Jon Goodwin

Love God, Love Others…Love Other Stuff

Discernment is a word that has created some confusion in my life.  Not because I don’t know what it means but rather because of its absence.  I have known many who I would view as wise discerning people that lose all semblance of that definition when it comes to politics.  If I might be frank, I would also add that I have lost a ton of respect for people that I once viewed as discerning in the last few years.  

What is the reason for this?  My belief won’t sit well with many but as a pastor and someone who has spent my entire life in and around Christian organizations and Christian people it is my belief that a large portion of Christendom does not have a biblical world view.  Before you get mad at me, please understand that I am not alone in that perspective.  In fact, the Barna Group conducted research and concluded that only 17% of practicing Christians have a biblical worldview.  Many have a world view that is by in large shaped by opinions that they have sprinkled a little Bible on top.  It is my belief that for many their discipleship and formation has been crafted not by the Word of God but by partisan party politics and by their cable news channel of choice. It is my belief that many do not find their identity in Christ as much as they find their identity in a man-made system.  

The idea that we are aliens and strangers and that this world is not our home seems have gotten lost in 2025 American Christianity and the reason for this is because many would define themselves as American Christians rather than simply Christian or Christ follower.  Many of these folks loudly speak of loving God and country when the Word of God clearly speaks not of loving God and country but rather of loving God and neighbor.  These are two wildly different things.  And wildly different because my neighbors and I have a much different view of what our country is supposed to look like.  

If Jesus was serious of what He spoke of in Matthew 22 then loving God is to be our primary objective, loving our neighbor is a close second, and everything else is pretty far down the list.  As a person who claims to be a Christ follower, when my politics grant me permission to mistreat those I disagree with, this is a red flag that my allegiance to country has surpassed my allegiance to my Savior.  When this happens, I have violated the commandment, “You shall have no other God’s before me.”

When loving country outweighs loving neighbor, this is where you find republicans sitting in the diner verbally trashing the democrats or the democrats in the coffee shop verbally trashing the republicans.  When loving country outweighs loving neighbor, talking points become signs placed in front yards and neighbors with different perspectives become enemies.  Why is that?  Because when idols are attacked, idolators must defend them.  

On the flip side, when love of neighbor takes precedence over love of country, and a country abuses its citizens, this is when we are to rise up.  The Bible is littered with references about caring for those who are most vulnerable amongst us. 

I 100% recognize that what I am writing here is controversial in many circles and none more so than the circle I live in.  Over the past few years, I have had people that I thought were in my circle turn on me because they disagreed with something I said about politics or simply had a different perspective than they.  They allowed views of country to ruin a friendship.  In several of those cases, I was stunned.  

I have long been concerned that those who claim Christian as their banner have been way more vocal about what they were against than what they were for.  This should never be.  Our hearts must be positioned towards people.  When this idea holds a proper place in our hearts it is here that we find common ground.  It is here that people feel loved, valued, and safe.  You and I should not have to agree on much for us to be able to treat one another with dignity and kindness.  After all, it is at the core of our belief system…or is it?

That being said, I love America.  I am thankful to be an American.  Despite her flaws, I still believe she is a great nation, and I am blessed to be here.  My goal, make America a little better everyday by serving and loving my fellow man in the name of Jesus.  My God didn’t call me to change the world, but I do believe when I live out His Word, He can change someone’s else world.  So, I will keep living, loving, and serving.  

Jon Goodwin

Put Down The Sword

Like many of you, I am tired of the violence.  I am tired of the vengeance.  I am tired of the weaponization of Facebook posts.  I am tired of the weaponization of Twitter/X posts.  I am tired.  I am tired of the weaponization of words.  We live in a world that seems to love the destruction of enemies.  We witness public celebration when an enemy falls.  As if, the sermon on the mount’s teachings is only to be followed when it is convenient.  The idea of turning the other cheek and loving one’s enemy was not just countercultural when Jesus presented this teaching so many years ago, but it is countercultural today.

If Christ was here, I am sure He would say to many of His followers, “put down your sword”, just as He did to Peter. He would then offer to heal those that sword wielding Christians had wounded. 

The narrative of the arrest of Jesus is remarkable in several different areas.  I would like to highlight Peter’s sword fight and Jesus’ work of healing.  The moment Jesus was arrested, Peter started swinging a sword.  He did not even begin to consider that the bad stuff happening was instigated by divine providence.  God the Father set the timing and the plan into motion before the beginning of time.  Perhaps, Peter did not consider this because he never asked.  If he had asked Jesus, what should I do?  Jesus would have replied, nothing or perhaps, pray, and stay awake while you do.  

But Peter never asked Jesus for directives, rather, he just started swinging his sword.  While he believed that he was defending Jesus, he was harming those Christ came to save.  He was stepping in front of an eternal plan that was written out in the very throne room of God Himself and Jesus said, “Peter, put down your sword.”

When we are quick to do battle and slow to consider that perhaps some hardship is necessary for the eternal plan to unfold, we are only revealing that we have a very limited perspective.  We are revealing the biblical truth that “God’s ways are higher than our ways” (Isaiah 55.8-9).  How funny it is that we often regurgitate this truth as though it was merely a motivational saying but at the first sign of hardship, we grab our swords and start lopping ears off.

And that’s exactly what Peter did.  He busted out his trusty sword and started swinging.  Thankfully his aim was a bit off.  Still, he connected.  His sword lopped the ear off a man who was part of Jesus’ arrest party.  A man whom we are told was the servant of the temple guard.  Peter wildly swung the sword, Jesus intervened, and then Jesus picked up the dismembered ear and healed a man who was there to help arrest Jesus.  Jesus healed His enemy and chastised His follower for harming His enemy.  Let that sink in, Jesus healed His enemy and chastised His follower for harming His enemy.  

This should not surprise us if we are students of our Savior.  We must remember that on Palm Sunday, Jesus did not come riding into Jerusalem on a war horse as a conquering hero.  No!  He came riding in on donkey as a symbol of peace.  After all, Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

If that is true, that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and it is also true we are His disciples, then peace should be the overflow of our hearts and lives as disciples of the Prince of Peace.  With this final thought in mind, two Scriptures come to mind, Luke 6.45 and Matthew 5.9.  Luke 6.45 says, that your words, “flow from the abundance of the heart” and Matthew 5.9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”  Now I don’t know about you, but I want to bare the title, “son of God” and I also want the overflow of my heart to look like the overflow of the heart of Jesus.  That will only happen when I put down the sword and make it my mission, like Christ, to be in the business of healing rather than harming.  Friend and foe alike, both need more Jesus and less swords.