History, cynicism, scandal, and tweet storms.

American politics right now is a hot mess.

Political clashes are public, polarized, and prolonged.

But if it feels like we're living through an ideological civil war, this experience is

not unique to our time or to this country.

But many younger Christians have been spared this cultural experience until now.

So what does it mean for the church?

How do we walk, careful, not to fan the flames of political animosity?

And if we get embroiled in heated political debates online or even in face-to-face conversations

with others, what is the cost on our evangelistic priorities in our culture?

More generally, perhaps we should ask are Christians too deeply embedded in American culture already,

as some have recently suggested?

I pose these questions to Dr. Don Carson, co-founder and president of the Gospel Coalition from

his home office.

He shared with me his thoughts.

Here's what he said.

Well, that's a good, but complex question.

You're right, first of all, to point out that this has happened before.

This is a particularly intense one.

For example, during the first year and a half or so of the Second World War before America

was involved, after Pearl Harbor, there was a huge division in this country between those

who thought we should get into the war and those who thought we should not.

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