When Christians ignore their wonderful spiritual teachings 6/6/2025

                                When Christians ignore their wonderful spiritual teachings

Senator Joni Ernst’s chilling comment at a town hall—“Well, we’re all going to die”—in response to concerns about Medicaid cuts, was a moment of callousness. But her so-called apology, filmed in a cemetery, took that indifference to another level. Rather than acknowledge the very real suffering of Americans who risk death without adequate health care, she pivoted to preaching salvation through Jesus Christ. It was not just tone-deaf—it was a distortion of Christian values.
This incident reveals a deeper crisis in American evangelicalism. Increasingly, it has turned inward, prioritizing a “vertical” relationship with God while ignoring the “horizontal” moral obligations to care for neighbors, the poor, the sick, and the vulnerable. Jesus did not turn away the hungry or the sick; he fed and healed them. Yet today, many Christians champion harsh immigration policies, slash foreign aid, and applaud cruelty so long as it’s wrapped in Christian language.
In pursuit of political power, too many have exchanged empathy for dogma and distorted faith into something self-serving. Christianity, at its core, demands compassion—not just belief. As James wrote: “Faith without works is dead.”
Christianity must not be a shield for policies that harm the most vulnerable. Instead of weaponizing the cross, Christians should remember that it calls them to love, justice, and sacrifice. Senator Ernst’s comments weren’t just a misstep—they were a symptom of a faith increasingly divorced from its moral responsibilities.
It’s time Christians rediscover the full shape of the cross—and act accordingly.