Houses of Faith Built on Political Sand Will Sink
Foundations
My sweet Great-Grandma Esther (1911–2005) loved Jesus and Jimmy Swaggart. Her old black-and-white TV only came on for his hour of power. She was a faithful servant of God, quietly giving through her gifts. By all accounts, Esther lived a simple life, ironing clothes by day, sewing by night. She fed neighbors, cared for the sick, and helped those struggling financially, all while living with very little herself. She was the only Jesus follower in my family and the one who first exposed me to the gospel and church. Though it was a rural, fire-and-brimstone Pentecostal church, politics were rarely brought up.
In contrast, my paternal grandparents wore Christianity like a costume, useful when it served their interests. My grandfather built significant wealth as a landman for Standard Oil, and my grandmother was usually seen with whiskey on ice in a glass wrapped with a pink Kleenex. The family photos I inherited tell stories of luxury dinners with high-profile leaders, but not of service or faith.
Since my baptism in 2015, I’ve become more familiar with Billy Graham, whose relationship with Richard Nixon, alongside Chuck Colson, founder of my former employer, Prison Fellowship Ministries, offers both caution and inspiration. Colson served time for Watergate-related crimes. In Born Again, he spoke of admiring Graham’s leadership style, which was consistent and bold. After giving his life to Jesus in 1973, Colson used Graham’s sermons and writings for spiritual growth.[1]
The Fusion of Faith and Political Identity
In Losing Our Religion, Russell Moore has much to say about the politicizing of faithful public witness:
“We see now young evangelicals walking away from evangelicalism, not because they do not believe what the church teaches, but because they believe the church itself does not believe what the church teaches.”[2]
That disillusionment should alert believers to listen carefully. Moore, an ordained Baptist minister, author, and Chief Editor at Christianity Today, refuses to endorse U.S. President Donald Trump on moral and theological grounds. I share his concern. I hear friends and neighbors say they agree with Trump’s policies, not his personality, however, I find it challenging to distinguish between the two. If I ever had the chance, perhaps I would tell him “you’re speaking so loud, I can’t hear what you’re saying.” While there have been some notable wins, such as brokering a conclusion of the the war in Gaza, I believe Americans have chosen a leader who is blatantly dishonest and prideful, who mocks and belittles people to reduce their humanity and dignity. His rhetoric toward immigrants incites division, anger, fear, and contradicts Biblical teaching: “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”[3]
Trump’s lack of restraint, his use of power for personal gain, and his retaliation against his opponents reveal the misuse of influence. To make matters worse, the national debt is the largest ever and egg prices are moving in the wrong direction, an item he campaigned on. Yet, many still view him as a champion of working-class families, some even suggesting divine intervention in his election win. As mega-church pastor JD Greear warns,
“We make God’s name synonymous with a political party, then we have made him responsible, reputationally, for all the evils in that political party. It may be the best of two options, but if the lesser of two evils is the nature of politics, the lesser of two evils is still evil. I don’t want any evil associated with Jesus’ name,”[4]
When I consider what a faithful public witness looks like, I think of Billy Graham. He learned from the Nixon years to avoid political entanglement and scandal, remaining transparent and humble. He focused on the gospel, stepped out of the spotlight, and built bridges rather than walls.
When a Golden Calf replaces Christ
In Jesus and the Powers, theologian N.T. Wright warns that when Christians remove the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus from their worldview, non-biblical ideologies begin shaping their values.[5] He’s not calling for theocracy, but for public life informed by love, truth, and resurrection power. He believes that justice and inclusion become hollow when detached from Jesus at the center. In God in Public (2016), he writes,
“If Jesus is Lord, and Caesar is not, then Christian engagement in the public square must be both humble and bold, not baptizing the latest social agenda but bearing witness to a deeper truth. Any justice or inclusion not rooted in God’s story risks distortion. Truth and wisdom can exist outside the church, but they only reach their fullness when rooted in Christ.”[6]
What does Christian Leadership Mean in a world where Christians are not shaped by Christ?
C.S. Lewis warned that ideological division begins when Christians allow politics to eclipse faith. In The Screwtape Letters, he described how “the father below” tempts believers to treat political opinions as spiritual truths, replacing Christ with a cause.[7] Once this happens, believers risk becoming tools of ideology rather than witnesses to the gospel.
To resist this, Lewis emphasized moral formation rooted in Scripture, reason, and tradition, cultivating humility and self-awareness. He saw the danger of power hidden in religious language and called Christians to live as humble servants, not culture warriors or party loyalists. He believed that people are shaped by true faith and eternal thinking.
Closing
When houses of faith are built on political sand, they will sink because they rely on human power rather than Christ. Christian leadership today must be recognized by the fruits of humility, moral clarity, and deep-rootedness in the gospel.
C.S. Lewis warned that when political opinions become spiritual truths, faith is quietly replaced by ideology. Russell Moore urges believers to reject partisan ideology and return to a faithful public witness that looks like Jesus, not like a campaign platform. N.T. Wright reminds us that when justice and inclusion are disconnected from the resurrection, they risk becoming hollow slogans rather than kingdom realities.
Billy Graham and Chuck Colson embodied that kind of leadership. Graham modeled integrity by learning from his entanglement with power and choosing transparency and humility over influence. Colson, once consumed by power, found redemption in prison and turned his failure into a ministry of restoration. Together, they demonstrated that genuine Christian witness is not about proximity to power but submission to Christ’s grace that can transform the least of these into the “most of these.”
That is the kind of formation my Great-Grandma Esther lived out in quiet faithfulness, and the kind we desperately need today: not louder politics, but deeper discipleship that builds a kinder, gentler, more compassionate society.
[1] Colson, Charles W. Born Again. Grand Rapids, MI: Chosen Books, 2008.
[2] Moore, Russell. Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America. New York: Sentinel, 2023. P.41.
[3] “Bible Gateway Passage: Deuteronomy 10:19 – English Standard Version.” Bible Gateway. Accessed October 24, 2025. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2010%3A19&version=ESV.
[4] The Russell Moore Show. “JD Greear on What Culture Wars Are Doing to Us.” Video Podcast. Christianity Today. Last modified October 22, 2025. Accessed October 24, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qlMjFu_rBA.
[5] Wright, N. T., and Michael F. Bird. Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Reflective, 2024.
[6] Wright, Nicholas Thomas. God in Public: How the Bible Speaks Truth to Power Today. London: SPCK, 2016.
[7] Lewis, C. S. The Screwtape Letters. 1st ed. Québec: HORIZON RIDGE PUBLISHING, 2024.
About the Author
Jennifer Eckert
Operations and fundraising director, people connector, believer in second chances, fights poverty, supports justice reform, lives a life integrated with Matthew 25.6 responses to “Houses of Faith Built on Political Sand Will Sink”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Hey Jennifer. Praise for Great-Grandma Esther. A good and faithful witness. You highlighted, “We see now young evangelicals walking away from evangelicalism, not because they do not believe what the church teaches, but because they believe the church itself does not believe what the church teaches.”[2] What advice would you give a young evangelical or anyone in this instance?
Thanks, Daren. It’s important to have the courage and willpower to actually do the work of comparing the political rhetoric and policies of our leaders – that goes for any leader. Talk and actions are different. More importantly, how do they align with the talk and actions of Jesus? Do they align? Yes? Sort of? Not at all?
It may mean telling someone in the moment that you’ll need to do a little research and get back to them, but the exercise of intentionally seeking truth through the example of Jesus will lend a stronger foundation in the long run.
That said, it is hard to maintain the tension of a belief that differs from the majority. It can feel lonely, and it’s natural to question the accuracy of your own thinking. But doing the work to search for answers will no doubt bring clarity and confidence.
Hi Jennifer, Bringing up Billy Graham highlights that not all evangelicalism succumbs to political motivation. He served as the “unofficial” chaplain to many presidents, where, for the most part, he steered clear of politics. (I think he got played once by Nixon regarding Israel, but apologized and then avoided political topics.) I recall this because even politicians need someone to remind them that the real power is in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The difference between your work with prison ministry and mega evangelical churches, especially in the southern “Bible Belt,” is like your maternal/paternal grandparents – opposites. I am not sure this is a question that is easily answered, but I wonder what it will take for the evangelical churches to truly come to Jesus and give up the semblance of power.
Thank you, Diane. Your question is an important one. I just read Daren’s blog, and he talks about formation as offering a place for people to belong. That dopamine hit of finding “your tribe” is real and addictive, especially when loneliness is at an all-time high. It takes courage to go against the grain, even if it means walking alone while everyone else goes in the other direction.
In the era of religious scandals with Jimmy Swaggart and the Bakkers, I think Billy Graham chose a courageous path. As a result, his ministry voice has outlasted those of the religious leaders who were embroiled in scandals and outlasted his physical life on this earth. He chose to humble himself. He focused on God’s promises of salvation and spoke the truth, even when it was hard or unpopular. Jesus was the central point of his life and message—not religion or politics. Billy Graham led a rich and full life. But it wasn’t because of his human power; it was because people could tell he was authentic in his Jesus power.
Thanks for your post, Jennifer. We certainly live in a tension as Christians who are in the world but not of the world. Called to be engaged in, but not formed by the world. How do we cultivate humility and moral clarity in a culture that rewards performance and partisanship?
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing about your sweet great-grandmother, Esther. You also mentioned your paternal grandparents who wore Christianity like a costume. Have you ever seen someone move from a posture like your paternal grandparents to the posture of Esther? What can help Christians value faithfulness over public influence?