Jody McKewen
https://open.substack.com/pub/jodymckewen/p/two-christianities-in-america?r=43vew&utm_medium=ios
Recently, well-known worship leader, Sean Feucht, publicly criticized theologian John Piper for quoting Leviticus 19:34: “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself.”
The charge? That applying this verse to modern immigration debates was “woke” and a weaponization of Scripture.
That moment crystallized something many of us have been sensing for years: there are two very different Christianities operating in America.
They share a name.
They share vocabulary.
They often share churches.
But they are not shaped by the same center.
_______________________
Christianity Formed by Jesus
The first Christianity is shaped by the Sermon on the Mount.
It takes seriously words like:
• “Love your enemies.”
• “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
• “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me.”
• “My kingdom is not of this world.”
It sees the stranger at the border and remembers that Israel was once enslaved in Egypt.
It sees refugees and remembers that Jesus Himself fled violence as a child.
It hears political outrage and asks, “What does love require of me here?”
This Christianity does not confuse national power with the Kingdom of God.
When Christians opened their churches to house Afghan refugees after the U.S. withdrawal, that was this Christianity.
When believers in Texas quietly funded medical care for undocumented families, without cameras and without hashtags, that was this Christianity.
When pastors stood with grieving Black families after unjust killings, not to inflame but to mourn, that was this Christianity.
It may be accused of being naïve.
It may be mocked as soft.
But it looks suspiciously like Jesus.
________________________
Christianity Formed by Empire
The second Christianity is shaped less by the cross and more by cultural dominance.
It speaks often of “taking the country back.”
It is deeply anxious about losing influence.
It sees demographic change as threat rather than mission field.
It is quick to quote Romans 13 about obeying governing authorities; but slower to quote the prophets confronting kings.
It rallies around flags in sanctuaries.
It confuses electoral victory with spiritual revival.
When January 6th rioters carried crosses and “Jesus Saves” banners into the Capitol, that was this Christianity.
When politicians are anointed as divinely chosen despite openly cruel rhetoric, that is this Christianity.
When compassion for migrants is dismissed outright as liberal ideology rather than wrestled with biblically, that is this Christianity.
It speaks the language of faith.
But it often operates from fear.
________________________
The Fault Line
The dividing line is not Republican versus Democrat.
It is this:
Is the Church primarily called to wield power…or to bear witness?
Jesus never instructed His followers to secure Rome.
He told them to take up a cross.
He did not say, “By this everyone will know you are My disciples, if you win elections.”
He said, “By this everyone will know you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
One Christianity believes the world is changed by controlling it.
The other believes the world is changed by sacrificial love.
One believes losing cultural dominance is the worst possible outcome.
The other believes losing one’s life for Christ is gain.
________________________
A Hard Question
The temptation of empire is subtle. It wraps itself in patriotism, moral clarity, and urgency. It tells us that extraordinary times require extraordinary alliances.
But every time the Church has fused itself to political power; whether in Constantine’s Rome, medieval Europe, or modern America, it has gained influence and lost credibility.
The cross becomes smaller.
The flag becomes larger.
And somewhere along the way, Jesus becomes a mascot.
________________________
The Way Forward
This is not a call to withdraw from civic life. Christians are citizens. We vote. We advocate. We care about justice and order.
But we must ask: does our political posture look like Jesus?
Are we known more for what we oppose than for whom we love?
Are we quicker to defend borders than to defend human dignity?
Are we more animated by outrage than by mercy?
The Church is most powerful when she looks least like empire and most like her crucified Lord.
In the end, the question is not which party we belong to.
It is which kingdom we belong to.
There are two Christianities in America.
One kneels before power.
The other kneels before a wounded Savior.
Only one of them carries a cross. Recently, well-known worship leader, Sean Feucht, publicly criticized theologian John Piper for quoting Leviticus 19:34: “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself.”
The charge? That applying this verse to modern immigration debates was “woke” and a weaponization of Scripture.
That moment crystallized something many of us have been sensing for years: there are two very different Christianities operating in America.
They share a name.
They share vocabulary.
They often share churches.
But they are not shaped by the same center.
_______________________
Christianity Formed by Jesus
The first Christianity is shaped by the Sermon on the Mount.
It takes seriously words like:
• “Love your enemies.”
• “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
• “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me.”
• “My kingdom is not of this world.”
It sees the stranger at the border and remembers that Israel was once enslaved in Egypt.
It sees refugees and remembers that Jesus Himself fled violence as a child.
It hears political outrage and asks, “What does love require of me here?”
This Christianity does not confuse national power with the Kingdom of God.
When Christians opened their churches to house Afghan refugees after the U.S. withdrawal, that was this Christianity.
When believers in Texas quietly funded medical care for undocumented families, without cameras and without hashtags, that was this Christianity.
When pastors stood with grieving Black families after unjust killings, not to inflame but to mourn, that was this Christianity.
It may be accused of being naïve.
It may be mocked as soft.
But it looks suspiciously like Jesus.
________________________
Christianity Formed by Empire
The second Christianity is shaped less by the cross and more by cultural dominance.
It speaks often of “taking the country back.”
It is deeply anxious about losing influence.
It sees demographic change as threat rather than mission field.
It is quick to quote Romans 13 about obeying governing authorities; but slower to quote the prophets confronting kings.
It rallies around flags in sanctuaries.
It confuses electoral victory with spiritual revival.
When January 6th rioters carried crosses and “Jesus Saves” banners into the Capitol, that was this Christianity.
When politicians are anointed as divinely chosen despite openly cruel rhetoric, that is this Christianity.
When compassion for migrants is dismissed outright as liberal ideology rather than wrestled with biblically, that is this Christianity.
It speaks the language of faith.
But it often operates from fear.
________________________
The Fault Line
The dividing line is not Republican versus Democrat.
It is this:
Is the Church primarily called to wield power…or to bear witness?
Jesus never instructed His followers to secure Rome.
He told them to take up a cross.
He did not say, “By this everyone will know you are My disciples, if you win elections.”
He said, “By this everyone will know you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
One Christianity believes the world is changed by controlling it.
The other believes the world is changed by sacrificial love.
One believes losing cultural dominance is the worst possible outcome.
The other believes losing one’s life for Christ is gain.
________________________
A Hard Question
The temptation of empire is subtle. It wraps itself in patriotism, moral clarity, and urgency. It tells us that extraordinary times require extraordinary alliances.
But every time the Church has fused itself to political power; whether in Constantine’s Rome, medieval Europe, or modern America, it has gained influence and lost credibility.
The cross becomes smaller.
The flag becomes larger.
And somewhere along the way, Jesus becomes a mascot.
________________________
The Way Forward
This is not a call to withdraw from civic life. Christians are citizens. We vote. We advocate. We care about justice and order.
But we must ask: does our political posture look like Jesus?
Are we known more for what we oppose than for whom we love?
Are we quicker to defend borders than to defend human dignity?
Are we more animated by outrage than by mercy?
The Church is most powerful when she looks least like empire and most like her crucified Lord.
In the end, the question is not which party we belong to.
It is which kingdom we belong to.
There are two Christianities in America.
One kneels before power.
The other kneels before a wounded Savior.
Only one of them carries a cross.
In response to a comment by Pam Bobbi on Fox News - “Do you really think Jesus wants us to defend immigrants?”
By Jody McKewen
Get This Woman a Bible
https://open.substack.com/pub/jodymckewen/p/somebody-please-get-her-a-bible?r=43vew&utm_medium=ios
This is how you say I never read the Bible without actually saying it
Law & Covenant Instructions (Torah)
These are foundational instructions about how Israelites should treat non‑native people living among them.
• Exodus 12:49
One law for native and foreigner alike.
• Exodus 22:21
“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”
• Exodus 23:9
Do not oppress a foreigner; you know the heart of a foreigner because you were foreigners in Egypt.
• Leviticus 19:33–34
“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native‑born…”
• Numbers 15:15, 29–30
One ordinance applies to the native and the stranger who sojourns among you.
• Deuteronomy 1:16–17
Justice is to be the same for the native and the foreigner.
• Deuteronomy 10:17–19
God loves the foreigner; you are to love foreigners because you were foreigners in Egypt.
• Deuteronomy 14:21
Do not eat anything you find already dead; give it to the foreigner.
• Deuteronomy 24:17–18, 19–22
Do not deprive the foreigner of justice; leave gleanings in fields for the foreigner, orphan, and widow.
Historical Books
Stories showing how foreigners are received, included, or judged.
• Ruth 1:16–17
Ruth, a Moabitess, pledges loyalty to Naomi’s God and people — and becomes part of Israel’s story.
• Esther 1–10
A foreign‑born Jewish woman becomes queen and saves her people.
Prophets (Justice, Mercy, and Inclusion)
Prophetic calls for justice often include warnings about how outsiders are treated.
• Isaiah 1:17
Seek justice, defend the oppressed, fatherless, widow, and foreigner.
• Isaiah 56:3–8
Foreigners who join themselves to the Lord are welcomed; God gathers all peoples.
• Jeremiah 7:5–7
If you oppress the foreigner and do not serve God, your worship means little.
• Jeremiah 22:3
Do justice and righteousness to the poor and needy, the stranger and orphan.
• Ezekiel 47:22–23
In the future land allotment, foreigners may live with Israelites as citizens.
• Zechariah 7:9–10
True fast includes showing kindness to the widow, fatherless, immigrant, and poor.
Wisdom Literature
Reflections that include empathy for others.
• Psalm 146:9
The Lord watches over foreigners; sustains the fatherless and the widow.
• Proverbs 29:10
Violence against the wicked brings fear, but the righteous consider the foreigner.
⸻
New Testament
Gospels & Teachings of Jesus
Jesus reframes mercy and neighborly love in ways that welcome outsiders.
• Matthew 25:35
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me…” (in the final judgment context)
• Luke 10:25–37 (Good Samaritan)
Neighborly love crosses ethnic and cultural boundaries.
Pauline & General Epistles
Early Christian communities include people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ephesians 2:19
You are no longer strangers and aliens, but citizens with the saints.
• Hebrews 13:1–2
Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels unaware.
- Jody McKewen
