ‘do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matthew 10:28 NASB) They promote a pro-life stance for the unborn while ignoring the plight of refugees, aliens and strangers. to which Jesus says, ‘I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ (Matthew 25:43 NASB) Christian Nationalism sways between an Old Testament belief of ‘an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth’ when it suits their purpose, but a complete reversal when it comes to their pro-life stance because after all Jesus was born into an Old Testament world where a woman pregnant out of wedlock would be stoned ending the life of both mother and child. The late Christian singer-songwriter Rich Mullins once said “[The Bible] says a lot of things in there! Proof-texting is a very, very dangerous thing. I think if we were given the scriptures it was not so that we could prove that we are right about everything. If we were given the scriptures it was to humble us into realizing that God is right and the rest of us are just guessing.” Those in the Christian Nationalism movement have become the masters of proof-texting to sell their message regardless of whether it aligns with the overall teachings of Christ or not.

We are not a Christian or Godly nation because of the laws of morality that we support or enact. We become a Godly nation when our morality is visible in the lives we live as individuals. We become a Christian nation when we have the heart of Christ within us and the heart of Christ is one that identifies with the poor and the marginalized; the downtrodden and the oppressed; the orphan and the widow. We will be known by our love for others who are not even capable of loving us in return. This cannot happen by the laws enacted by man but only through the changing of our hearts in a relationship with our Creator!

We would do well to remain grounded in the actual word of God rather than in the ramblings of man. The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians, ‘But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.  Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior,  idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions,  envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well. Let’s not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.’ (Galatians 5:16-26) May we take heed of these words as we weigh the choices that the world places before us and make our choices based on the teachings of the One who loved us so much that He gave His life for us.
I will continue to do what I do out of love for my fellow man, founded in the unconditional love that my Creator has shown to me. I will do my best to love others regardless of their beliefs and choices. We are called to love and not judge which is so difficult but our call none the less. May God grant us the strength to heed that call on our lives.