I once had lunch with author David Horowitz, a secular Jew who had written a book detailing cultural and political movements against Christianity. He asked me, “Jim, don’t you realize you’re in an alley fight, and the other side has switchblades?”
I nodded my understanding, then responded, “David, the problem is that the weapons of warfare our Lord has given us are joy, love, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, and faithfulness.”
That discourse raises an intriguing question for every Christian: How are believers to fight the good fight with the character of Christ when the other side doesn’t fight fair?
We’re answering that question on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Restoring the Family in America.” We’re airing a special conversation I had with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and his daughter, former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
They have defended the family for years through their public service. Despite being bullied, shamed, marginalized, and called names, they have never retreated from the good fight to save marriages and families.
Where do they find courage? In large part, their confidence comes from the trust they’ve placed in their Savior, Jesus Christ.
They also know American history, which has taught them that when you forget what’s most important, you eventually stray off course.
For example, most people don’t know that every Ivy League school, with the exception of Cornell, was created to train missionaries and pastors to take the Gospel around the world. John Harvard – a statue of whom students pass every day – was a pastor who died at the age of 31 and bequeathed his books for the formation of what became Harvard College and later Harvard University.
History is to civilization what memory is to individuals. Lose your memory, and your life is filled with chaos, uncertainty, and confusion. The same is happening to our nation as we lose our collective memory, particularly when it comes to the importance of marriage, family, and faith.
It is an unquestionable fact of history that the Judeo-Christian worldview played an instrumental role in the foundation of our country’s belief in individual liberty, individual responsibility, and individual accountability to God.
As we forget our Christian heritage, our culture undermines the basic premises upon which our nation is built. Many conservatives and people of faith have stopped fighting for what’s right. They’ve stopped being vocal. When it comes to marriage, family, and faith, we ought to lean in, not retreat. We ought to move ever forward, standing for what matters and doing so from a place of love, grace, and strength.
What do you think? How do you believe Christians can best impact the culture? Share your thoughts below, then listen to my conversation with Mike Huckabee and Sarah Huckabee Sanders on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app.
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Kathy Przekwas says
-Model good family life for others. When people see families overcome adversity and still remain strong and together, it gives hope to others struggling with what life throws at them. Together is stronger than alone.
Anna Schrock says
– THANKYOU!