Evangelism

Karoline Leavitt, Pam Bondi and the Costly Evangelism of the Cross Necklace

According to Tuesday’s New York Times, the cross necklace is “a hot accessory” that currently resides “at the intersection of faith and culture.”

Historians suggest the practice of wearing a cross as a pendant around the neck dates back to the second century.

Tertullian, a Christian theologian who lived during that same period, called believers in Jesus “devotees of the cross.” That reference is said to have inspired early Christians to embrace and redeem the symbol Roman officials had associated with torturous death, even wearing it to connect with fellow believers and talk about their countercultural faith with others.

Cross necklaces have long been made with various materials ranging from simple wood to precious metals and gemstones.

“As a millenniums-old symbol of Christian faith, the cross would seem somewhat immune to trendiness,” writes Misty White Sidell in the Times. “But cross necklaces and pendants have been in vogue before and may be again as some feel more comfortable embracing their faith and seek community with others.”

The Old Grey Lady points out that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Attorney General Pam Bondi are two high-profile women within the Trump administration who regularly wear a visible cross.

In a statement provided to the Times, Leavitt explained, “My faith is very important to me. It is what gets me through each day.”

Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Representative and Democrat leader in the House, was spotted wearing a cross necklace during last weekend’s budget protest. Sidell notes that Rep. Jeffries grew up serving as an usher at the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

That members on both sides of the aisle are wearing crosses inevitably mutes any of the traditional partisan criticism.

Back in 2023, Michael Coan, associate professor of jewelry design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, suggested in an interview that crosses can be for everyone. 

“If you have Jesus on it, it becomes a crucifix,” he said. “That’s a different story. For some people, it can mean redemption from suffering. To pagans, it can mean the four directions. It can represent elements of fire, water, earth and air. It’s a symbol that resonates on a global plane.”

While Professor Coan is correct that Christ being on a cross makes it a crucifix, something Catholics often display, evangelical believers feature and wear an empty cross as a symbol of Christ’s victory over death.

It’s true that different people can interpret the cross differently, but Christians can feel comfortable wearing a cross and allowing it to trigger productive and faith-filled conversations.

But it’s one thing to wear a cross and a whole other thing to live a life that rightly reflects its profound meaning and charge to us as followers of Christ.

John Stott, the late Anglican pastor and theologian, rightly observed, “The cross calls us to a much more radical and costly kind of evangelism than most churches have begun to consider.”

Costly evangelism means that as believers who stand up for Christ, we should be willing to lose our reputation, sacrifice our comforts and resources, and even be at odds with significant cultural majorities. It means to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2). 

Good for Karoline Leavitt, Attorney General Bondi and anyone else who unapologetically wears a cross, not for the sake of making a fashion statement, but instead as a proclamation of their Christian faith and an invitation to others to join them on the greatest adventure from here to eternity.  

Image from Getty.

Why Evangelicals Should Care About the Next Pope

Over 200,000 people are expected to attend Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday in Rome, a global event that will draw leaders from every corner of the world, including President Donald Trump.

After news of the pontiff’s death broke on Easter Monday, President Trump took to Truth Social and declared, “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” He later told reporters that the late pope was “a very good man who loved, loved the world, and he especially loved people that were having a hard time, and that’s good with me.”

Many of the world’s nearly 1.4 billion Catholics will be tuned in to the solemn procession and Mass. They’ll witness all the traditional liturgy and hear readings from Acts, Paul’s letter to the Philippians, as well as John’s Gospel. It will conclude with the “Gloria Patri,” a Latin doxology that ends with the phrase, “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”

In between, evangelicals will find portions of the prayers and some of the elements of the funeral Mass theologically troublesome, especially prayers and petitions to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

But doctrinal and theological differences aside, non-Catholic believers should be following the next chapter in Rome with interest.

The Papal Conclave is scheduled to begin May 6. The word “conclave” means “private room” in Latin. At this point, 135 of the church’s cardinals will be meeting in the Sistine Chapel to begin the selection of the next pope. It’s famously secretive. The only sign of what’s going on inside will be signaled by black smoke or white smoke, the latter to indicate they’ve successfully landed on a new leader of Catholics.

Over time, popes have served an oversized role in the world, and for good and bad. Centuries ago, Pope Alexander VI was accused of buying his way into the Vatican, killed cardinals for their wealth, and even fathered children. Popes have been accused of ordering their predecessor’s death (Sergius III), and almost bankrupting the church (Pope Leo X). Some have accused Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) of doing little to confront Hitler for the holocaust. The Catholic Church has pushed back and says his secret work to save the lives of Jewish people will be revealed in forthcoming church documents.

Lately, though, popes tend to reflect an era – or do they help shape it by their personality, passions, commitments and convictions?

When Karol Wojtyla, a.k.a. the newly elected Pope John Paul II, delivered his inaugural homily to the throngs gathered in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square in 1979, he implored those gathered:

Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept His power … Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To His saving power open the boundaries of States, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization and development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows “what is in man.” He alone knows it.

Of course, the pope was quoting Jesus, who said to Peter and to all of us: “Take courage … Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). He was also quoting the Lord in the Book of Joshua: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Matthew 1:9).

Pope John Paul II, known for his courage and boldness, has been credited with helping to force the collapse of the Soviet Union.

John Paul II’s successor, Benedict XVI, was known to advocate for the church and world to adhere to biblical values.

“It is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful,” he said. “It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this – in truth, in goodness and in beauty – that we find happiness and joy.”

Conversely, Pope Francis is probably best known for reimagining church convictions or priorities related to sexual sin and even divorce. He once said, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

Is it mere coincidence that the last decade has seen a broad collapse of biblical truth and an expansion of all kinds of destructive and damaging behavior? It’s not the pope who has committed the grievous sins, but leaders often set the tone and either encourage or discourage certain behaviors.

Speculation is running rampant on who the next pope will be. Pope Francis has appointed 108 of the 135 cardinals who will be voting, a fact that some feel is an indicator the next leader of the Catholic Church will be a lot like the latest. But perhaps not. Evangelicals should be paying attention and praying for the process and for a leader who will reflect God’s truth and grace in a world desperately hungry for it.

Image from Getty.

Easter Isn’t Over, It’s Just Begun

At some point today, it’s likely that you’ve either asked or been asked about how you enjoyed Easter.

The ultimate triumphal event on the Christian calendar, when Easter falls is based on a calculation known as the “Computus Paschalis.”  Basically, the date each year when we celebrate Jesus’ miraculous Resurrection from the dead is always the first Sunday after the first full moon that lands on or after the first day of spring.

It’s a glorious day punctuated by the singing of wonderful music, reflection on the promise of life after death, and then for many, all the fun traditions ranging from egg coloring and hunting to lunches and brunches and extended family gatherings.

It’s widely accepted and settled that Easter is a day – but it’s really a 50-day celebration otherwise known as Eastertide or the Paschal season.

The 50-day span is based upon the 40 days Jesus spent after the Resurrection appearing and teaching, followed by Him sending the Holy Spirit after His ascension into Heaven (Acts 2). Many churches celebrate that monumental occasion known as the feast of Pentecost, which is a Greek word for “fiftieth.”

In a transactional and commercial world, a neat and tidy holiday celebration of a single day is convenient and even streamlined. But is there anything more monumental or consequential than Jesus coming back from the dead?

The extended Easter celebration provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the miracle of Christ’s Resurrection for weeks, not simply a weekend.

It encourages us to ponder His sacrifice and His victory over death.

It reminds us, to quote the Pope John Paul II, that “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song!”

Eastertide calls for a posture of reflection and thanksgiving. It invites us to slow down, look up, and consider how the arc of Jesus’ extraordinary life can speak to us two-thousand years later.

The lilies may soon wilt, the candy eaten, the eggs turned to egg salad, the ham soon on sandwiches for the children’s lunches.

But Easter? It continues. Don’t be so quick to move on. Linger. Savor it. Enjoy it. After all, that’s why we worship and celebrate on Sunday every week of the year.

As the hymnwriter Charles Wesley so poignantly wrote:

Rejoice, the Lord is King;

Your Lord and King adore!

Rejoice, give thanks and sing,

And triumph evermore.

Lift up your heart,

Lift up your voice!

Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Instead of asking, “How was your Easter?” perhaps we should ask, “How is your Easter?”\

Image from Getty.

The Consequential, Complex and Confounding Legacy of Pope Francis

Easter Monday’s death in Rome of Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, triggers a nine-day mourning period that will be marked by solemn ritual and ceremony.

There will be prayers, Masses, processions and a funeral in St. Peter’s Square. Pope Francis will be buried in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

Within a few weeks, the College of Cardinals will meet, black smoke will billow from the Vatican chimney until white smoke signals the election of a new pontiff.

It’s all very predictable and traditional, but still relatively rare, too. Francis, who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, was only the 266th Pope. The apostle Peter is considered the first.

Nicknamed the “People’s Pope” for his compassion and focus on the poor, Francis’ parents were Italian immigrants. He thought he might become a chemical technician or make a career in the food industry – but ultimately felt God was calling him to the priesthood. He wasn’t ordained until he was 32 years of age.

Popes tend to take on an oversized role these days, and especially in a social media saturated world. Francis was no exception. His tweets reached tens of millions of people and were translated into various languages.

When Francis was elected, he was hailed as the first Jesuit pontiff, as well as the first from Latin America. He was called “a conservative with a common touch.”

But was he?

If by “conservative” you meant he was committed to upholding traditional teachings of the Catholic church when it came to the sanctity of life, the biblical definition of one-man, one-woman marriage and the distinctives and exclusivity of two and only two genders, male and female, then yes, Francis was largely conservative.

Over the years, Francis often referred to the church as a “field hospital” and emphasized the importance of extending Christ’s grace and mercy to sinners. Evangelicals and Catholics hold to several distinctly different theological doctrines, but they’re in agreement that we’re all sinners in desperate need of help and forgiveness.

But the late pope also had a habit of frustrating many Catholics and others by saying things that he or his surrogates would later clarify or sometimes confuse even more. In fact, at times, he seemed to invite or even encourage ambiguity.

To look at this habit charitably, perhaps he was hoping to draw people into a larger discussion and conversation.

Not everyone saw it that way. Back in 2019, over 1,000 Catholic scholars published an open letter to the College of Bishops that accused Pope Francis of heresy, including the “comprehensive rejection of Catholic teaching on marriage and sexual activity, on the moral law, and on grace and the forgiveness of sins.”

Charles J. Chaput, archbishop emeritus of Philadelphia, remembers warm interactions with Francis, but wrote in First Things on Monday that candor is necessary given the challenges of our day.

Archbishop Chaput suggested Pope Francis could be “temperamental an autocratic” as well as thin-skinned. He wrote:

In the face of deep cultural fractures on matters of sexual behavior and identity, he condemned gender ideology but seemed to downplay a compelling Christian “theology of the body.” He was impatient with canon law and proper procedure. His signature project, synodality, was heavy on process and deficient in clarity. Despite an inspiring outreach to society’s margins, his papacy lacked a confident, dynamic evangelical zeal. The intellectual excellence to sustain a salvific (and not merely ethical) Christian witness in a skeptical modern world was likewise absent.

What the Church needs going forward is a leader who can marry personal simplicity with a passion for converting the world to Jesus Christ, a leader who has a heart of courage and a keen intellect to match it. Anything less won’t work.

Many evangelicals may not take much interest in the election of the next pope, but the leader of so many Catholics matters a whole lot and not only to those who pledge their loyalty to Rome. Popes matter. They set cultural tones, can clarify or confuse, and can help shape generations to come.

Please be in prayer as these next weeks and months unfold in Rome and beyond.

Image from Getty.

Secretary Sean Duffy: Let’s Bring Jesus Up from the Basement

As a former member of Congress, now Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy had a reputation for speaking his mind. Unapologetically pro-life, he regularly chastised colleagues for not standing up for the most vulnerable. From the House floor he talked about the “silent screams” of the preborn.

“Don’t talk to me about cruelty when you look at little babies being dismembered, feeling excruciating pain,” he once declared.

So maybe it’s not surprising that when Secretary Duffy visited the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy last week that he vowed to put back up an historic painting that his predecessor, Pete Buttigieg, had removed.

It’s titled “Christ on the Water” or “Jesus and Lifeboat.”

The painting in question was created in 1944 by U.S. Maritime Service Lieutenant Hunter Wood. Looking for a way to honor Americans lost at sea during World War II, Wood’s art measures 10-feet by 19-feet. He used marine paint, sail canvas and varnish to bring the image to life.

For 80 years, the painting hung in the Elliot M. See Room of the academy’s administration building. Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Foundation and chief crank of any intersection of faith and government, filed a complaint. On Secretary Buttigieg’s order, the painting was first covered and then relegated to the basement.

Thankfully, Secretary Duffy has reversed course.

“Can we bring Jesus up from the basement?” he asked to cheers last week. “Let’s not put Jesus in the basement! Let’s get Him out! Let’s bring Him up!”

One midshipman told the Christian Post, “I remember many times when I used to pray underneath that painting when I was on the verge of failing a class, or I had big tests or I was worried about something. I’ve prayed underneath that painting when it used to be in Wiley Hall. So to me, it’s a very significant, important painting, and I think it’s an important part of the school’s history.”

Another midshipman noted how appropriate it was to have that specific painting in that particular room on campus, the site of hearings for possible honor code violations.

“That room where the painting was held is where the Honor Board meetings were. And people would look up to that painting and say, ‘Everything’s going to be all right. Jesus is looking after me, just like He’s looking after these sailors who are washed up on a boat somewhere in the middle of the ocean.'”

Back when the Academy covered and moved the painting, Senator Ted Cruz wrote a letter to Vice Admiral Joanna Nunan, the Superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, criticizing the decision.

“I am deeply concerned by your flawed understanding of the First Amendment to our Constitution,” Senator Cruz stated. “The allegation that the painting somehow violates time, place and manner restrictions is an objective absurdity.”

Over the years, radicals have worked overtime to metaphorically and literally relegate Jesus to America’s basement. Secretary Duffy, who is a married believer and father to nine children, understands both the danger and destructiveness of those efforts. He also understands that acknowledging the Christian faith in a public setting doesn’t violate the United States Constitution.

Thank you, Secretary Sean Duffy.