For more than a few Americans, freedom of religion means operating without any religion whatsoever. The local church is empty on Sunday morning because church attendance is not what saves people. Neither is reading scripture, repenting from sin, or behaving with some kind of self-control. We acknowledge that church is made of “messy people” whose lives are just as screwed-up as everyone else’s.

The church used to be a place where messy people could get cleaned up. We used to teach that sin could be “washed away” with the blood of Jesus. Many people were offended when we suggested that they needed to get rid of their sin. They told us it was hypocritical of us to point out their sin when we weren’t perfect either. And we agreed.

It took awhile but eventually the church in America stopped believing in sin. Instead of becoming new creations in Christ, we started celebrating our brokenness. We quit declaring the gospel as the only way to find God and proudly declared “our truth” to be sufficient. We don’t think God cares what we believe so long as we’re sincere.

Let me direct your attention to Afghanistan. The Taliban is living their truth. It’s a very “messy” situation. We’re pulling out of the country because we can’t possibly win the war. It’s not because we don’t have the firepower. It’s because we don’t have the will. We don’t believe America is the greatest country on Earth. We don’t think it’s correct to force “our truth” on other people.

What’s happening overseas is already happening here. Christians don’t believe that Jesus is the only hope for mankind. We make friends with God’s enemies so they’ll treat us nicely when they rise to power. We are not interested in dominating the culture. We just hope we’re allowed a tiny place within the culture.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

– Luke 14:26