What has happened in the American evangelical church visibly over the past 10 years can’t be summed up in the one word we’d all like to use: Trump. As usual, it’s more nuanced than that and this essay by Tim Alberta gives so much of the nuance we need.
It is beautifully written and describes the complicated relationships of family, faith, politics, national pride, and nationalism. The struggles are described well in this piece because it is a man and his father. He could see his father’s faith and how nuanced his father could be, but it didn’t transfer over to his congregation.
It’s a heartbreaking piece that needs to be read and at least attempted to be understood. I need more grace in my own life toward others and I have silently begged for more grace from others toward me. Sometimes it is given. Sometimes it is not. (Both from me and toward me. I’m still working hard on the first part. It’s all I can do.)
There are things said here about a pastor struggling to move his church forward with grace that I have felt privately. There are so many things left unsaid and will keep going unsaid in my life. The disappointments. The heartaches. The loss.
Obviously, this piece struck deep in my heart and somehow sharing it would be something I would treasure from you.
I have found over the past few years that I want very much to live in constant self-examination before I put a microscope to issues haunting the American church. There are things I confront in my own life about allegiances. I want my allegiance to be solely to the Kingdom of God and that will grate political extremes to no end. I used to take private pleasure in that. I don’t anymore. It’s a dangerous proposition… allegiances. And when I work my heart deeper into allegiance with the Kingdom of God, the more friends I will lose over time. My voice just gets smaller. So, I get it… and I don’t “revel” in it anymore.
The danger ahead is great. It is so much so I’m actually trying to formulate another book that probably won’t see the light of day. In 2016 it was a book called “Living in Babylon.” All my notes are compiled. I had no courage to go further.
This one is about allegiances comparing Bonhoeffer’s book, Discipleship, with the Book of Revelation and going straight at Christian Nationalism because I truly believe it is THAT serious in this next election cycle. And beyond.
Notes are there. What I do with them is still being wrestled with because my voice is much smaller than it was 8 years ago. Ten years ago.
We are in trouble, but we can’t just simplify it by saying: TRUMP. It is far more nuanced than that, and this is what I appreciated about the essay. We don’t have white hats and black hats, as much as want to see that in our dualistic society. We have complicated issues that need confronting and we just don’t have the capacity to do it right now. So, we simplify our “issues.”
We need to confront deep problems and we’re punting.
But it needs to be said.
We are struggling with nationalism and allegiances. We aren’t wrestling with the nuance, and it is corrosive.
It needs to be said. We are headed for dangerous territory in the conservative white American church.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 
“We are headed for dangerous territory in the conservative white American church.”
Just there, Dan . . . not everywhere?
That is specifically what I am addressing. That’s all I’m saying.
I just think that you know what’s gonna hit every fan everywhere pretty soon. I’d love to be wrong about that, but nothing seems to be getting better anywhere, only worse everywhere.
Bonhoeffer focused on the German church, not everywhere.
Good ol’ Dietrich . . . an avowed pacifist until he could be one no longer . . . for which he then paid the ultimate cost of discipleship. Write your books, Dan. I pray that they do some good.