In the past, I wrote a series on religion and politics in which I spoke of the wall between church and state being porous in ways that benefit both sides. Not being established, the church can support the government when warranted and prophetic when necessary. I ended up warning that the new Christian Nationalist movement threatened to destroy that working relationship.
Much of the study looked at how these churches and the MAGA movement fed off one another. It was in 2022 when Trump seemed gone. I argued this religious movement had taken advantage of his presidency to gain strength and suggested some ways we could now counter it. Quite frankly, I thought it would rather rapidly disappear.
Of course, Trump is back and the two are again using one another for power. The 250th anniversary of our nation has pretty much become a promotion of the president and Christian Nationalists. Many churches are reveling in this prestige. Many others are very uncomfortable with what is happening but don’t seem to know what they can do. Most remain silent in their confusion and downright disbelief.
Those welcoming the development act as if the wall has been taken down and their kind of Christianity established as our state church. The others seem to be waiting in hope that future elections will turn things around.
In the meantime, the relative silence leaves us in danger.
In the past churches could theologically critique current issues willie avoiding political personalities and positions. That is almost impossible today. The government is so Trump-centered that discussion of issues becomes being for or against Trump. The church is being treated so much like a state church that coming down on the wrong side of an issue is regarded as treason.
In the face of this, the church is not practicing its prophetic ministry at a time when it is critically needed. We are surrounded by cruelty and corruption. We’re engaged in a war. We have masked men operating as police. Our president threatens to destroy nations. And we avoid talking about any of this.
I don’t think that the silence is cowardice so much as confusion. We just cannot find words to express what we find hard to believe. Hopefully, we can support one another to talk about about this in church.
