Whatever its stated goal and original intent, it has been fully colonized by a full-throated Christian Nationalism, the result of the marriage between religious fundamentalists and the political right. In this sense, it is difficult to see how the National Day of Prayer has really anything to do with prayer anymore.

But as people of faith, our hope does not rest in a Supreme Court, a congress, or an idolatrous executive. Fear has been overcome by grace, and the love of God that compels us forward lights the path ahead.

The conversation around Mr. Kirk’s public stature has become confused. While his murder is clearly a moral evil, his public veneration is unwarranted.

Over the past few months, we’ve seen at least one of those views loud and clear, expressed primarily through various far-right ideologies of sexism, xenophobia, and white supremacy masquerading as Christianity.

I have argued (and preached!) that Christian faith that is grounded in an inclusive, love-based understanding of scripture has, to the detriment of American civil society, vacated the public sphere. In its place is a Christianity that is hardly recognizable in even the most cursory reading of the New Testament.   

Our narratives of faith and state are contested – our beliefs about their origin and development over time, while grounded in various theological and historical commitments, often include a healthy dose of mythmaking.