Tag: christianity

“Mixed Message”

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

“Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” James 3:10-11 (NIV)

I have been trying to wrap my head around what I witnessed while watching the funeral service for Charlie Kirk. It’s taken me all week to process; and, honestly, it has distressed me. The more than 6-hour service included Scripture, prayer, songs of faith, fond memories of the deceased, eulogies, pronouncements of God’s love for the world and even an invitation to receive Christ. I’ve conducted funerals that include all those things, but this one also included a lot of vitriol, anger and a bitter flavor of retribution–spoken not by the spiritual leaders, not by the grieving widow, but by politicians–including a 41-minute rant delivered by Donald Trump.

I first started feeling unsettled though when conservative political commentator Benny Johnson stood at the podium and referred to the Apostle Paul’s definition of the purpose of government in Romans 13:1-5.. He then pointed to the members of the current administration who were present, declaring, “God has given them power over our nation and our land” to “wield the sword for the protection of good men and the terror of evil men.” He then charged the audience, “May we pray that our rulers here–rightfully instituted by God and given power by our God–wield the sword for the terror of evil men in our day in Charlie’s memory.” He finished by thanking the administration for “carrying out that godly mission of wielding the sword against evil.” The audience roared its approval.

It was the emphasis on “wielding the sword” on God’s behalf to punish those who do evil that deeply disturbed me. The initial message of God’s love, grace and Christ’s sacrifice suddenly turned into a message of God’s wrath and hate of evil-doers. While Johnson never identified the “evil-doers” by name or their behaviors, his implication was clear: those who oppose this administration which has the blessing of God are the evil-doers. This was confirmed by the parade of former and current cabinet members, media influencers, White House staff, and Vice-President JD Vance, who condemned the Marxist-leftists, labor unions, public educators, democrats, Hollywood elites, Antifa and even progressive pastors–those Deputy WH Chief of Staff Stephen Miller defined as “our enemies” and the “forces of wickedness and evil” who are “against us.” Interspersed with the drum-beat against evil were hymns, Scripture quotes, prayers and crowd-led chants of “USA! USA!” that turned the funeral into a White Christian Nationalist political rally–complete with fireworks. Talk about mixed messages!

What bothered me the most, however, were the audience responses to Erika Kirk’s statement of forgiveness for her husband’s killer-and to Donald Trump’s acknowledgement that Charlie Kirk didn’t hate his opponents but wanted the best for them, but adding “that’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent and I don’t want what is best for them.” The audience gave Erika a 45-second ovation. The audience also gave Mr. Trump applause and laughter. OK, it wasn’t a 45-second ovation, but it was approval. Trump went on to hope that the DOJ (Department of Justice) would find the “very bad people” who supported “paid agitators” at Charlie Kirk’s rallies. Again, the audience gave him loud applause..

I was dumbfounded. I would have expected this majority Christian audience to honor and affirm forgiveness, but wince at hate and retribution. I would have hoped that Trump would have heard silence or even a few BOOs. But both forgiveness and retribution were embraced–two opposite and incompatible sentiments. Out of the same mouths came praise and curses. In the same event, we heard calls for love for our opponents and hate for our opponents and both were affirmed. There were calls to forgive and calls for war against the radical left and both were applauded. The Bible has a word for that–double-mindedness.

It saddens me that what the world saw and heard last Sunday was a Christianity that says it worships the God of love and life, but also embraces the ethos of hatred and death. The service ended with Erika Kirk embracing and being held by the president–a metaphor for what I see within much of the American Christian church–an embrace of power at the expense of spiritual integrity.

The service promised fresh water–living water–but it delivered mostly bitter. Sadly, people drank it up.

Walter Brueggemann & Me

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

After my last post on June 3, my time was devoted to preparing my stepmother’s funeral service, packing, traveling to PA, and reuniting with my immediate and extended family and old friends at the funeral . Throughout that time, everything else in the world appropriately faded into the background. I didn’t think about writing for “Tongue on Fire” until this morning after reading about the death of Walter Brueggemann on June 5.

Though I only heard him speak one time, his understanding of Old Testament history and the prophetic tradition blew me away and literally changed the trajectory of my preaching and ministry. A prolific writer (his website lists 168 titles!), it was his best known book, “The Prophetic Imagination,” written in 1978, that most impacted me and opened my eyes to the prophetic role of the church–speaking truth to power.

In describing the content of his final book of essays, “Lament that Generates Covenant,” published in March 2025, Brueggemann wrote: “This collection of essays pertains to matters that urgently concern our faith. My work consists in recognition that our various systems of meaning, power, and control are decisively penultimate, even though we conduct ourselves as though they are ultimate. Thus, our articulation of theology and faith are momentary and require endless rearticulation… For much too long the church has focused on private, spiritual, other-worldly matters. In fact, the biblical reportage and advocacy concern the continuing struggle for an alternative economy that is governed by neighborly generosity, an economy that eschews private accumulation by the powerful at the expense of the vulnerable.” Amen!

Though his pen is now stilled and his voice silenced, the words he wrote and spoke during his lifetime will live on–just as relevant for our times and for times to come. There will always be a need for prophetic imagination and prophetic action.

“Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them’.” (Revelation 14:13). Well done.

Dear Mike Johnson,

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

Overnight, the House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act –and you, Mr. Speaker took a victory lap. I don’t understand. Back in 2023, in an interview with Sean Hannity, you said, “I am a Bible-believing Christian. Someone asked me today in the media, they said, “It’s curious, people are curious. ‘What does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun?’” I said, “Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it – that’s my worldview. That’s what I believe and so I make no apologies for it.”

So, I picked up my Bible and read it. And I am curious. Mr. Speaker, Isaiah 58:10 says, “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” But you just passed a bill that cuts SNAP food assistance for low-income families. And Proverbs 14:31 says, “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” But your Big Beautiful Bill will take away healthcare for millions of poor and needy people. Where is the kindness in that? Does taking benefits from the poor to give tax breaks to the rich honor God? I think not.

Mr. Speaker, the Bible says, ““Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” (Proverbs 3:27 – ESV). You had the power to “do good’, but instead, you withheld it from those in need.

Please, stop rejoicing as if you have accomplished some righteous deed while your brothers and sisters are weeping. Oh, and by the way, the Bible says to a people who have forsaken God’s ways: “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:15-17)

Mr. Speaker, there is still time to “learn to do right.” The Big Beautiful Bill will return to the House for final approval. You have the opportunity to use your power to obey God and do the right thing.

I’m praying for you.

Delivered Back to Death

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

“Deliver the poor and the needy; rescue them from their…oppressors.” Psalm 82:4 (The Voice)

Yesterday, the Department of Homeland Security posted the following announcement on its website:.

“Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem today announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan. The TPS designation for the country expires on May 20, 2025, and the termination will be effective on July 14, 2025.

“After consultation with interagency partners, Secretary Noem determined that conditions in Afghanistan no longer meet the statutory requirements. The Secretary’s decision was based on a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services review of the country conditions and in consultation with the Department of State. The Secretary determined that, overall, there are notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to ongoing-armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions. She further determined that permitting Afghan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest of the United States.”

This DHS decision means that all Afghans who received protection following the US military withdrawal in 2022 will now be required to return to Afghanistan voluntarily or face prison sentences and/or forced deportation. Many of these Afghans had assisted the US military during the war against the Taliban, the same Taliban that now controls the country. And among the 200,000 Afghans losing their protected status are more than 300 Christians who faced harsh persecution under Taliban rule and who were pursuing asylum in the US. Delivering any of these Afghan individuals and families to the Taliban will likely result in imprisonment or even death.

In a letter sent to President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, faith leaders urged the “Administration to act swiftly to protect Afghan Christians from deportation to Afghanistan, where they face grave threats to their safety and their very lives because of their faith.” Opposition to ending the protections is appropriate and necessary. Will the letter make a difference? If the acts of DHS and ICE in the past are any indication, it is not likely.

Psalm 82 reminds the “judges” (ie political leaders) that their role is to “rescue the poor and needy from their oppressors.” The ending of TPS for Afghans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans is inconsistent with our faith and our values. Silence isn’t an option.

Today, my Congresswoman, Delia Ramirez (IL – District 03) will not be silent as she repeats her call* for the resignation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ” for the unconstitutional, illegal weaponization of DHS to pursue a campaign of persecution, mass incarceration, and deportation. Now she can include the reckless and immoral rescinding of Afghani Temporary Protected Status to the list.

* Ramirez first called for Noem’s resignation on April 8 in a press conference after witnessing children being processed by immigration officials at the southern border without legal representation.