Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth.

For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street.

Depending on who you ask, Christian nationalism either presents a grave threat to the nation and the church,

or it's nothing more than a label used to demonize and dismiss faith from the public square,

and therefore, no threat at all. According dismiss faith from the public square, and therefore,

no threat at all. According to critics from within the church, Christian nationalism is a

conflation of the cross of Christ and the stars and stripes, unfaithful to the Christian's heavenly

citizenship in favor of worldly causes, efforts, and allegiances. And to some, Christian nationalism

is nothing less than white supremacy

dressed in religious garb. And tragically, that description accurately describes too many

people who claim to be following Christ, but who have instead confused the city of man with the

city of God. At the same time, to be accused of Christian nationalism, especially when that label has been

reduced to a cynical political tool, does not mean one is actually guilty of it. Christianity

properly understood is not a privatized, pietistic set of religious principles. To love God and to love

neighbor, which is the summation of the Christian's duty, involves all of life,

both personal and cultural. God has called us to this time and to this place, a time and place

just as much subject to the rule and reign of Christ as any other. We are to obey Christ. We are to

teach others to obey him. We are to do the good we can wherever we can. And given that many

Western nations were founded as Christian states, that involves stewarding the best parts of our

heritage while working to oppose evil and advance good. And doing anything like that today will

inevitably bring accusations of being a Christian nationalist.

That should not deter us from the work that we've been called to do. At the same time,

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