The Soviets, like the Nazi Party, did not ban Christianity outright. They didn’t attempt to make enemies of the Christians in the countries they occupied. Instead, they both chose a slow and deliberate hijacking of the faith, to not only gain the favor of the people they had power over, but to make questioning this power akin to blasphemy. Christianity was never banned; it was rebranded. And as a result, the ways of Jesus were outlawed, and it happened slowly and subtly.

America has become a people more eager to unite against an enemy than to unite around God. We know how to identify threats, expose corruption, denounce error, defend our tribe, and sharpen our outrage. We know how to speak with fire about what is wrong with the world. But too often we have forgotten how to burn with the love of God. Too often we have mistaken suspicion for discernment, hostility for holiness, and public anger for spiritual courage.

Ultimately, the goal of this piece is for us to begin to understand the danger and meaning behind the words we choose to use to describe Islam and Judaism within the world today. Because when we go about this out of ignorance, culture wars, patriotism, or some other faulty theological ideology, we not only cause harm to others, but potentially mock our own faith as well.

Explore the complex ties between Matthew 2 and Refugees in this insightful blog. Discover how the nativity story relates to today's immigration debates.

Explore Philippians 3's insights on enemies of the Cross and their characteristics. Discover why Philippians 3 emphasizes reconciliation.

Occasionally, we see some not-so-common verses start to go viral based on current events. Recently, as debates about welfare and SNAP benefits cycle out of Washington and around social media, the verse that has resurfaced is II Thessalonians 3:10, and it is being weaponized by many to justify the starvation of the poor. Not only is Paul not justifying that anyone should starve, but the actual message Paul delivers is much more about the attitude of those against the poor than

And here I am, watching the chaos I once warned about unfold, hearing the stories of oppression it’s causing, and struggling to find the words to describe what it all means and where we go from here. Then, a week ago, our pastor preached from Jeremiah 25, and that message helped bring clarity to my thoughts.