Re: The Murder of Charlie Kirk

I first became aware of Charlie Kirk last year when a pro-life organization in my city announced he would be speaking at a private dinner. Having no idea who he was, I looked him up only to find a trove of controversial statements he's made, including the claim that the Civil Rights Act was "a huge mistake." 

It's worth noting the pro-life organization at which he spoke does a wealth of positive things for new and frightened mothers - and fathers, even - in rough places, making them truly pro-life and not simply anti-abortion. This made it all the more disappointing that they would welcome Charlie Kirk, who unrepentantly made such claims as implying Jews are using money to plot a Marxist cultural coup (click here for more context), or that deaths by gun violence are "worth it" for the sake of the 2nd Amendment (click here for more context). These are not pro-life beliefs, and it was a bad look for the organization to be associated with this person.

When I found out about Kirk's murder the day before yesterday, I felt a heavy heart for his family, and for the fact that sociopolitical violence has claimed another life. But that heavy heart soon lightened as I fell prey to making my typical morbid jokes (my dark sense of humor being a coping mechanism for...well, everything) and laughing at memes that made fun of Charlie Kirk's murder. My reasoning was, "I'm still sad for his family, and he was a bigot, so it's kind of okay for me to laugh." Which, of course, is wrong.

Then, God reminded me - not audibly, but you know what I mean - of two other influential racists in American history: Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee. 

God moved me to think of these two men - who were so racist they tried to start their own country based on the principle of slave ownership being a divine right - and their reactions to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. When the President was shot, widespread outrage gripped the nation, North and South. Jefferson Davis denounced the assassination and felt "it could not be regarded otherwise than as a great misfortune for the South," knowing Lincoln's policy of reconciliation rather than hangings for treason made him the best friend a defeated Confederacy could have at the time.

Robert E. Lee's reaction was more emotional. A cohort who was with the General at the time the news came stated that Lee "covered his face and refused to listen to details of the murder." Lee used a word to describe the assassination that recently became a buzzword in American politics - "deplorable."

God invoked these images to make this point: here were two men so brazenly racist that they saw black people as inferior to whites, mourning - genuinely - for a man of compassion, one who believed in the principle that "all men are created equal." So, if these two could be so deeply grieved for a good man, what does it say about me when I can't show as much empathy as literal slaveowners?

I made excuses for my empty mourning. I was frustrated and disappointed at fellow Christians who were praising Charlie Kirk as a pillar of righteousness, when he espoused such terrible things against Jews, minorities, and victims of gun violence. That, somehow, made it less sinful for me to delight in memes that minimized the taking of a life. Charlie Kirk was, as we all are, made in the image of God. 

I must mourn for a life snuffed out, and that a life was used to promote hideous ideologies. I must mourn that someone was so filled with hopeless rage that they took it upon themselves to kill. I must mourn that Charlie Kirk's family has been deprived of their husband and father. I must mourn that so many of my fellow believers in Christ are lionizing a man who represented the values of Christ no more than the Ku Klux Klan. And I must mourn that our President, aware of Charlie Kirk's beliefs, nonetheless called him "the most eloquent truth-teller" in recent times.

I'll mourn for all of this, with genuine grief, and will eschew the memes and morbid jokes I've made concerning Charlie Kirk's murder. These words of Jesus have floated in my head since the day of Kirk's death: "by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

-Matthew 12:37

[Edit, 9-13-25: It occurs to me I should add a few words addressing the incredibly lopsided grief of conservatives, both in politics and private citizens, when it comes to victims of gun violence. Donald Trump did not order flags to be flown at half-staff after the murders of Democratic politician Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark in June - but did so for Charlie Kirk, whose qualification for such an honor was saying things Trump likes. Just two weeks before Kirk's death, a shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, which killed two children, Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, was met by Republicans with a fraction of the grief and shock for Kirk, the usual "thoughts and prayers" cliche, which has now become little more than a meme. This lack of outrage is absolutely disgusting. And perhaps it's just as disgusting that I didn't go for my blog when these tragedies occurred.]

Photo courtesy WTSP

American Christians: Increase Your Tithing

Fellow American Christians: If you're of the theological understanding that one should tithe 10% of their income, and that tithing includes giving to individuals in need, and not just to one's local church fund, please consider this: the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (I didn't name it) guts Medicaid and takes SNAP benefits away from thousands of people. It can only be imperative, then, that we increase our tithing to individuals.

I therefore propose that we each increase our tithing from 10% to 15%. 

20% if you voted for Donald Trump/Republican, who designed and passed the bill. 

"If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small." -C.S. Lewis 

"If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying that you want a country based on Christian values. Because you don't." -John Fugelsang

For the Sake of My Conscience, re: Donald Trump

Pope Pius XII earned a shadow on his reputation for his hesitance to publicly denounce Adolf Hitler during World War II. He was finally pressured into a public declaration that vaguely denounced bigotry and prejudice, but this was the strongest he ever condemned Hitler from his influential position. My own position in life may not be anywhere near as influential as the pope's, especially popes in times gone by, but we all have more influence over our fellow human beings than we often realize. Our words, or lack thereof, can be one of the biggest means of influence.

If I'd lived in the Jim Crow-era South, I'd have hoped in my old age I could think of those awful times and at least reflect that I spoke out against the many wrongs being praised as rights. In fifty years, when Donald Trump's role in American Christianity is discussed, I want to be able to honestly say I spoke up and denounced the idolatrous position into which many fellow Christians have placed the President. That I took no part in encouraging or propagating his words or actions, so bafflingly praised by other believers. This, then, is a public declaration for the sake of my own conscience when I think of these current times in my later years.

It should baffle me that I have to elaborate that, being a Christian, I have no admiration for a KKK-endorsed rapist. It should go unsaid, but sadly it doesn't: many American Christians (certainly not all, but far too many) have placed President Donald Trump on a pedestal as God's spokesman, and his party as the only way God's will can prevail in our country (as if His will could in some way be restrained). This is an idolatrous and blasphemous outlook, thus making a post like this necessary, to keep my fingerprints from any Christian endorsement of Donald Trump. 

The Bible tells us the best way for a Christian to show Jesus to the world is by our love and our actions. We are called to be ambassadors for Christ. This is not possible by lionizing a man found by a jury to have committed sexual battery, a man who was endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan and did nothing to disavow that endorsement, a man who pardoned criminals who committed violent acts in his name, who re-emboldened white supremacist movements in America, and who pardoned unrepentant violent criminals because they committed their acts of violence in his name. I can't show anyone the love of Christ by placing Him on equal footing with any man who does these things.

As far as sinners go, I'm among the worst - but I'm not being touted as a beacon of godliness, nor basking in such ill-founded praise. I'm not autographing Bibles or giving speeches at Liberty University. I'm not the President, and my sinful inclinations aren't influencing political policy. Furthermore, being a sinner, I must strive to repent and do better. I mustn't deny my sins with the delusion that I have no need for God's grace - as when President Trump said: "Why do I have to repent or ask forgiveness if I'm not making mistakes?" 

This concludes my feeble form of public record, my attempt to emphasize that not all Christians in America see Donald Trump as a pope-like figure, Christ's deputy on Earth, the only vessel through whom any good in America can be manifested. This is not a lament that Kamala Harris lost the election, not a pitch for Democratic policies, or for an alternative politician to worship. This is simply a plea for those outside the Church to understand that Donald Trump does not represent or embody the doctrine of Jesus Christ, despite the claims of many gravely mistaken adherents. I hope that those who read this who have qualms with Christianity have at least not been led to those negative feelings by believing the lie that this man is in any way the ambassador of our faith.

-Bud Sturguess. Amarillo, Texas. February 24, 2025.

PS To relieve certain people of their comment section duty of pointing out that Bill Clinton was a horndog who received fellatio in the Oval Office and lied about it 30 years ago, I say: yes, he did. Awful stuff. What it has to do with Donald Trump, I've no idea, but it always seems to be a go-to counterpoint when someone criticizes this golden calf.

PPS For the sake of fairness and accuracy, Donald Trump did eventually make remarks against the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups - but it took deadly violence in Charlottesville and enormous pressure for him to do so. His actions since then, however render his remarks moot - numerous perpetrators of the January 6th Insurrection, indiscriminately pardoned by Trump, were associated with white nationalist groups.

photo by Damon Winter, New York Times

3 Common Biblical Misconceptions

Fun Bible trivia! 3 common misconceptions: 

1. Jonah was not swallowed by a whale, but by a "large fish." 

2. "Lucifer" comes from a descriptive term, not a proper name. Satan's name before his fall from heaven is unmentioned. 

3. Christians don't lose their salvation by voting for Democrats.

 

Don't Force My Awesome Loving Savior On People

I am a Christian, saved by Jesus. I want others to know Jesus and be saved by Him, too. This is why I'm against schools requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms, as Louisiana's state government has recently mandated. This is also why I'm against compulsory Biblical curriculum in schools, as Oklahoma has recently announced.

People can easily be driven away from any ideology - none is exempt, be they religious, political, social, sociopolitical, or some hybrid of these - if those who proclaim them do so in an overbearing and aggressive manner. I don't want people driven away from Christ: and, as beliefs of any kind become pariah when imposed upon people, I have no choice as a Christian but to object to mandates like these.

The more an ideology, especially a religion, is distributed without option by various governments, the easier it becomes for that ideology to be manipulated and misrepresented by those governments' officials, who proclaim the faith's good values, and are then entrenched in scandal and dishonesty. This is among the reasons Church and State must remain separate. I want people to come to know Jesus, not be driven away from Him by the heavy hands of politicians.  

We can't have it both ways - if we want the government to stay out of our private lives, we can't heartily approve when politicians attempt to legislate faith.

Photo by Jason Reed / Reuters

Money and Your Local Church: A Layperson's Thoughts

It's amazing, but it's also not very amazing, that there are those of us in the body of Christ who can go so long not knowing what the Bible has to say about certain topics. Many of us even blindly believe there are things in the Bible that are simply not there - "this too shall pass" comes to mind, "God will never let you go through more than you can handle," and even "It is better to cast your seed onto the belly of a whore, than to let it fall to the ground" (yes, there are people who think that's a Bible verse).

But it's even more challenging when a piece of actual Scripture is misquoted, misrepresented, or manipulated in such a way that Christians and non-believers alike develop a false idea of what the Bible says on certain matters. These are more challenging because of the difficulty in separating what the verse actually says from the way it's paraphrased - it's easy to do a word search on biblegateway.com and show someone there's no "belly of a whore" verse. But if a paraphrased and distorted version of Scripture becomes embedded in someone's memory, it's difficult to put that verse or passage back in its proper order and gather again what was taken out, or take out what was added.

The best example I can give is the idea that the Bible says: "Money is the root of all evil." This is so often repeated that it's even a cliche amid secular circles of the world. Even my favorite band Pink Floyd gets it wrong in their classic song "Money."

In fairness to Pink Floyd, however, the actual verse contains much more substance and wouldn't fit the meter of the music. The quote in question is from 1 Timothy 6:10, which actually says:

"The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" - that's the first part, the part that's become shortened and changed - and continues, "for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (NKJV) 

The actual verse, and the context of Biblical teachings on money and finances, reveal far more than our pithy paraphrasing: that money itself is not the root of evil, much less all evil, but rather the worship and idolatry that develops when one loses sight of the good God desires for us to do with money. This verse even expounds on how destructive that greed can be to one's faith and general life.

If money was the actual root of all evil, a lot of things wouldn't make sense. People who live by the false paraphrase and not the actual Scripture are faced with some tough questions. For example, how do sins not related to money or greed have their root in money when none is involved? If two people commit the sin of, say, fornication, or if one person takes the Lord's name in vain, how can this be traced back to money?

A social media post that reeked of the ignorance sparked by misquotation of Scripture asked, "If money is the root of all evil, why do churches ask for it?", implying that if a church claims to teach from the Bible, it displays hypocrisy in asking for tithes and offerings. But as we've seen from the actual verse, this philosophy is not a Biblical one. This would contradict the teachings of the epistles in the New Testament, wherein the apostle Paul instructs believers to help their local churches in many ways, among them materially, while also warning leaders not to become greedy. 

Also, if one believes "money is the root of all evil," and seeks to avoid such evil, that person then sins against their own conscience by accepting a wage from their employer. Fortunately, the amended form of this verse is a lie to which no Christian is bound.

As a sinner myself, I'm certainly not immune from ignorance of the Scripture. In my case, it's usually willful. I used to scoff at the idea that a pastor should be paid for his work. I glossed over Paul's instructions to the various churches, and was blissfully unaware of the apostle's words in 1 Corinthians, chapter 9: he elaborates that, though he has not used this privilege among the Corinthians, those who preach the gospel have a right to be supported by the church(es) to whom they preach.

Speaking of making a living as a pastor of a church, as my edgelord attitude toward a minister's wages faded in light of what Scripture teaches, I began to see just how perilous an honest preacher's position can be. If a pastor preaches only the truth, that pastor runs the risk of unsteady job security. I speak this from experience within my own local church during the past two and a half years.

During the height of the pandemic, my church implemented a mask mandate: worshipers were required to wear masks. This greatly offended certain congregants, who left our church because of it. Their ire wasn't eased when my church began a campaign to help get as many people vaccinated as possible.

Then came 2021. My pastor bravely, publicly condemned the January 6th Insurrection in no uncertain terms. This caused more exiles from our congregation. Then, this year, he released a book denouncing Christian nationalism, and explored nationalism as an entity itself. The book has received much attention, though you certainly wouldn't know it if you'd never attended my church before, as my pastor has upheld his conviction that he should not use our pulpit to promote his literary work. Not all of the attention was positive, however, as - you guessed it - the book's message (and even its cover) rubbed some people the wrong way.

Less congregants means less tithing, which means the threat of a preacher - and church staff, from sound engineers to janitors - being without a salary. Our church also uses its tithes for mission work, including a program that teaches English to refugees settling in America, planting multicultural churches, and supporting children in Kenya and drilling water wells there. If our church had suffered a catastrophic loss of membership, certain people in Kenya may not have access to water. 

Tithing also helps those within the local church who are in need. As one of our deacons preached just this morning, the "loner Christian" is not a Biblical Christian. There are no instances in Scripture of an apostle or disciple going it alone, the misunderstood lone wolf. "A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment" (Proverbs 18:1). The idea that one doesn't need to go to a building once a week, and can "worship in their own way" is tough and edgy on the surface, but it's a philosophy built on sand and not a stone; it is not a Biblically founded Christian life. Thus, if a church is a community of believers, that community will inevitably have needs and troubles, to which their brothers and sisters can minister with their tithes and offerings. We forget this in our isolation, which so often leads to a worship and serving of self rather than God.

Fortunately, however, despite the backlash my pastor received for his preaching of the truth, God was faithful to protect us from fiery arrows, and our church thrives. We have even grown since the departure of so many whose sociopolitical ideologies outweighed their spiritual priorities. 

What a job, the ministry. It's such a strange position, when adhering to the truth is a risk to your employment and livelihood. "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). There are many megastar evangelists we can all name whose aversion to strict Biblical truth and the needs of the underprivileged puts them in no danger of the unemployment line. I'm grateful God has given me a community whose leaders are brave and faithful enough that they would risk such hardship. Therefore, a church's response to God's generosity is to in turn be generous to its own, so that they as a local body might spread the Gospel and minister to the needs of the suffering. And it starts with a wise and godly understanding of the role of money - and of good and evil - in a Christian's life.

Lord, Don't Let Me Be a Famous Christian Author

If by God's grace, and the questionable literary tastes of the American book-buying public, I ever achieve widespread recognition for my writing, I desperately hope it's not for my more overtly "Christian books."

Modern successful Christian authors are often turned into demagogues of sorts, their books rendered Gideon's ephod. Big names in Christianity* like Mark Driscoll, John Piper, Tim Keller, Rachel Held Evans (RIP) have developed fandoms that border on cults of personality, so to speak. Whether this is the author's conscious goal or not is different with every heart. There are those who eschew such celebrity worship and give the glory of the message to God, while it seems many are clamoring to be the next theological rebel, the next boat-rocker and wave-maker, rather than meek preachers of the Gospel.

My first two Christian books, Sheep Named Spike and Hog Heaven were, in hindsight, little more than The Bud Sturguess Show; Christ came second. I don't want to put myself before Him anymore. John the Baptist says of Him, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

I once saw an interview with John Piper, who strikes me as a very humble and genuine preacher, in which he answered questions written by readers. One of the questions, of course by no fault of Piper's, was, "if you had 2 minutes with the Pope, what would you say?" I hope no one ever wonders or cares what Bud Sturguess would say to the Pope. I hope they have no delight in my Reformed Protestant theological sass and spunk setting Francis straight on a thing or two. 

If - again, by God's grace - any of my work should receive notice and acclaim, I don't want it to be for my "Christian books." I do believe God can be seen in secular works - partly because, nothing is truly secular. There is either that which acknowledges God and that which doesn't; that which gives Him glory and that which ignores or curses Him. Neither "Bootylicious" nor "My Utmost For His Highest" can escape His judgmental and discerning eye.

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24).

Not every Christian woodworker builds crosses, but the woodworker who builds a porch for God's glory does more than the cross maker who etches their own name on each one. If I write a book for God's glory, and someone is positively impacted or moved by it, I'd much rather they say "I read some thing by this guy, and this one character said something that really touched me..." than someone read my sermons and gush, "OH. MY. GOSH. BUD STURGUESS IS SO GREAT! HAVE YOU READ BUD'S STUFF?!"

Heaven forbid there ever be a BUD STURGUESS STUDY BIBLE or a BUD STURGUESS DAILY DEVOTIONAL CALENDAR. I want to be a Christian, not a Christian media personality.

"And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.'" -Genesis 11:4

PS Yes, I'm aware of the irony of using Christian writing to declare how I hope to never become famous for Christian writing...and while I'm bordering on hypocrisy, you can check out my books here: lulu.com/spotlight/BudSturguess.

President Trump - God's Instrument of Rebuke?

Depending on who you ask, someone will always say the current President is God's way of "rebuking" America. If you asked a disaffected conservative, they would say Barack Obama and the ill-advised involvement in the Syrian civil war were God's rebuke. If you asked a wary liberal, they would say George W. Bush and the meltdown of the economy were God's rebuke.

I myself am neither liberal nor conservative: that's at least one idol with which I don't struggle. Being that a Christian's views should be based on Scripture, there are some things, in worldly eyes, about which I'd be called "conservative," while other views I have might be seen as "liberal." I believe dogmatically following the man-made conservative or liberal way on any issue, without discretion, is extremely unwise. And you know you're being dogmatic when the religious zealot calls you dogmatic. Chris Rock once said, "Anyone who makes up his mind about an issue before he hears the issue is a fool." The word of God agrees: "He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him" (Proverbs 18:13).

There's nothing wrong with calling one's self a liberal or a conservative. But it's when we turn these things to idols that blur and distort our view of Christ that they become stumbling blocks to we who are called to be His servants.

There are many American Christians who have been deceived into thinking that Christianity and conservatism are mutually inclusive; who think voting Republican is a fruit of the Spirit; who think the Gospel was written by the five evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Tucker Carlson. These are the idolaters who, I believe, God is rebuking by putting Donald Trump in the office of President of the United States.
Before I'm strangled with a red necktie, note that I do not believe it is "conservatives" God is rebuking, and not "Republicans." Rather, I believe the Trump Administration is God's way of chastening those who worship these things. Those who would do what's best for the red elephant before sacrificing of themselves for the Gospel. Those who look away from, shrug off, or make excuses for the racism, xenophobia, hatred, unfairness, and un-Christlike "values" inherent in many of their political beliefs and talking points, be they obvious or subtle, all for the sake of their red idol. These are the people who I believe are being rebuked with the administration's ineptitude and disregard for the sanctity of human life. They have attached themselves to ungodly ideas, and they must choose to let go, or put them above what is right and good.

(Keep in mind this isn't just possible for idolatrous conservatives - those who worship liberalism could very well find themselves rebuked by an Oprah Winfrey presidency.)

Why would a Donald Trump presidency be a blow from God?

I believe God has shown us, 'this man is all of your hypocrisy, your empty use of My name, and the harm you do; this is what you serve, more than you serve Me.' There is already a cringe-fest of embarrassment which America, more specifically its conservative bases, has suffered and will continue to suffer during President Trump's time in office, and the year-plus of the campaign rhetoric of the mogul and those working in his administration. These things will be a sore blemish to the GOP for the next fifty years or more. President Trump's wild, unproven accusations and ignorant claims, his blatant attempts at deceit, his inability to handle criticisms with Twitter tantrums, and unscrupulous ties and conflicts of interest are a blueprint for how not to govern with the best interests of the American people at heart. Those who call themselves Christians, and lean toward "the right," who recognize the folly, ineptitude, and moral corruption of this regime and its ideologies, will refuse conservatism as their savior. They may remain "conservatives," but they will refuse to serve it as an idol. They will say, much as I've said often in my own wanderings from God, "what have I done? I've got to get back to my Father's arms." "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11).
They will, much like me with each of my idols which God has destroyed, despise it and be glad their hearts are fettered to Christ and not to lifeless isms and ologies. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

And those who don't - those who stubbornly refuse to see any evils done by this administration, their sight being blinded by the red insignia they worship - will be seen by history as the uncaring and ignorant, as pitifully deceived, their actions an embarrassing scar on the already weary face of America. These are the ones who made excuses for the recorded conversations in which Donald Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women. These are the ones who shrugged off his refusal to rebuff the endorsement of the Ku Klux Klan. Those who lauded him as brilliant for not paying his taxes, while bemoaning the fact that their own taxes support the "welfare moms" they despise. Who praised him as a Christian, yet ignored the fact his own casinos include strip clubs. Those who claimed they were voting "pro-life" when they voted for a man who doesn't care for the lives of refugees and immigrants. In idolatry they did all of these things.
It's not just "secular" eyes who will look at them in embarrassment and pity - it's the eyes of future followers of Christ. Christians of future generations will cite the current idolaters' actions as examples of what is not Christlike. Today's idolatrous conservatives will be synonymous with hypocrisy and worldliness. They will be bywords among believers and non-believers alike.

Even if, by some miracle, President Trump somehow becomes another Roosevelt (either/or), the fact will remain that so many who proclaimed Christ and His instruction blinded their eyes to scandals, lies, and follies, all for the sake of their golden calf. The end does not justify the means in our idolatry.

A rational question would be, "What about all of the people being affected by Trump's actions? Immigrants, refugees, minorities, the less fortunate? They weren't 'worshiping the red elephant.' Why would God put Trump in power as a rebuke to idolaters, but allow others to suffer, too?"
I would point to the prophet Jeremiah, who prophesied at a time when Judah was engaged in idol worship to the point of sacrificing their own children in fires to false gods. This was a detestable thing, which God would punish by allowing Judah to fall into the hands of the invading Babylonians. Jeremiah was faithful to God, obedient to the point of mocking, imprisonment, and other hardship, all to proclaim God's word. But Jeremiah also suffered as a result of the Babylonians' invasion: not only did it break his heart to see Jerusalem destroyed, but he himself was eventually taken from the land he loved, forced into exile in Egypt, though he hadn't bowed the knee to the false gods his countrymen had served.

God places in power all those who have it. I often said when Donald Trump's inauguration neared that if the Christians of the early Church could pray for Nero, if the Protestants of England could pray for Queen Mary, then I can pray for President Trump. This is a good and holy thing, as the apostle Paul instructs that "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence" (1 Timothy 2:1-2). There are those who embrace these words when a Republican is in office, yet curse the life of the other guy; those who demanded respect for Bush as "my President," but cursed Obama for his crime of being a black Democrat. The same are hypocrites, and I don't want to fall into that sin and curse President Trump as being beyond redemption. To do so would be an insult to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

I don't care what hashtag is trending - Donald Trump is my President. "You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people" (Exodus 22:28).

When instructing us to pray for our leaders and not to revile them, Scripture does not, however, teach us to agree or embrace their every decision or decree, especially should they go against the holy word of God. Scripture does not teach us to remain silent about a leader's wrongdoings or when he or she speaks against what is right and good. And we're not called to pretend things aren't going terribly wrong. It's entirely possible to believe and trust in a God who works amazing miracles, and still be a realist.

I believe an essential task for American Christians today is to proclaim Christ in a way that separates His truth from "Republican Christianity," from the idols of conservatism and miscellaneous other ideologies of man and not of God. The world ignorantly draws its caricature of Christianity from those who claim Christ but bow down to the red elephant, whose strength to proclaim Christ depends on who's in political office, who receive their gospel from Breitbart, whose savior is Senator Combover, R-Oklahoma, who vows to put the Ten Commandments back on the schoolhouse walls.

The world's view of Christianity is drawn from those who think Jesus and Fox News are inseparable. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must shatter this illusion. What is the best way to show Jesus to others? It's not by debates, nor by funding Creationism research rather than assistance for single parents. Not even video footage of the Resurrection would prove Jesus to anyone - the only way to show Him to another is to love them. "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time" (Colossians 4:5). Let our every word and comment on social topics be sprinkled with the salt of grace and patience, but also with the starkness of truth, and let our every thought and deed be linked to the Scripture. We are to be God's image bearers on Earth - may that image not be marred in unbelieving eyes by the idols of Fox & Friends, InfoWars, or even on the other side of the spectrum by NPR and the Huffington Post.