The last week hasn't exactly been full of Christmas cheer in American Christianity. President Donald Trump was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday sparking reaction among evangelical Christians across the country.
Perhaps the largest and most vehement reaction of the week was by the editor of Christianity Today, Mark Galli, who published an article stating that President Trump should be removed from office following his impeachment by the House.
The ensuing reaction to Galli's piece was swift and severe. Preachers, pastors, and laypeople alike quickly dismissed it as a liberal-Christian hit job on the president. President Trump himself even lashed out on Twitter calling Christianity Today "a far-left magazine."
Since the piece was published, numerous op-ed's have been written in response. Some of those stories have been written by prominent pastors essentially reiterating the idea that Christianity Today has fallen by the wayside, a once proud conservative stalwart gone leftist. There was even a letter signed by nearly 200 evangelical leaders sent to Christianity Today defending themselves from Galli's assertion that their support for Trump has harmed their Christian witness.
The argument redrew old battle lines that formed between "Never Trump" evangelicals and the evangelicals who either begrudgingly or enthusiastically jumped on the Trump bandwagon when he became the apparent Republican nominee for president in early 2016.
What a fun week leading up to the commemoration of our Lord and Savior's birth, huh?
Make no mistake about it, there are some real issues with this president. There is a conversation that needs to be had about enthusiastic support among evangelicals for a man who has been divisive and downright mean whether in tweets or at his infamous campaign rallies.
Whether you agreed or disagreed with Christianity Today's article, at least a discussion was attempted.
Was it misguided considering there's very little chance of Trump actually being removed from office? Probably.
Should Galli's tone have been crafted more carefully? Absolutely.
Has the evangelical reaction been just as ugly as the initial piece? No doubt.
I have four boys ages 16 and under. When my boys get into a fight, there's usually some name-calling and idle threats involved. They even duke it out sometimes. Quite honestly, it's often good for them to get it out of their systems before they make nice and go back to being brothers again.
To the evangelical leaders, publishers, and fellow Christians involved in or even entertained by the fracas of the last few days, I'm glad we got that out of our systems. Now, let's go back to being brothers and sisters–especially this week, one of the holiest on our calendar.
You have made your points. You've defended your honor. You have fought long enough. You're still on the same team. You still have a real world mission. It's much easier to perform that mission when we get along despite our differences.
Whether you voted for President Trump or not, if you love Jesus and you love people, nothing as temporary as an American president's term in office should divide you from your fellow brothers and sisters for very long.
It's Christmas week. For the good of the body of Christ (and our own family gatherings) let's celebrate the Savior's birth. Together.