There are moments when silence becomes complicity. I firmly believe we are living in one of those moments.

We are living in a time when truth is not merely contested, it is routinely discarded. Falsehood is no longer something to be ashamed of; it is wielded as a tool of power. Lies are seen as an acceptable means to an end. Perhaps most troubling of all, many who claim the name of Jesus have grown comfortable with it.

We live in a time where one of the most visible (and powerful) political leaders made over 30,000 false or misleading claims in his first four years in office! As this leader entered a second term, that pattern did not slow. Reports have noted that this leader is consistent in keeping pace with false and misleading statements the second time around. On his first day of his second term, he told at least 20 lies. 

Let’s be honest…we’ve all told our fair share of lies. But 20 per days is dizzying. How can one even keep up with that volume of lies?

This isn’t partisan commentary. This is a crisis of truth. The deeper crisis is not simply that a political leader lies…it is that so many are willing to accept, defend, and repeat those lies. 

Here’s the deal…Jesus does not leave us wiggle room here. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Not a version of the truth. Just the truth. To follow Jesus is to commit ourselves to truth in word, in spirit, and in practice.

Scripture is unflinching. In John 8:32, Jesus proclaims, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” The author of Ephesians, in the 25^th verse of the 4^th chapter says, “Putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors.” The wisdom literature of the Bible is full of thoughts on telling the truth, including Proverbs 12:22 which states, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” 

The biblical witness does not treat truth as optional. As followers of the Way of Jesus, neither can we.

Here is a hard truth we must face: The greatest threat is not that politicians lie. The greatest threat is that the Church stops caring.

When Christians excuse dishonesty because it serves their preferred outcomes…When we share misinformation because it confirms what we already believe…When we defend what is false rather than confront it…We are no longer bearing witness to Jesus. We are bearing witness to something else entirely.

That should trouble us. Once truth is sacrificed, everything else eventually follows…justice, compassion, integrity, even faith itself become optional.

Scripture commands us not just to tell the truth, but to discern it. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” (1 John 4:1)

Discernment requires effort. It requires courage. It requires a willingness to resist the pull of our own biases and the pressure of our communities. It requires the courage to admit when we are wrong. It requires the humility that allows others to change. It requires a commitment to be a people of honesty and integrity. 

Paul writes: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God.” (Romans 12:2) In the spirit of honesty, let’s go ahead and admit that many of us have been conformed more by cable news, social media, and political talking points than by the teachings of Jesus. We have traded discernment for outrage. We have traded wisdom for foolishness. We have traded truth for talking points and slogans.

If we are serious about following Jesus, then we must reclaim truth as a core practice of our discipleship. We must tell the truth, even when it costs us. Integrity is not situational. If something is false, we name it as false…even when it comes from leaders we support.

We need to stop spreading what we have not verified. If we would not stake our reputation on its accuracy, we should not share it. Period. We need to examine and name our own biases. We are all susceptible to believing what we want to be true. Discernment requires humility and self-examination.

As followers of the Way of Jesus, we must stay rooted in Scripture, not slogans. God’s Word is not a prop for our opinions. It is a light that exposes them. Psalm 119:105 reminds us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” 

We need to quiet the noise around us so we can listen for the voice of the Spirit. Jesus promises: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:13). We must be willing to listen and willing to be led somewhere we did not expect. We must be willing to stand apart and even alone. Truth-telling will put you at odds with people. Even people in our own churches. Faithfulness has always carried that cost.

The Church does not exist to echo the culture. The Church exists to bear witness to the truth. Not a watered-down truth. Not a convenient truth. But the kind of truth that sets people free. Too many churches and church leaders just share “happy go lucky” messages that keep people content and feeling good about themselves. Maybe there is a time and place for that. But this simply is not the time!

This is not the time to soften our language or blur the lines. If we cannot name lies as lies, we have already lost our way. If we cannot discern truth from falsehood, we are not being formed by Christ. If we cannot commit ourselves to truth, we cannot claim to follow the One who is Truth.

The world does not need more noise. It needs a Church that refuses to trade truth for power. A Church that refuses to baptize falsehood. A Church that still has the courage to live and speak in the light.

It seems like almost every hour of the day, something happens in our world that reminds us how far we are from the heart of God. Another act of violence. Another racist rant. Another policy rooted in fear. Another “Christian” voice defending cruelty in the name of righteousness.

We live in a moment thick with fear, hatred, xenophobia, racism and all the isms and phobias that portray a spirit not of Christ. In the middle of it all, the Apostle Paul’s words echo with piercing clarity: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22–23, NRSV)

Paul doesn’t describe the fruit of the Spirit as doctrinal precision. He doesn’t name national dominance. He doesn’t list power, influence, or political victory. He names love.

Not just love, but a whole ecosystem of Spirit-shaped virtues that make domination impossible and idolatry obvious.

What we are witnessing in American Christianity is not simply political engagement. It is theological confusion.

Christian nationalism has hijacked large swaths of evangelical Christianity, confusing patriotism for faith, political allegiance for orthodoxy, and the agenda of political leaders for the Way of Jesus.

The recent dedication of a gold statue of the President outside Mar-a-Lago, prayed over and blessed by evangelical leaders, should haunt us. Golden statues and religious blessings have a long biblical history. None of it ends well. When power, privilege, ego, and greed rule the day, the Spirit quietly departs.

Even more troubling is how figures like Doug Wilson, the so-called “pastor” of Pete Hegseth, have been platformed by prominent evangelical institutions such as Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, Acts 29, and Ligonier Ministries. Many even within conservative evangelical circles have distanced themselves from Wilson’s theology and rhetoric, yet the damage has been done. 

At some point, the evangelical movement needs to own their role in the elevation of the Christian nationalist movement.  When churches amplify voices that traffic in division, hierarchy, and culture-war triumphalism, we should not be surprised when congregations begin to confuse aggression with boldness and cruelty with conviction.

Jesus was clear: a tree is known by its fruit. If those hailed as “God’s chosen” consistently display arrogance instead of gentleness, rage instead of patience, cruelty instead of kindness, self-indulgence instead of self-control, then something is wrong at the root.

The fruit of the Spirit is not a suggestion; it is evidence of a life rooted and grounded in Jesus.

It is more than unsettling to watch political leaders attempt to lecture the Pope about theology and Christian faith. The pride. The ego. The audacity. When politicians, platformed by ill-guided religious leaders, assume authority over centuries of theological reflection and pastoral care, we are not witnessing strength. We are witnessing spiritual shallowness.

Much of the outrage directed at the Pope and other Christian leaders who critique the current U.S. administration reveals a deeper issue: many simply do not know Scripture. The Pope hasn’t said anything that contradicts Scripture or the theological heritage of the Church. Those critiquing the Pope demonstrate that they have accepted partisan narratives as the Gospel. They have substituted cable news theology for the Sermon on the Mount. They defend “Christian values” while neglecting Christ.

It is painful to say, but it must be said: I fear many Christians do not know the Gospel. I fear some do not know Jesus.

It is also worth naming, plainly and honestly, that many who have been platformed and even idolized by the religious right seem to reflect less the fruit of the Spirit and more what Paul warns against just a few verses earlier. In Galatians 5:19–21, Paul speaks of “enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy,” a sobering list that feels far too familiar in today’s religious and political rhetoric. When leaders consistently stir division, trade in outrage, and cling to power at all costs, we should not rush to defend them…we should discern them. The contrast Paul offers is not abstract; it is diagnostic. If the fruit is missing, or if entirely different fruit is being produced, then we must have the courage to question the root.

In a world addicted to outrage, the fruit of the Spirit is revolutionary. Love in a culture of contempt. Joy in a politics of grievance. Peace in an economy of fear. Patience in an age of instant reaction. Kindness where cruelty trends. Generosity in systems built on both scarcity and greed. Faithfulness when loyalty is transactional. Gentleness in the face of bluster. Self-control when rage is rewarded.

This is not weakness. This is resistance. The early Christians changed the world not by seizing Caesar’s throne but by embodying a different kingdom.

Fruit grows from proximity. If we want the fruit of the Spirit, we must stay close to the Spirit. Here are some ways to do that:

1. Study Scripture deeply and humbly. Not through partisan lenses. Not looking for proof texts to defend our agenda. But prayerfully, contextually, and in community. So many have embraced non-biblical narratives because they have not wrestled with the actual text. Read the Gospels slowly. Sit with the Sermon on the Mount. Let Jesus shape us.

2. Practice self-examination. Before critiquing the religious or political leaders, ask: Is love evident in me? Is gentleness? Is self-control? The fruit begins at home.

3. Commit to diverse Christian community. The Spirit often speaks through voices outside our echo chambers. Listen to believers from different cultures, traditions, and experiences.

4. Fast from outrage. Limit the media that feeds anger and fear. Replace it with prayer, silence, and acts of mercy. 

5. Embody love. Welcome the stranger. Defend the vulnerable. Refuse racist jokes. Speak truth to power. Love is not intended to be abstract. It is to be practiced.

There is something disturbing happening in our world almost every moment of the day. But that disturbance is also a summons. A summons to return to Jesus. A summons to reject idolatry. A summons to disentangle faith from nationalism. A summons to bear fruit.

The world does not need louder Christians. It needs Christians who look like Christ.

The Spirit is still producing fruit. The question is whether we will allow our lives to become the orchard.

A quick note: This isn’t written with any one person, group, or moment in mind. It grows out of 28 years in ministry and the lessons learned through experience, shaped by the wisdom of others, and held together by the boundaries that help ministry endure.

There’s a quiet tension many pastors and church leaders carry but don’t often name out loud: what do we do when people leave?

We’re trained (formally and informally) to see departure as failure. If someone walks away, we replay conversations, revisit decisions, and wonder what we could have done differently. Sometimes, that reflection is faithful and necessary. If harm was done, if someone was ignored, if we failed to love well, then we must own it, repent, and seek reconciliation. 

But not every departure is a failure. Sometimes, it’s clarity. It’s health. It’s exactly what the church needs.

The local church is not a social club built around preferences. It is a community shaped by a shared mission and vision, rooted in the way of Jesus. That mission should form everything: how we love, who we include, what we prioritize, and how we live together.

When someone no longer embraces that mission, tension is inevitable. Not the healthy kind that sharpens and deepens, but the kind that clogs, distracts, and slowly drains the life out of a community. Energy gets diverted. Conversations stall. Leaders become reactive instead of proactive. The work of the church begins to revolve around managing dissatisfaction instead of participating in God’s movement.

At some point, we have to tell the truth: not everyone is called to every church. And that’s okay. Yes, we proclaim (and should practice) that all are welcome in our church. But, if we’re being honest, our church will not be everyone’s cup of tea.

There’s a subtle but powerful myth in church culture that faithfulness means keeping everyone happy and present. Jesus never operated that way.

People walked away from Him. Some couldn’t accept his teachings. Others were threatened by his inclusive spirit. Some simply wanted a different kind of Messiah, one who aligned more closely with their expectations, their power structures, or their politics.

Jesus didn’t chase them down to renegotiate the mission. He stayed rooted in it.

There are moments when people leave not because of personal hurt, but because of theological and missional divergence.

When people want a church that excludes, they have already drifted from the expansive love at the heart of the Gospel.

When people elevate political ideology to the level of faithfulness (and confuse it with orthodoxy), they are no longer being shaped by Jesus, but by something else entirely.

When people resist efforts toward justice, inclusion, or compassion for the vulnerable, they are not pushing back against a trend, they are resisting a core thread of Scripture.

To go back a few years ago to the pandemic…when something like masks or social distancing becomes a breaking point, it is rarely just about that. Those moments often reveal deeper convictions about humility, community responsibility, and what it means to “consider others better than ourselves.”

At some point, divergence becomes too wide to ignore.

Here’s the part we don’t say enough: there can be a kind of holy relief when misalignment leaves the room. Not because we stop loving those who go, but because the constant friction, negativity, and, at times, immature pettiness goes with them. The air feels lighter. The focus becomes clearer. The community can move forward without being anchored to resistance.

This isn’t about celebrating loss. It’s about recognizing that unity is not the same as uniform attendance. It’s shared direction. When that shared direction is restored, something opens up.

Let me be clear, we still love people who leave. We bless them. We pray for them. We leave the door open for their return. 

But we don’t chase after the disgruntled to win them back, especially when their departure is rooted in a rejection of the mission itself. Chasing can sometimes communicate that the mission is negotiable, that the loudest dissatisfaction gets to set the agenda.

The only time we pursue intentionally is when we have caused harm. In those moments, we go not to reclaim attendance, but to seek reconciliation.

Otherwise, we release people with grace.

Every church has limited energy, attention, and capacity. When those resources are consumed by managing ongoing resistance, there is little left for forming disciples, serving the community, or embodying the Gospel in meaningful ways.

But when that resistance departs, space is created. Space for new voices. Space for deeper alignment. Space for people who are ready to live into the mission with joy, courage, and humility.

This is not about building an echo chamber. It’s about cultivating a community that is genuinely committed to the way of Jesus, even when that way challenges comfort, power, and personal preference.

If you’re a leader carrying the weight of people leaving, hear this…Not every goodbye is a loss. Sometimes it’s pruning. Sometimes it’s clarity. Sometimes it’s the Spirit making room for something new.

Even when those exits feel personal, we must stay rooted in the mission. Love without clinging. Lead without fear. Trust that the church Jesus is calling you to be will be shaped not by who you manage to keep, but by who is willing to walk that road with you.